Kellyanne Conway is defending her claim of a “Bowling Green massacre” that was quickly debunked as never happening as an honest mistake.
The counselor to the president, appearing on MSNBC’s “Hardball” on Thursday night, referred to a fake terrorist attack to justify Trump’s ban on nationals and refugees from seven majority Muslim countries, according to published reports. RELATED:‘1984’ becomes best seller again with help from ‘alternative facts’ “I bet it’s brand-new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized and were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre. Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered, “ she said.
.@KellyannePolls says that 2 Iraqi refugees “were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre.”
(There was no such massacre.) pic.twitter.com/sD3Nnb5xfE— Joe Sonka (@joesonka) February 3, 2017
As multiple media outlets have confirmed, her statement is full of falsehoods.
She appears to be referring to two Iraqi men who lived in Bowling Green, Kentucky and are currently serving life sentences after beingfound guilty in 2013 of terrorist activities. Theyreportedly tried to send money and weapons to al Qaeda in Iraq and admitted tousing improvised explosive devices against U.S. soldiers in Iraq, but never carried out or were accused of planning a massacre. There was alsonever a ban on Iraqi refugees, only a re-screening on those already in the country and a slowdown on those entering the U.S. Responding to the reports, Conway tweeted Friday morning that the word “massacre” was a slip of the tongue and she meant to say terrorists, referring to an ABC News article that discussed the arrest of the two Iraqi men and changes inprocessing Iraqi refugees. The article, nor the men’s indictment mentions any attacks carried out or planned in Bowling Green or the U.S.
On @hardball @NBCNews @MSNBC I meant to say “Bowling Green terrorists” as reported here:
https://t.co/nB5SwIEoYI— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) February 3, 2017
Conway also tweeted that “honest mistakes abound,” citing the media.
1/2: Honest mistakes abound. Last night, prominent editor of liberal site apologized for almost running a story re: tweet from fake account
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) February 3, 2017
2/2: yet won’t name him, attack him, get the base 2 descend upon him. Same with MLKJr bust fake story. It’s called class, grace, deep breath
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) February 3, 2017
Conway, who already went viral for using the term “alternative facts” on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to defend false statements from the Trump administration on the size of the inauguration crowd, again started trending for her “Bowling Green massacre” comment.
We need a ban on bowlers coming into the country until we find out what’s going on. #BowlingGreenMasacre
— Jimfromla (@Jimfromla) February 3, 2017
Getting tired of all this disrespectful talk about the #BowlingGreenMasacre in which we lost Frederick Douglas #fullcircle
— Emily Schwartz (@emleschwa) February 3, 2017
Please show your support for the victims of the #BowlingGreenMasacre by changing your profile pic to this pic.twitter.com/kYMg02tq3j
— Kristina (@krisknisk) February 3, 2017
Hey @KellyannePolls, I found evidence of The Bowling Green Massacre!#BowlingGreenMasacre pic.twitter.com/NPM58H8qsG
— Aditya Jayakrishnan (@AdiJayakrishnan) February 3, 2017
I never thought when I took this photo carnage was only seconds away. Never forget. #BowlingGreenMasacre pic.twitter.com/0U8mwrXJUJ
— Mr Scribblez (@5cribblesvurt) February 3, 2017
I’m glad @realDonaldTrump was able to crawl away unharmed from #BowlingGreenMasacre . Must have been frightening. pic.twitter.com/8Slcw9hDSb
— Mi Kemical Romance (@MReyn417) February 3, 2017
