President Donald Trump received a lashing online after suggesting that his supporters were being framed for anti-Semitic bomb threats.
Trump on Tuesday suggested to attorneys generals that threats targeting Jewish community centers and attacks on Jewish cemeteries could be false flag operations. When speaking about the acts, which he called “reprehensible,” the president said “the reverse can be true,” according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “Someone’s doing it to make others look bad,” Trump added.
“He just said, ‘sometimes it’s the reverse,'” Shapiro recalled. “‘It’s to make people or make others look bad.’ He used ‘reverse’ two to three times in his comments.”
The Anti-Defamation League quickly released a statement calling on the president to clarify his remarks.
ADL: "We are astonished by what the President reportedly said. It is incumbent upon the White House to immediately clarify these remarks." pic.twitter.com/NzLBSxI1Tj
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) February 28, 2017
Tom Bonier of the political data firm TargetSmart noted that the conspiracy theory that bomb threats against Jewish community centers were a false flag operation appeared on a white supremacist website.
About Trump's theory that the JCC threats are a false flag operation: 20 hours ago, the same theory appeared on a white supremacist site. pic.twitter.com/P4qi9L7w1G
— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) February 28, 2017
Either Trump organically came to the same conclusion as white supremacists did, or he is parroting them. Neither is a good look.
— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) February 28, 2017
The false flag conspiracy theory was pushed by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.
President Trump, do you think it might be the Jews themselves making these calls to get sympathy to push their ethnic agenda? @POTUS https://t.co/AgeeTKzzLG
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) February 21, 2017
Many other Twitter users were outraged by the president’s comments.
You know who else probably thinks the anti-Jewish threats are a false flag operation? pic.twitter.com/iTiIV25E8T
— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) February 28, 2017
The "Fake News" president is suggesting that the Democrats are running a false flag anti-Semitic operation. This man is vile to the core. https://t.co/4wKuDyAHCx
— Mark Zohar (@markzohar) February 28, 2017
@chrisgeidner Holy shit, this guy really has completely internalized Alex Jones. That's a staggeringly scary thought.
— Mike Upchurch (@MikeUp) February 28, 2017
False “false flag” operations, dog whistles, gaslighting. We live in an unpresidented era of psyops conducted by the so-called president.
— Sample (@samplereality) February 28, 2017
The guy's going to blurt out "Sandy Hook was a false flag, folks" at some point. Will the GOP go along? Of course. https://t.co/ibxFdg6Fsn
— Chris Caple (@chriscaple) February 28, 2017
@chrisgeidner @BuzzFeedNews so basically, Jewish people are doing this to themselves to make others look bad. Wtf is wrong with #Trump
— LisaLisa (@YourTVGirl) February 28, 2017
@chrislhayes When Alex Jones and Breitbart are considered legit news sources, no conspiracy is too crazy or stupid to conceive.
— Andrea Buonincontro (@abuonin) February 28, 2017
Trump's comment on JCC threats -> severe sociopathy & anti-Semitism and/or delusional/paranoid thinking. No other options. @TrueFactsStated
— David Reiss M.D. (@DMRDynamics) February 28, 2017
So… the people making the anti Jewish attacks are… the Jews?
Wha…?
This is insane. https://t.co/UrMh6c3woq
— Doctor Claw (@Dr_Clawton) February 28, 2017
The Holocaust was within living memory and we have a president insinuating antisemitic death threats and vandalism are a false flag.
— Nolan Void (@HitlerPuncher) February 28, 2017
@chrislhayes it's a conspiracy against him to make his administration look bad. His paranoia is dangerous
— Dan (@DoghouseDano) February 28, 2017
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