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… https://t.co/MJgUqI09VT— Chris Geidner (@Chris Geidner) 1488311478.0
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 w… https://t.co/HNhyEVR3Zy— Tom Bonier (@Tom Bonier) 1488312011.0
Either Trump organically came to the same conclusion as white supremacists did, or he is parroting them. Neither is a good look.— Tom Bonier (@Tom Bonier) 1488312081.0
The false flag conspiracy theory was pushed by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.
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? https://t.co/iTiIV25E8T— Brendan Nyhan (@Brendan Nyhan) 1488310146.0
The "Fake News" president is suggesting that the Democrats are running a false flag anti-Semitic operation. This ma… https://t.co/z96gWkbQTD— 𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜 𝕫𝕠𝕙𝕒𝕣 (@𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜 𝕫𝕠𝕙𝕒𝕣) 1488312206.0
@chrisgeidner Holy shit, this guy really has completely internalized Alex Jones. That's a staggeringly scary thought.— Model citizen, zero discipline (@Model citizen, zero discipline) 1488309726.0
False “false flag” operations, dog whistles, gaslighting. We live in an unpresidented era of psyops conducted by the so-called president.— Mark Sample (@Mark Sample) 1488312081.0
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— Interstitial Persona (@Interstitial Persona) 1488312445.0
@chrisgeidner @BuzzFeedNews so basically, Jewish people are doing this to themselves to make others look bad. Wtf is wrong with #Trump— 🐼Wicked Betch🦄 (@🐼Wicked Betch🦄) 1488308949.0
@chrislhayes When Alex Jones and Breitbart are considered legit news sources, no conspiracy is too crazy or stupid to conceive.— Andrea Buonincontro (@Andrea Buonincontro) 1488309615.0
Trump's comment on JCC threats -> severe sociopathy & anti-Semitism and/or delusional/paranoid thinking. No other options. @TrueFactsStated— David Reiss, M.D. (@David Reiss, M.D.) 1488312650.0
So... the people making the anti Jewish attacks are... the Jews? Wha...? This is insane. https://t.co/UrMh6c3woq— Doctor Claw (@Doctor Claw) 1488311970.0
The Holocaust was within living memory and we have a president insinuating antisemitic death threats and vandalism are a false flag.— Noël and Void (@Noël and Void) 1488312079.0
