PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Sunday to explain his apparent reference to a nonexistent terror attack in Sweden.
>> PREVIOUS STORY: Trump's comments about Sweden confuse Swedes
"My statement as to what's happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden," Trump wrote Sunday afternoon.
My statement as to what's happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2017
The clarification came one day after Trump spoke to thousands of supporters at a rally in Melbourne, Florida. At one point during his speech, Trump mentioned "last night in Sweden" while alluding to recent terror attacks; however, no terror attack had occurred there.
"You look at what’s happening in Germany; you look at what’s happening last night in Sweden," Trump said. "Sweden, who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They’re having problems like they never thought possible. You look at what’s happening in Brussels; you look at what’s happening all over the world. Take a look at Nice; take a look at Paris."
Trump's remarks quickly sparked derision on social media, spawning the hashtags #LastNightInSweden and #swedenincident.
"Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound," tweeted former Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.
Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound. https://t.co/XWgw8Fz7tj
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) February 19, 2017
The Swedish Embassy in Washington later asked the U.S. State Department to explain what Trump meant, The Associated Press reported.
Trump's clarification Sunday appeared to refer to a Friday night broadcast of Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" in which documentary filmmaker Ami Horowitz claimed that a supposed uptick in crime in Sweden is linked to an influx of immigrants, BuzzFeed reported. Swedish data, however, show that crime rates have not changed much in recent years, according to BuzzFeed.
Seems the "incident in Sweden" was Trump watching a segment on Fox news last night about "Sweden's refugee crisis" https://t.co/6ILy924TN9
— Jason Kirby (@jason_kirby) February 19, 2017
Trump has praised the Fox network as a trusted news source multiple times, while maintaining that others, specifically CNN, are "fake news."
"I watched this morning a couple of the networks, and I have to say, 'Fox and Friends' in the morning, they are very honorable people — not because they are good — because they hit me when I do something wrong, but they have the most honest morning show. That's all I can say," Trump said during a Feb. 16 news conference.
The president provided further criticism of Sweden's immigration policies Monday via Twitter.
"Give the public a break," he wrote. "The fake news media is trying to say that large scale immigration in Sweden is working out just beautifully. NOT!"
Give the public a break - The FAKE NEWS media is trying to say that large scale immigration in Sweden is working out just beautifully. NOT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2017
Cox Media Group