Trump spreads fake news with Dutch video
After all his complaints about fake news, United States president Donald Trump spread some fake news himself. He retweeted a video from the Netherlands showing a "Muslim immigrant" beating up a Dutch boy. According to the Dutch Public Prosecutor, the perpetrator in the video was born and raised in the Netherlands.
On Twitter the Prosecutor said that this incident happened in May this year. The Dutch perpetrator was already sentenced, and completed that sentence successfully.
Op twitter is filmpje gedeeld over ruzie tussen 2 minderjarige jongens. Dit voorval speelde zich af in mei '17. De officier van justitie van parket Noord-Holland heeft dossier beoordeeld. De in NL geboren verdachte heeft HALT-afdoening gekregen. Dat traject is positief afgerond.
— OM Noord-Holland (@OMNoord_Holland) November 29, 2017
The Dutch embassy in Washington also pointed out Trump's mistake to him on Twitter. "Facts do matter." the embassy tweeted at trump.
.@realDonaldTrump Facts do matter. The perpetrator of the violent act in this video was born and raised in the Netherlands. He received and completed his sentence under Dutch law.
— Netherlands Embassy in the US 🇳🇱🇺🇸 (@NLintheUSA) November 29, 2017
The video was first posted on Twitter by British far-right politician Jayda Fransen of party Britain First. Trump also retweeted two other anti-Islam tweets by the British woman.
British Prime Minister Theresa May denounced Trump's action, according to NOS. Through a spokesperson she said that Trump was wrong to spread these anti-Islam tweets. She also said that Fransen and her party are aiming to drive groups in Great Britain apart by spreading lies.
Trump responded with this tweet:
.@Theresa_May, don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017