MSNBC’s Katy Tur destroyed Donald Trump for tweeting an Internet hoax about killing Muslims with pig’s blood after the Barcelona terrorist attack.
Tur reacted to this tweet from Trump:
Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught. There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017
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Tur said, “Let’s talk about this tweet. Last year in South Carolina, I believe it was the night before the primary there, he got on stage and told this crowd of military veterans this story, this Internet hoax about General Pershing dipping bullets in pig’s blood and then shooting terrorists, Muslim terrorists with them. That is not a true story. It is an Internet hoax, and the President repeated it over and over again. It’s a conspiracy theory of sorts, and for him now as the President Of The United States, not just a candidate in a Republican primary to be basically repeating that or alluding to it in the very least on the heels of a tragedy in Barcelona, and on the heels of another tragedy in Charlottesville is remarkable.”
Fellow MSNBC host Ali Velshi pointed out that Trump’s statement has been debunked by all the fact checkers.
Tur asked, “So what is saying here? You need to dip the bullets in pig’s blood? Is that exactly what he’s saying? You tell me what he’s trying to convey.”
More people should be outraged by Trump’s insistence on peddling in bigoted and racist conspiracy theories and hoaxes. Tur deserves credit for both pointing out that what Trump was referring to was not true, and for refusing to accept Trump’s behavior as normal.
It is important for journalists everywhere to never normalize Donald Trump. When he responds to a terrorist attack with a bigoted hoax, all journalists need to call that out and speak the truth. What Trump tweeted was false, and a day after supporting white supremacist domestic terrorism, the President can not be allowed to traffic in bigotry and hatred against Muslims.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
