He said at a rally in Florida, “You look at what's happening in Germany. You look at what's happening last night in Sweden.
"Sweden. Who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers [referring to refugees]. They're having problems like they never thought possible."
The Swedish embassy in Washington has asked the U.S. State Department for an explanation, according to Reuters, the New York Times, and other major news sources.
“In an essay in the newspaper Dagens Nyheter, the journalist Martin Gelin speculated that ‘Trump might have gotten his news from the countless right-wing media in the United States that have long been reporting that Sweden is heading for total collapse.’
“He added, ‘Among Trump supporters, there are common myths that Sweden is in a state of chaos after taking in refugees from the Middle East. These are incorrect, made up and gravely misleading news items like this have spread to right-wing sites like Breitbart, Human Events, Drudge Report and Fox News, as well as the popular conservative radio programs that reach millions of listeners every day.”
Here is Robert Reich’s post:
“During his rally last night in Florida, Trump tried to justify his policy of no more Syrian refugees by ticking off a list of places that have been hit by terrorists: ‘You look at what’s happening in Germany, you look at what’s happening last night in Sweden. 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. They’re having problems like they never thought possible.’
“More lies.
1. “Nothing has happened in Sweden. Not Friday, Friday night, or Saturday. The Swedish daily Aftonbladet compiled a list of noteworthy things that happened on Friday; they included a drunken-driving arrest and ‘some technical problems’ during 87-year-old crooner Owe Thörnqvist’s rehearsal prior to the Melodifestivalen song competition.
“It seems that Trump, in the grand tradition of the ‘Bowling Green Massacre,’ invented a terrorist attack allegedly committed by immigrants. ‘Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking?’ tweeted Carl Bildt, former Swedish prime minister.
2. “Nearly all of the men involved in terrorist assaults in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, in Brussels on March 22 last year, and in Nice, France, on July 14, were citizens of France or Belgium. They weren’t Syrian refugees.
“Trump’s big lies aren’t innocent, and they aren’t without consequence. Americans who believe Trump will allow him to do whatever he wants.”
Senator Bernie Sanders: “If everything said about Trump, a pathological liar, is ‘fake news,’ then who will give us ‘the truth?’”
