Donald Trump's 'Radical Islamic Terror Fuelled UK Crime Tweet Was Verbatim Repeat Of TV News Report'

The tweet caused outrage in Britain.

Donald Trump’s false claim that “radical Islamic terror” had fuelled a surge in violent crime in Britain was apparently a verbatim repeat of a TV report he was watching from a pro-Trump news network.

Trump cited a “just out report” on Friday that the 13% increase in crimes reported to police had come “amid” the spread of terrorism.

“Not good, we must keep America safe!” he tweeted, in an apparent attempt to win support for his controversial ban on immigration from predominantly Muslim countries.

Just out report: "United Kingdom crime rises 13% annually amid spread of Radical Islamic terror." Not good, we must keep America safe!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 20, 2017

The suggestion terror fuelled the rise in crime is demonstrably false. Of the 5.2 million offences covered in the statistics, only 329 were terrorism-related.

“It is appalling that we have reached the point where inflammatory and ignorant statements from the President of the United States are now seen as normal,” Labour MP Yvette Cooper said of the tweet.

Journalists later noted Trump sent his tweets six minutes after One America News Network (OANN) was reporting the story with a chyron that said: “UK Crime Rises 13% Annually Amid Spread Of Radical Islamic Terror.”

How OANN covered the story
How OANN covered the story
OANN

According to liberal US press watchdog Media Matters, OANN “has a history of shilling for Trump” and “pushing shameful conspiracy theories” about Seth Rich, a murdered employee of the Democratic National Committee whose death triggered pro-Trump conspiracy theories about the 2016 election.

CNN’s Brian Stelter called OANN “a small Fox-like conservative cable channel” and said Trump had quoted one of its graphics “verbatim”.

The president was watching @OANN (a small Fox-like conservative cable channel) this morning. He quoted one of its graphics verbatim https://t.co/1cNOQ7MoVK

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 20, 2017

OANN responded on Twitter to say: “Thanks for continuing to watch, Mr President...”

Thanks for continuing to watch, Mr. President... https://t.co/Z420w74SVQ

— One America News (@OANN) October 20, 2017

“OANN has a history of shilling for Trump, even hyping the president’s lies about the crowd size at his inauguration,” Media Matters wrote.

It pointed to the network’s coverage of the White House’s demonstrably untrue claim that Trump’s crowd at the inauguration had been the biggest ever.

From the White House today: @PressSec blasts media for biased reporting on Trump #Inauguration

— One America News (@OANN) January 22, 2017

The network attracted a lot of attention in January when Trump called one of its reporters during a press conference and then congratulated him on his “great question”.

Trump was interviewed on the network in August 2015 by guest host Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee who endorsed him.

It also hired Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, as a commentator.

Trump's tweets have often been linked to simultaneous items on being broadcast on America news channels
Trump's tweets have often been linked to simultaneous items on being broadcast on America news channels
Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

Media Matters noted OANN is available through Directv, a broadcast service which Trump is reported to use.

It is not the first time people have noted a link between Trump’s early morning tweets and the segments being shown on American news.

The president is a fan of conservative network Fox News’ Fox And Friends.

The show once tried to get Trump to switch lights in the White House on and off during their broadcast to show he was watching.

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