# What happened in Sweden? (Trump campaign rally statement) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 19, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219 "2017-02-19T14:13:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/21 "2017-02-20T02:38:03Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Suit yourself. I find internet diagnoses of medical conditions by medical professionals to be of little value. When done by non-medical professionals, no value at all. YMMV. To be honest I don’t think it is a medical condition and I’m not trying to diagnose anything. The guy watches a documentary or news report about Sweden and completely fails to get the point of the story. Later he says something demonstrably inaccurate where his inaccurate statement is based on his failure to comprehend the news report he watched the previous night. I’m perfectly willing to chalk it up to stupidity. The bluster and bullshit are how he’s learned to cover up for it. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/22 "2017-02-20T02:50:35Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Can’t it be _both_ “life-time bull-shitter” and “onset of Alzheimer’s”…? > [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > But I’m not willing to chalk this up to his tendency to be a bullshitter. I would rather suggest that his bullshitting bluster is a mechanism to cover up whatever the real problem is here. YMMV of course. Well, it seems that after he spews some bullshit, he seems to start to believe it, which is like dementia. But [when Peter Alexander pointed out his bullshit last Thursday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhZhxgz5yJU), he seemed to realize it, and tried to weasel out of it by saying, “I was given that information.” ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/23 "2017-02-20T03:27:25Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I’m perfectly willing to chalk it up to stupidity. The bluster and bullshit are how he’s learned to cover up for it. Yes. Just fucking stupid. There are plenty of guys just like him in bars around the country, blathering on about stuff they have misunderstood, because they are simply too dim to get it. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/24 "2017-02-20T03:33:22Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Yes. > > Just fucking stupid. There are plenty of guys just like him in bars around the country, blathering on about stuff they have misunderstood, because they are simply too dim to get it. We’ve elected the equivalent of Cliff Clavin to be our President, only without the charm that Cliff had. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/25 "2017-02-20T04:30:50Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > We’ve elected the equivalent of Cliff Clavin to be our President, only without the charm that Cliff had. Yeah; he’s like your Uncle Don, who re-posts fake news stuff he’s seen on Facebook, only: (a) He’s using Twitter, and press conferences, instead of Facebook, and, (b) He’s the fricking **President of the United States!** ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/26 "2017-02-20T04:47:21Z")
> [@Grim\_Render](#): > > Is it possible he has Alzheimers? > > To be fair, it seems to me like he has relied all his life on a charisma based on just saying the first thing that pops into his head and keep talking. And its landed him in a job where every word he says is scrutinized. You need to have a brain to get Alzheimer’s ! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/27 "2017-02-20T04:55:49Z")
[Former Swedish Prime Minster Carl Bildt has commented on it.](https://twitter.com/carlbildt/status/833219648044855296) I agree with his comment, and think it should be every world leader’s default response to Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/28 "2017-02-20T07:09:52Z")
This isn’t the first time he half-watched something on cable news and then started talking about something that never happened. He also said he saw video of cash being taken off of a plane in Iran, when what he really saw was footage of a plane carrying hostages out of Iran. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/29 "2017-02-20T07:27:42Z")
There was a terrorist attack in Sewhan, Pakistan a few nights ago. This Gaurdian article suggests that perhaps Donald confused Sewhan with Swedan. > **['Sweden, who would believe this?': Trump cites non-existent terror attack](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/19/sweden-trump-cites-non-existent-terror-attack)** > > At Florida rally president refers to attack in Sweden that did not happen, possibly confusing it with Sehwan in Pakistan > [@Guardian article](#): > > There were questions about whether Trump had confused Sweden with Sehwan in Pakistan, where more than 85 people were killed in a suicide bombing at the Sufi shrine on Thursday. > > Some Swedes were baffled by the comments. One of Sweden’s official Twitter accounts, controlled by a different citizen each week, currently a school librarian, said: > > @sweden / Emma Verified account > ‏@sweden > > Might as well do a stand along tweet about this… Since I’m being swamped with questions about Trump’s speech. > @sweden / Emma Verified account > ‏@sweden > > No. Nothing has happened here in Sweden. There has not ben any terrorist attacks here. At all. The main news right now is about Melfest. -\> Melfest is the Melodifestivalen show which will choose Sweden’s entry for Eurosong. Yes, I had to look that up. The big news here of course is that Sweden has an official twitter account that they share with the public every week. Sweden is a magical place. ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/30 "2017-02-20T10:27:06Z")
In a story that is so completely bizarre, the most bizarre aspect of all is that having heard what he assumed was news of a terrorist attack on Sweden, he seems to have done nothing whatsoever. Didn’t he ask his staff for more details? Such as find out if any Americans were affected. Or ask if there was anything practical that the US government could do. Or discuss whether he should contact the Swedish prime minister to offer his condolences and reassure him of his support. You know, the basic stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/31 "2017-02-20T11:01:20Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > This isn’t the first time he half-watched something on cable news and then started talking about something that never happened. He also said he saw video of cash being taken off of a plane in Iran, when what he really saw was footage of a plane carrying hostages out of Iran. To say nothing of the thousands of Muslims he saw in Jersey City cheering on 9/11. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/32 "2017-02-20T11:02:26Z")
> [@APB](#): > > In a story that is so completely bizarre, the most bizarre aspect of all is that having heard what he assumed was news of a terrorist attack on Sweden, he seems to have done nothing whatsoever. Apart from noting it as something to gee up the fans: because that’s what it’s all about. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/33 "2017-02-20T11:57:20Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Story from the AP:](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_SWEDEN_TRUMP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-02-19-18-23-54) > Our President is a dipshit. A moronic dipshit. Aw, c’mon, he’s getting his foreign intelligence from things he catches on Faux news. How much more of an effort is a guy supposed to give? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/34 "2017-02-20T12:48:45Z")
Maybe he’s confused Muslim attacks with moose attacks? Mynd you, moose bites Kan be pretti nasti… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/35 "2017-02-20T13:08:19Z")
I overheard a guy last night saying that there _was_ a terrorist attack in Sweden, but the media is hushing it up so that trump looks bad. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/36 "2017-02-20T14:01:36Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I overheard a guy last night saying that there _was_ a terrorist attack in Sweden, but the media is hushing it up so that trump looks bad. Congratulations on being offered a position in the Trump media team. Sounds like the interview went well. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/37 "2017-02-20T17:43:12Z")
It makes no difference that he now claims to be referring to a story he saw the previous night. The story didn’t reference any particular incident and it clearly not what he actually said. There is no way to interpret what he said as anything other than something specific happened in Sweden the night before. Do I have any doubt that he did see the story and that was his source of information? None at all. But the chasm between what he actually said and what, I guess, he claims he meant is too wide. The news is FAKE! Unless its Fox or Breitbart. Then its better than your own intelligence agencies. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/38 "2017-02-20T18:39:58Z")
This fucker has access to the entire US intelligence apparatus, and he forms his opinions on something he half-heard on Fox?! Even in the most outlandish fiction, such a clown would be unbelievable! ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/39 "2017-02-20T19:16:14Z")
And Trump continues to shit the bed, with [more twitter tirades](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/20/world/europe/trump-pursues-his-attack-on-sweden-with-scant-evidence.html?_r=0) about Sweden. Why does he continually crap on US Allies? Twitter from SCROTUS: > [@](#): > > 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! Again - he bases his inane tweets on xenophobic, fact-free craptastic reports from the usual suspects. And Sweden is not pleased: > [@](#): > > However, statistics in Sweden do not back Mr. Trump’s claims. Preliminary data released last month by Sweden’s crime prevention council found no appreciable increase in crimes from 2015, when the country processed a record 163,000 asylum applications, to 2016. The council did note an increase in assaults and rapes last year, but also recorded a drop in thefts, robberies and drug offenses. > [@](#): > > Officials say they have not seen any evidence for the claim, prevalent in right-wing media like Breitbart and Infowars, that migration has driven a surge in crime. > [@](#): > > A terrorism expert, Magnus Ranstorp, research director of the Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish Defense University in Stockholm, said that Mr. Trump was trying to shift the focus of his comments from asylum seekers and crime to immigration in general. > [@](#): > > Another lawmaker, Pernilla Stalhammar, the foreign policy spokeswoman for the Green Party, expressed surprise that Mr. Trump had relied on Fox News for information about Sweden. > > “The problem is that the segment had a lot of incorrect information in it,” she said. “There aren’t any no-go zones in Sweden and the number of crimes against individuals is at about the same level as it was.” > > She added: “This incident demonstrates the importance of thoroughly critiquing sources to prevent spreading incorrect images that risk fomenting xenophobic sentiments in society. That Sweden is portrayed incorrectly is very serious. **We cannot allow reality to be kidnapped by untruths that become true just because they are repeated enough times**.” ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219/40 "2017-02-20T23:02:35Z")
The particulars don’t really matter. The alt-right is fully invested into the concept of [Eurabia.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurabia) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-in-sweden-trump-campaign-rally-statement/780219.md?page=3)