U.S. President Donald J. Trump retweeted inflammatory videos from a far-right British group on Wednesday drawing criticism from civil rights groups and a spokesman for British Prime Minister Theresa May.
The videos Mr. Trump retweeted were posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of Britain First political group that opposes multiculturalism and “Islamization.” They allegedly showed violence committed by Muslims.
I hope our Government will condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 29, 2017
“VIDEO: Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!”; “VIDEO: Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!”; “VIDEO: Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!” clip captions said.
James Slack, Ms. May’s spokesperson, said the group intended to divide communities by using “hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions.”
Spokesperson for British PM May: Trump was "wrong" to retweet anti-Muslim video from Britain First, saying the group "seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions."
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 29, 2017
Mr. Trump did not explain his retweets, but White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in an interview the president wanted to “promote strong borders and strong national security.”
White House press secretary says it doesn’t matter if the racist videos Trump tweeted are real or fake
"Whether it's a real video, the threat is real."https://t.co/rD2xMMp4eS pic.twitter.com/hoNsbVHATX
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) November 29, 2017
The Council on American-Islamic Relations and national legal advocacy and educational organization Muslim Advocates condemned Mr. Trump’s tweets.
#Live: #CAIR & #MPAC Condemn #Trump's Incitement to Violence Against U.S. Muslims on Twitter
(WASHINGTON, D.C.,… https://t.co/fpLQksWg1h
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) November 29, 2017
.@SenateMajLdr Mitch McConnell and @SpeakerRyan cannot avoid Donald Trump's hate any longer. They must condemn the President's actions. Silence is consent.
— Muslim Advocates (@MuslimAdvocates) November 29, 2017
