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| Trump retweets British far-right leader's anti-Muslim videos | Trump retweets British far-right leader's anti-Muslim videos |
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| Donald Trump has retweeted three anti-Muslim videos posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First who has been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment. | Donald Trump has retweeted three anti-Muslim videos posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First who has been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment. |
| Trump, who has 43.5 million followers on the network, retweeted three separate tweets by Fransen on Wednesday, which all included separate, unverified anti-Islamic videos. | Trump, who has 43.5 million followers on the network, retweeted three separate tweets by Fransen on Wednesday, which all included separate, unverified anti-Islamic videos. |
| One purported to show a group of Muslims pushing a boy off a roof. Another claimed to show a Muslim destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary and another claimed to show immigrants hitting a Dutch boy on crutches. | One purported to show a group of Muslims pushing a boy off a roof. Another claimed to show a Muslim destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary and another claimed to show immigrants hitting a Dutch boy on crutches. |
| The Islamophobic videos were tweeted by Fransen on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning before being picked up the president. They were not sequentially posted, meaning that Trump would have had to scroll through her timeline before picking out which videos to retweet. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter retweeted one of the videos on Tuesday. | |
| Fransen does not disguise her extreme far-right Islamophobic views. Her Twitter timeline is headed by a pinned tweet of a video of her leading an anti-Muslim march in Luton carrying a cross. | |
| The videos were retweeted without comment. Trump then turned to the more familiar territory and suggested a boycott of “Fake News CNN”, before celebrating the level of the stock market and commenting on the firing of NBC anchor Matt Lauer. | The videos were retweeted without comment. Trump then turned to the more familiar territory and suggested a boycott of “Fake News CNN”, before celebrating the level of the stock market and commenting on the firing of NBC anchor Matt Lauer. |
| Trump has often used his Twitter account to promote dubious figures. Earlier this week, Trump highlighted a website called MagaPill which promotes a variety of conspiracies. He has also used his account to retweet a Mussolini quote, to share a post from the account @whitegenocidetm and to circulate false and racially inflammatory crime statistics. | Trump has often used his Twitter account to promote dubious figures. Earlier this week, Trump highlighted a website called MagaPill which promotes a variety of conspiracies. He has also used his account to retweet a Mussolini quote, to share a post from the account @whitegenocidetm and to circulate false and racially inflammatory crime statistics. |
| When asked in 2015, he said that he considered retweets endorsements. “You know, I retweet, I retweet for a reason,” he said. | When asked in 2015, he said that he considered retweets endorsements. “You know, I retweet, I retweet for a reason,” he said. |
| Trump has long been criticised for anti-Muslim rhetoric. In December 2015, he called for a ban on Muslims entering the US and, in 2016, said “I think Islam hates us.” He previously suggested the creation of a government database to track Muslim Americans and made false claims that Muslims in New Jersey celebrated the terrorist attacks on 9/11. | |
| He also tweeted in 2015 about what he called the UK’s “massive Muslim problem”. | He also tweeted in 2015 about what he called the UK’s “massive Muslim problem”. |
| Since taking office, Trump has shown more restraint in his rhetoric and boasted about his reception at a summit in Saudi Arabia. However, he has been under heavy criticism for his travel ban, which was originally directed at seven predominantly Muslim countries. Many critics viewed the policy as a backdoor attempt to implement his campaign promise of a Muslim ban. | Since taking office, Trump has shown more restraint in his rhetoric and boasted about his reception at a summit in Saudi Arabia. However, he has been under heavy criticism for his travel ban, which was originally directed at seven predominantly Muslim countries. Many critics viewed the policy as a backdoor attempt to implement his campaign promise of a Muslim ban. |
| Last year, Fransen was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment after she verbally abused a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. | |
| Fransen responded delightedly to her posts being republished by the Trump account, writing: “THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN’S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!” | Fransen responded delightedly to her posts being republished by the Trump account, writing: “THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN’S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!” |
| In September she was charged with causing religiously aggravated harassment together with Paul Golding, the leader of Britain First. | In September she was charged with causing religiously aggravated harassment together with Paul Golding, the leader of Britain First. |
| “The investigation related to the distribution of leaflets in the Thanet and Canterbury areas, and the posting of online videos during a trial held at Canterbury crown court the same month,” Kent police said at the time. The Canterbury trial involved three Muslim men and a teenager who were eventually convicted of rape and jailed. | “The investigation related to the distribution of leaflets in the Thanet and Canterbury areas, and the posting of online videos during a trial held at Canterbury crown court the same month,” Kent police said at the time. The Canterbury trial involved three Muslim men and a teenager who were eventually convicted of rape and jailed. |
| Thomas Mair, the extreme rightwing terrorist, shouted “Britain first” before killing the MP Jo Cox during the EU referendum campaign last year. | Thomas Mair, the extreme rightwing terrorist, shouted “Britain first” before killing the MP Jo Cox during the EU referendum campaign last year. |
| Cox’s widow, Brendan Cox, accused Trump of spreading hatred and trying to legitimise the far right in Britain. | Cox’s widow, Brendan Cox, accused Trump of spreading hatred and trying to legitimise the far right in Britain. |
| Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now he’s trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself. | Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now he’s trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself. |
| Labour MPs including David Lammy, Stephen Doughty and Naz Shah were quick to express their outrage at Trump’s actions. | Labour MPs including David Lammy, Stephen Doughty and Naz Shah were quick to express their outrage at Trump’s actions. |
| Trump sharing Britain First. Let that sink in. The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend of ours. @realDonaldTrump you are not welcome in my country and my city. | Trump sharing Britain First. Let that sink in. The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend of ours. @realDonaldTrump you are not welcome in my country and my city. |
| Shameful @POTUS @realDonaldTrump hits a new low retweeting videos from far right https://t.co/pGx9RYrT2Y | Shameful @POTUS @realDonaldTrump hits a new low retweeting videos from far right https://t.co/pGx9RYrT2Y |
| No surprises there then ! Trump account retweets anti-Muslim videoshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42166663 | No surprises there then ! Trump account retweets anti-Muslim videoshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42166663 |