United States President Donald Trump on Saturday left Sweden confused after falsely suggesting that there was an immigration-related security incident in the country. After Swedish authorities asked for a clarification, Trump on Sunday said that his comment was based on a television report he had seen on Fox News.
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Trump, while addressing a rally, on Saturday had said that Sweden was facing serious problems with immigrants. The US President suggested that ever since the Swedish country took in a large number of immigrants, they have been facing "problems." Trump's comments were made to propagate his stance on sharply tightening US borders for national security reasons.
"You look at what's happening last night in Sweden," Trump said. "Sweden. Who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They're having problems like they never thought possible."
Contrary to Trump's statements, no such incident occurred in Sweden and the country's baffled government contacted the US State Department to explain Trump's comments. The US President, however, explained his comments stating that he was just quoting from a report he had seen on Fox News.
"My statement as to what's happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden," Trump said in a tweet.
Fox News on Friday had aired a report about alleged migrant-related crime problems in the country. The news channel has been cited favourably on multiple occasions by the US President.
A White House spokesperson clarified Trump's remarks on Sunday stating that he had been referring generally to the rising crime and not some specific incident in Sweden.
According to official statistics, Sweden's crime rate has significantly decreased since 2005, despite taking hundreds and thousands of immigrants from war-ravaged countries of Syria and Iraq.
"We are trying to get clarity," Sweden's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Catarina Axelsson had said about Trump's comments.
The Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom subtly responded to US President's false remarks by tweeting an excerpt of a speech in which she said democracy and diplomacy "require us to respect science, facts and the media."
However, the former Swedish Minister Carl Bildt took a harsher stance on Twitter and wrote, "Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound."
