MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — During a visit to U.S. Central Command on Monday, President Donald Trump accused the press of purposely downplaying terrorist attacks.
“In many cases, the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it," Trump said at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. "They have their reasons, and you understand that."
Press Secretary Sean Spicer later promised a list of attacks that the administration felt went under-reported, thus minimizing concerns about radical Islamic terrorism.
“There’s a lot of instances that have occurred where I don’t think they’ve gotten the coverage it deserved,” Spicer said.
That list of 78 attacks was released Monday evening. It includes attacks on every continent besides South America and Antarctica. The attacks on the list start in September 2014 and go through December 2016.
Here's the list the White House sent of attacks they feel "did not receive adequate attention from Western media sources." pic.twitter.com/lj8eOZQfnY
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) February 7, 2017
Trump "felt members of the media don’t always cover some of those events to the extent that other events might get covered,” Spicer told reporters. “Protests will get blown out of the water, and yet an attack or a foiled attack doesn’t necessarily get the same coverage.”
Included in the list is the Orlando nightclub shooting and the November 2015 Paris attack, which many people on Twitter found confusing.
White House says these terror attacks didn't get enough coverage. List includes Paris nightclub attack, Pulse shoot… https://t.co/rcjjGIh0DL
— Miami Now (@MiamiCP) February 7, 2017
What is wrong with @WhiteHouse? How can #thePulse be on this list? Or the Paris sept terror attack? Or or or...Give us strength. https://t.co/TVm5sy3ORo
— Opt Out Pinellas (@OOPinellas) February 7, 2017
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway came under scrutiny last week when she cited a nonexistent terror attack as justification for Trump’s executive order restricting travel into the U.S. from seven majority-Muslim countries.
She referenced the "masterminds of the Bowling Green massacre" in an interview on MSNBC's "Hardball" with Chris Matthews. She later clarified that she misspoke and instead meant to say "terrorists" instead of "massacre." She also cited an ABC article about the correct story.
Cox Media Group
