Trump puts Brown University Students in danger by spreading false information about active shooter

[jmdrake]

This reminds me of Biden's "I saw pictures of beheaded babies" comment...and Biden was unfit to be president too.

Trump Spread False Information About Brown Shooting. That’s a Problem

After a deadly attack at Brown University on Saturday, the president posted unconfirmed information that he later retracted. The damage had been done.

newrepublic.com

Trump Spread False Information About Brown Shooting. That’s a Problem​

After a deadly attack at Brown University on Saturday, the president posted unconfirmed information that he later retracted. The damage had been done.​

Libby O’Neill/Getty Images
Police officers at the scene of a shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.


President Donald Trump spread unconfirmed information about an active shooter at Brown University, potentially putting students’ lives in danger as they sheltered in place during the event.

On Saturday evening at around 4 p.m., a man entered a classroom with about 60 students and started shooting. The students were in a final exam review session for their Economics class. Two people were killed in the attack, and nine were injured.

On Saturday night, as students barricaded themselves inside dorms and libraries, Trump posted on Truth Social that “the suspect is in custody.”


But this was not confirmed.

At 5:53 p.m., according to the Brown Daily Herald, Brown’s student newspaper, the department of public safety sent out an alert saying that the “situation remains ongoing.”

Trump posted at 5:44 p.m., writing that he had been “briefed” on the shooting and that a suspect was in custody.

Then, at 6:03 p.m., he retracted his statement, posting again on Truth Social that the police had reversed their previous statement.

Social media users and students pushed back on Trump’s characterization. One student posted, “I am at brown university they have not confirmed a shooter in custody please do not believe trump and stay inside.”

In a press conference later that night, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley also urged caution: “There is a lot of misinformation that can spread.… If it did not come from an official channel, it is not official.”

As of Sunday morning, the Providence police have a suspect in custody, multiple outlets report.

 

[Occam's Banana]

Meh. I'm no defender of Trump, but this just seems like TDS looking for anything to glom onto and bitch about. When it comes to Trump, there's already an abundance of such things, without having to concoct any new ones like this.

The police actually did detain someone (who was later released).

Compared to his usual bombast, Trump's remarks were mild, straightforward, and unobjectionable. (They're even properly capitalized - which leads me to suspect someone other than Trump himself actually composed and posted them.)

Trump posted at 5:44 p.m., writing that he had been “briefed” on the shooting and that a suspect was in custody.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115714676658999589

Then, at 6:03 p.m., he retracted his statement, posting again on Truth Social that the police had reversed their previous statement.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115714751735035903

Social media users and students pushed back on Trump’s characterization. One student posted, “I am at brown university they have not confirmed a shooter in custody please do not believe trump and stay inside.”

One of the many differences between U.S. Presidents and college students (even Ivy League students) is that Presidents often get briefed on things that have not yet been publicly announced to college students. (One would hope Ivy League students might understand this, but apparently not.)

In a press conference later that night, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley also urged caution: “There is a lot of misinformation that can spread.… If it did not come from an official channel, it is not official.”

POTUS is an "official channel", if ever there was one - and I'm pretty sure whatever "channel" he was being briefed through was also "official".

At worst, Trump jumped the gun by preempting local authorities in the making of a publicly "official" announcement.

However, he does not appear to have made anything up, or to have spread information that was known to be false at the time - and the first statement was corrected a mere 18 minutes later.

Of all the things to criticize Trump for, this one (as presented) is a big fat nothing-burger. Any other POTUS administration (including a Paul or Massie admin) with a hot-fingered staffer might well have done the same thing.

 

[acptulsa]

Compared to his usual bombast, Trump's remarks were mild, straightforward, and unobjectionable. (They're even properly capitalized - which leads me to suspect someone other than Trump himself actually composed and posted them.)

Calling @spudea. Calling @spudea. Here's a Golden Opportunity for YOU to Officially KISS TRUMP'S ASS by Insisting With Vigor that Trump's rather Nineteenth Century Use of Random Caps and ALL CAPS is Reasonable, Proper and Necessary!