President Donald Trump retweeted Wednesday morning three inflammatory videos from a British far-right account rife with anti-Muslim content.
The videos, posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, a far-right and ultra-nationalist political group, depict purported Muslims assaulting people and, in one video, smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Trump, who has previously warned that immigration from Muslim-majority nations threatens European and US security, frequently retweets other messages whose political views he finds favorable. But he has seldom shared messages as offensive and explosive as he did on Wednesday, and the retweets were immediately met with outrage in the United Kingdom.
Fransen reacted jubilantly online, touting that the videos had been shared with Trump's nearly 44 million followers. "GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP!" she wrote in all caps.
The White House and Dan Scavino, Trump's director of social media, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It's unclear how Trump came across the videos, but conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who is one of the 45 accounts Trump follows, had retweeted Tuesday one of the clips shared by Fransen.
Fransen was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment in November 2016 after abusing a Muslim woman wearing a hijab while she was with her four children. Fransen was fined by the court and ordered to pay costs.
In a separate development, Fransen was also charged over using "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior" during a speech she made in Belfast in Northern Ireland. She is set to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on December 14.
Outrage in UK
Trump's retweets were leading several major British news websites Wednesday morning, and officials condemned him on Twitter.
The Muslim Council of Britain slammed Trump, saying the retweets were "the clearest endorsement yet from the US President of the far-right and their vile anti-Muslim propaganda.
"We cannot give such bigotry a free pass. We hope our Prime Minister and Home Secretary will distance the UK from Mr. Trump and his comments, and will reiterate the government's abhorrence to all forms of extremism," the group said in a statement. The US-based Council on American-Islamic Relations similarly condemned Trump's retweets, saying he is "clearly telling members of his base that they should hate Islam and Muslims."
Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the UK opposition Labour Party, called on the government to condemn Trump's retweets, calling them "abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society."
Labour lawmaker David Lammy told the President he was "not welcome in my country and my city."
"I think it causes friends and allies to question where is he coming from with this. So it has all kinds of ripple effects both in terms of perhaps inciting or encouraging anti-Muslim violence, and as well, causes, I think, our friends and allies to wonder about the judgment of the President of the United States," he said.
Continue Reading: Trump retweets anti-Muslim videos
The videos, posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, a far-right and ultra-nationalist political group, depict purported Muslims assaulting people and, in one video, smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Trump, who has previously warned that immigration from Muslim-majority nations threatens European and US security, frequently retweets other messages whose political views he finds favorable. But he has seldom shared messages as offensive and explosive as he did on Wednesday, and the retweets were immediately met with outrage in the United Kingdom.
Fransen reacted jubilantly online, touting that the videos had been shared with Trump's nearly 44 million followers. "GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP!" she wrote in all caps.
The White House and Dan Scavino, Trump's director of social media, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It's unclear how Trump came across the videos, but conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who is one of the 45 accounts Trump follows, had retweeted Tuesday one of the clips shared by Fransen.
Fransen was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment in November 2016 after abusing a Muslim woman wearing a hijab while she was with her four children. Fransen was fined by the court and ordered to pay costs.
In a separate development, Fransen was also charged over using "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior" during a speech she made in Belfast in Northern Ireland. She is set to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on December 14.
Outrage in UK
Trump's retweets were leading several major British news websites Wednesday morning, and officials condemned him on Twitter.
The Muslim Council of Britain slammed Trump, saying the retweets were "the clearest endorsement yet from the US President of the far-right and their vile anti-Muslim propaganda.
"We cannot give such bigotry a free pass. We hope our Prime Minister and Home Secretary will distance the UK from Mr. Trump and his comments, and will reiterate the government's abhorrence to all forms of extremism," the group said in a statement. The US-based Council on American-Islamic Relations similarly condemned Trump's retweets, saying he is "clearly telling members of his base that they should hate Islam and Muslims."
Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the UK opposition Labour Party, called on the government to condemn Trump's retweets, calling them "abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society."
Labour lawmaker David Lammy told the President he was "not welcome in my country and my city."
Brendan Cox, the husband of Jo Cox, the British MP who was murdered last year by a man who reportedly shouted "Britain First" as he attacked her, tweeted, "Trump has legitimized 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 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.— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) November 29, 2017
Asked about Trump's retweets on CNN's "New Day," former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he found them "bizarre and disturbing."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.— Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) November 29, 2017
"I think it causes friends and allies to question where is he coming from with this. So it has all kinds of ripple effects both in terms of perhaps inciting or encouraging anti-Muslim violence, and as well, causes, I think, our friends and allies to wonder about the judgment of the President of the United States," he said.
Continue Reading: Trump retweets anti-Muslim videos
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