After Attack in Spain, Trump Invokes 'Vile' Myth Celebrating Mass Execution of Muslims

Published on

Thursday, August 17, 2017

by

Common Dreams

Suggesting Muslims should be executed with bullets dipped in pig blood called "sick" and "appalling"

by

Jake Johnson, staff writer

 31 Comments

A general view of ambulances at the scene of a terrorist attack in the Las Ramblas area on August 17, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. Officials say 13 people are confirmed dead and at least 50 injured after a van plowed into people in the Las Ramblas area of the city this afternoon. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

As Barcelona, Spain reeled from an attack on Thursday that left 13 people dead and dozens more injured, President Donald Trump quickly took to Twitter to both denounce the attack and recount a "vile" myth that claims a U.S. general—though the story has been thoroughly debunked—executed 49 Muslims with bullets drenched in pig's blood.

Donald J. Trump 

✔@realDonaldTrump

Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught. There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!

10:45 PM - Aug 17, 2017

The fact that the story isn't true never stopped Trump from parading it around on the campaign trail.

"Trump is celebrating torture and mass executions here. This isn't law and order—it's war crimes." 

—Adam BestBut the significant point is not that the story is apocryphal, many pointed out—it is that the story is "bigoted" and "vicious nonsense."

"Yes, it's false," wrote MSNBC justice and security analyst Matthew Miller. "But [it's] more important that [the president of the United States] is talking about executing Muslims without trial with bullets coated in pigs blood. Appalling."

Though Trump insisted that he needed "the facts" before speaking about the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia last weekend, this concern was quickly dropped by the president in the case of Spain, where the attackers may have been motivated by Islamic extremism.

"Trump is celebrating torture and mass executions here. This isn't law and order—it's war crimes," wrote filmmaker Adam Best. "The Donald is clinging to the phrase 'radical Islamic terror' to avoid talking about white supremacist terrorism. So transparent."

Others reacted similarly:

Kyle Griffin 

✔@kylegriffin1

Trump on Tues.: "Before I make a statement, I need the facts."

Trump on Thurs. cites 'pants on fire' unproven claim http://bit.ly/21e83LR  https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/898254409511129088 …

10:56 PM - Aug 17, 2017

Donald Trump cites dubious legend about Gen. Pershing, pig's blood and Muslims

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump raised eyebrows during a recent rally when he offered a counterinsurgency parable from more than a century ago that featured United States Army Gen....

politifact.com

Eugene Gu, MD 

✔@eugenegu

Replying to @adamcbest @realDonaldTrump

He goes so far as to glorify war crimes against Muslims but calls domestic KKK terrorists "very nice people" who had a permit.

10:58 PM - Aug 17, 2017

Frida Ghitis 

✔@FridaGhitis

Trump citing a disgusting false story, confirmed to be a lie. But is he suggesting US kill Muslims with bullets dipped in pigs blood. Sick https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/898254409511129088 …

11:03 PM - Aug 17, 2017

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