Donald Trump retweets Britain First deputy: White House claims US President shared anti-Muslim videos 'for national security'

Donald Trump retweeted the posts ahead of flying to Missouri on Wednesday.
AFP/Getty Images
Francesca Gillett29 November 2017

The White House has defended Donald Trump after he shared a string of anti-Muslim videos, claiming the tweets were about national security.

President Trump was blasted on Wednesday for retweeting several unverified videos posted by the deputy leader of hateful far-right group Britain First, Jayda Fransen.

Downing Street said Mr Trump was “wrong” to share posts from the group, which it said uses “hateful narratives to peddle lies and stoke tensions”.

The three anti-Islamic tweets include footage of migrants allegedly assaulting a boy on crutches and a video purporting to show a Muslim damaging a statue of the Virgin Mary.

But on Wednesday evening, a White House spokesman stubbornly refused to acknowledge Mr Trump had done anything wrong.

“It's never the wrong time to talk about security and safety for the American people," said Trump aide Raj Shah.

Speaking aboard Air Force One as the US president travelled to Missouri, Mr Shah said the tweets "were about national security and protecting" Americans.

He said Mr Trump has long raised security and immigration issues in speeches and tweets and the videos are nothing different.

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Press secretary Sarah Sanders also defended the president, telling reporters Mr Trump shared the videos to start a conversation about security.

"Whether it is a real video, the threat is real," Ms Sanders said, according to CNN.

"The threat needs to be addressed. The threat has to be talked about and that is what the President is doing in bringing that up."

Theresa May had faced growing pressure to condemn President Trump’s retweets with many calling on her to scrap his upcoming UK visit.

Number 10 told the Standard: "Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions.

"They cause anxiety to law-abiding people. British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents – decency, tolerance and respect.

"It is wrong for the President to have done this."

The hate-filled tweets had been originally posted by Jayda Fransen, 31, from Penge, who is currently on bail facing four charges of causing religiously aggravated harassment.

Brendan Cox, the widower of Jo Cox, Piers Morgan and Labour MP David Lammy were among the first to criticise the US leader.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokeswoman Jo Swinson joined in with the condemnations, saying the “mask has yet again slipped” and exposed the “atrocious views of President Trump” while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the tweets “abhorrent”.

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