19 Mar 2019

Trump rejects claims of anti-Islamic rhetoric

From Morning Report, 7:52 am on 19 March 2019

US president Donald Trump has taken to Twitter overnight to reject claims his anti-Islamic rhetoric helped fuel the Christchurch mosque attacks. The accused gunman Brenton Tarrant had praised Mr Trump as a "symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose". Mr Trump responded on Twitter: "The Fake News Media is working overtime to blame me for the horrible attack in New Zealand. They will have to work very hard to prove that one. So Ridiculous!" Susie Ferguson talks to Josh Gerstein from Politico in Washington.