Kellyanne Conway Says "Bowling Green Massacre" Comment Was An "Honest Mistake"

Kellyanne Conway, President Donald Trump's adviser and creator of the term "Alternative facts" is facing backlash again for comments she made last night with Chris Matthews on MSNBC's political show Hardball.

Last night Conway made false comments about a "Bowling Green massacre" by Iraqi refugees in support of Trump's executive order banning immigration from seven Muslim countries. According to a report from The New York Times, Conway stated, "I bet it’s brand new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized and were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre. Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered." 

Her comment's simply are not true as there was no attack by Iraqi terrorists in Kentucky, Ohio or Downtown Manhattan, which are places that are all dubbed "Bowling Green." In fact, the only event that even closely resembles what Conway was talking about is a 2011 incident where two Iraqi refugees in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Mohanad Shareef Hammadi and Waad Ramadan Alwan, were arrested and indicted on federal terrorism charges for attempting to send weapons and money to Al Qaeda in Iraq. Both defendants plead guilty to the charges and are serving life term prison sentences.

To add insult to injury, Conway claims that this story wasn't covered in the media and that the Obama administration instituted a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program. Those comments are also untrue. According to the report, though the Obama administration slowed the visa process, some Iraqi refugees were admitted into the country each month in 2011. Additionally, in her correction this morning, Conway admitted that she had made a mistake but subsequently undermines herself by tweeting a link to a report from ABC News in 2013 that focuses on the story of Hammadi and Alwan.

Nonetheless, Conway jumped on Twitter to criticize the media, go after the Clinton family, and clear the air regarding her comments in a lengthy rant. 

[Via The New York Times]