President Trump Made a Confusing Reference to Sweden. Here’s What the White House Says He Meant

The White House worked to clarify President Donald Trump‘s comments from Saturday, when he seemingly referred to an act of terrorism in Sweden the night before, saying he was in fact referring to a news report on rising crime in that country.

Speaking to reporters Sunday, principal deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that Trump was referring to general incidents of rising crime in Sweden committed by refugees, and not an act of terror. A Fox News segment Friday night included a report from a documentary filmmaker claiming a link between refugee admissions and rising crime.

“You look at what’s happening in Germany. You look at what’s happening last night in Sweden — Sweden — who would believe this? Sweden, they took in large numbers, they are having problems like they never thought possible. You look at what’s happening Brussels, you look at what’s happening all over the world,” Trump said Saturday evening at a campaign rally.

“He was talking about rising crime and recent incidents in general, and not referring to a specific incident,” Sanders said. “I think he was referring to a report he had seen the previous night that spoke specifically to that topic,” Sanders added, declining to confirm that Trump had specifically watched the Fox News segment.

Shortly after Sanders spoke, Trump tweeted to confirm he was referring to the Fox News report.