Trump Wrongly Says 2 Were Shot Dead In Chicago During Obama’s Farewell

Hundreds of people gather to march down Michigan Avenue's "Magnificent Mile" shopping district on Christmas Eve to protest against the alleged police cover up related to the fatal shooting of Laquand McDonald by a Ch... Hundreds of people gather to march down Michigan Avenue's "Magnificent Mile" shopping district on Christmas Eve to protest against the alleged police cover up related to the fatal shooting of Laquand McDonald by a Chicago policeman Black Christmas protest, Chicago, America - 24 Dec 2015 Flanked by members of the Chicago police force, protestors were chanting "16 shots and a cover up," and calling for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign, on what was described as "Black Christmas" (Rex Features via AP Images) MORE LESS
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President Donald Trump falsely claimed in a Wednesday night interview that two people were shot in Chicago during former President Obama’s farewell address in the city, The Chicago Tribune reported.

ABC News’ David Muir asked Trump about Chicago in one exchange from the interview, which the Tribune noted was not aired on television Wednesday but which appears in the interview’s full transcript. The President has long panned what he has called “carnage” in American cities, Chicago foremost among them.

“Well, so far they have been unable” to curb the city’s murder rate, Trump said, according to the transcript.

“It’s been going on for years. And I wasn’t President,” he continued. “So, look, when President Obama was there two weeks ago making a speech, very nice speech. Two people were shot and killed during his speech. You can’t have that.”

But that’s simply not true. The Tribune confirmed with the Chicago Police Department that no shootings occurred during Obama’s speech.

It’s unclear where Trump got the impression that people were fatally shot during Obama’s speech. Trump had cited the non-existent shootings to justify a statement on his Twitter account Tuesday night, in which he appeared to be citing incorrect statistics shared on Bill O’Reilly’s show.

Trump wrote that if Chicago didn’t get homicides and shootings under control, he would “send in the feds:”

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