President Donald Trump on Thursday followed a conciliatory tweet to the government of Spain in the wake of an attack in Barcelona with a second post reiterating a widely a roundly debunked story of how Army Gen. John J. Pershing supposedly quelled an Islamic insurgency while serving in the Philippines in the early 20th century.
"Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught. There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!" Trump wrote, shortly after his tweet condemning the terrorist attack in Barcelona and offering the Spanish government "whatever is necessary to help."
STrump's tweet about Pershing appears to advocate unforgiving treatment of terrorists to deter future attacks, and comes as the president faces broad criticism for his public statements equating the activities of neo-Nazis and white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend with the actions of those protesting against them.
Spanish officials were still investigating Thursday's attack at the time of Trump's tweets and had not released any information publicly about suspects or known perpetrators. The Islamic State group did, hours later, claim responsibility for the attack, though Trump's immediate connection to Islamic extremists – and his promotion of the long-debunked story about Pershing – appears to contradict his remarks from earlier in the week.
"Before I make a statement, I need the facts. So I don't want to rush into a statement," Trump said at a press conference on Tuesday, explaining his delayed response to issue a statement condemning the violence in Charlottesville. "Unlike the media, before I make a statement, I like to know the facts."
Trump first referenced a story about Pershing during a political rally in February 2016, when he told a crowd in North Charleston, South Carolina, that Pershing "took 50 bullets, and he dipped them in pigs' blood" before using them to shoot 49 Muslim rebels.
Some Muslims believe that eating pork is forbidden and would prevent entrance into heaven, though many interpretations conclude it is not a sin to unknowingly or unwillingly do so.
The Roving Reporter
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