President Trump's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said in an interview Thursday night that Trump's refugee ban was justifiable because of the "Bowling Green massacre." The only problem: No such massacre ever occurred.
Conway referenced the "massacre" in an interview with Chris Matthews on MSNBC's Hardball, claiming "most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered."
"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 they were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre,” Conway said. “Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered.”
People on social media were quick to point out that there wasn't any media coverage of the "Bowling Green massacre" because it never happened.
Conway tweeted on Friday that she meant to say "Bowling Green terrorists," referring to a 2011 incident involving two Iraqi nationals who lived in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The pair were indicted for allegedly carrying out improvised explosive device (IED) attacks against US troops in Iraq. But there is no indication that the two men committed any violent offenses in Kentucky.
And while Obama did review vetting procedures of refugees coming from Iraq after the arrests of the men, there was no ban put in place.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about Conway's comments Thursday night.