Chelsea Clinton, Swedes react over Trump Sweden remark

Chelsea Clinton have taken to Twitter to share her reaction about US President Donald Trump's alleged claim that there was a recent terror attack in Sweden. Swedes, on the other hand, reacted in puzzlement, anger and ridicule.

"What happened in Sweden Friday night? Did they catch the Bowling Green Massacre perpetrators?” the only child of former US President Bill Clinton and former secretary of state and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted on Sunday morning. Clinton was not the only one who has expressed a wry response.

Even Sweden's former Prime Minister Carl Bildt has reacted to the US president’s controversial statement. "Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound,” he wrote. A Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet, reported that Twitter users ridiculed Trump’s remark with joking references to the Swedish Chef, the “Muppets” character, Swedish meatballs and Ikea, the furniture giant.

Henrik Selin, a political scientist and deputy director of the Swedish Institute, has admitted that he was left puzzled upon hearing about Trump’s remark about Sweden. Swedish Institute is a state agency aimed at promoting the nation globally.

Selin said in a telephone interview with the New York Times that he does not have a clue of what Trump was specifically talking about, but thinks his claim may be connected to the negative news about Sweden. “Obviously, this could be connected to the fact that there has been a lot of negative reporting about Sweden, since Sweden has taken in a lot of refugees,” he said.

“We’ve got to keep our country safe. You look at what’s happening in Germany, you look at what’s happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this?” Trump told his supporters during his campaign-style rally on Saturday in Florida.

The leader of the free world did not specifically mention that there has been a recent terrorist attack in Sweden. According to the New York Times, his statement seemed to suggest that he thought the nation might have as he cited Sweden right after he mentioned Germany, a destination for refugees and asylum seekers fleeing war and deprivation.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a White House spokeswoman, has clarified Trump’s statement regarding Sweden. Sanders said the president was referring about crime in general in the nation.

The president himself has made some clarifications via Twitter. “My statement as to what’s happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden,” he wrote.