Kellyanne Conway, a top aide to Donald Trump, made headlines last week after citing the non-existent “Bowling Green massacre” to defend the president’s controversial travel ban. But, according to reports, it wasn’t the first time Conway cited the fictional attack in defense of strict immigration measures.
On Monday, Cosmopolitan magazine reported Conway also referenced the “Bowling Greene massacre” during an on-the-record interview with a reporter on Jan. 29, claiming that former president Barack Obama called for a “temporary ban on Iraqi refugees” after the so-called “massacre.”
“He did, it’s a fact,” Conway told Cosmopolitan. “Why did he do that? He did that for exactly the same reasons. He did that because two Iraqi nationals came to this country, joined ISIS, traveled back to the Middle East to get trained and refine their terrorism skills, and come back here, and were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre of taking innocent soldiers’ lives away.”
The quote is similar to what Conway said during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, which aired last Thursday, when she was pressed about Trump’s executive order to temporarily ban immigration and restrict travel from seven Muslim-majority countries.
WATCH: Kellyanne Conway cites ‘Bowling Green Massacre’ that didn’t happen
“I bet there was very little coverage, 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 between the Bowling Green massacre. Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered,” Conway told MSNBC.
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But Obama never ordered a so-called “ban” on refugees from Iraq, nor was there a “massacre” in Bowling Green.
It’s believed Conway was alluding to the arrests of two Iraqi citizens who lived in Bowling Green, Kentucky and were charged with terrorism-related offences in 2011.
Conway said she misspoke during the interview and meant to say “Bowling Green terrorists,” calling it an “honest mistake.”
READ MORE: Americans hold Bowling Green vigils for massacre that never happened
Cosmopolitan did not publish the quoted in its original stories based on the interview with Conway, but decided to publish the quotes in light of Conway’s appearance on MSNBC.
When asked for clarification on her statement to the magazine, Conway again clarified that she meant to say “Bowling Green terrorists.” However, she added, “Frankly they were terrorists in Bowling Green but their massacre took place in Iraq.”
According to The Daily Beast, Conway also referenced the “Bowling Green attack” during a short interview with TMZ.
“He did that because, I assume, there were two Iraqis who came here, got radicalized, joined ISIS, and then were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green attack on our brave soldiers,” she said in the video.
In an email to The Daily Beast, Conway said she was referencing the arrest of the two Iraqi citizens who lived in Bowling Green, Kentucky and noted their “attack” occurred in Iraq.
This comes the day after the president criticized the media for under reporting terrorist attacks in Europe.
READ MORE: Fact checking Donald Trump’s claim media ignored terrorism
“All over Europe it’s happening. It’s gotten to a point where it’s not even being reported. And in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons, and you understand that,” Trump said during a speech at an Air Force base in Florida Monday.
According to The Associated Press’ fact check on the statement, Trump and his team have cited only one example of a deadly terrorist attack anywhere going unreported – the Bowling Green massacre.
Meanwhile, social media users continue to have fun with the so-called “Bowling Green massacre,” holding vigils for the non-existent event and even setting up a website called “Bowling Green Massacre Victims Fund.”
– With a file from The Associated Press and Global News reporter Adam Frisk
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