Trump Blasted for Citing Unverified Report on ‘Prayer Rugs’ at Mexico Border: ‘No Evidence Whatsoever’

President Donald Trump shared quotes from a highly criticized Washington Examiner story on one anonymous rancher who claimed, without evidence, that she found Muslim prayer rugs near the U.S.-Mexico border — causing her to fear over potential “terrorist threats.”

“Border rancher: ‘We’ve found prayer rugs out here. It’s unreal.’ Washington Examiner,” Trump shared. “People coming across the Southern Border from many countries, some of which would be a big surprise.”

Border rancher: “We’ve found prayer rugs out here. It’s unreal.” Washington Examiner People coming across the Southern Border from many countries, some of which would be a big surprise.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2019

As for the content of the Examiner report itself, the opening lead reads: “Ranchers and farmers near the U.S.-Mexico border have been finding prayer rugs on their properties in recent months, according to one rancher who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation by cartels who move the individuals,”

The New Mexico rancher did not provide any evidence proving these “prayer rugs” exist, nor did she explain how she — a presumably non-Muslim American living in the southwest — knew how to identify the religious mats in the first place.

The article received much backlash on Twitter from mainstream reporters, many questioning the editorial decision of publishing an entire piece around this claim without any evidence other than one anonymous person’s word:

The article he refers to has a video interview with an unnamed woman who claims she saw prayer rugs but also says that she saw no Middle Easterners. The video does not show the alleged prayer rugs and there is no other evidence they exist. https://t.co/TIDOTS5Civ https://t.co/ncQfA8NSkc

— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 18, 2019

The Washington Examiner article the president is quoting is very bad. The “prayer rugs” claim was made by a single rancher who would not allow her name used and who apparently provided the journalist no evidence. pic.twitter.com/iq4t0BOzR9

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 18, 2019

A classic of the racist genre.

1. What’s wrong with prayer rugs?

2. Who would lug a prayer rug across the Atlantic, up through South America, into and across Mexico, only then to ditch it in Texas? https://t.co/5j8jL1SaAK

— Sam Stein (@samstein) January 18, 2019

This Trump prayer rugs tweet is based on a Washington Examiner story claiming prayer rugs are being found on the border. But the story has no pictures of the rugs, and is based entirely on one anonymous rancher’s claim that she’s seen prayer rugs. pic.twitter.com/rxNOdhPDCC

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) January 18, 2019

The rancher’s quote isn’t even clear that he’s claiming he saw the rugs, says “we’ve” also, this rancher is an expert on Muslim prayer rugs? https://t.co/XHHFhxY11B

— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) January 18, 2019

This is a really awful tweet.

The Examiner story is based off of one anonymous rancher, with no corroboration or evidence whatsoever.

We’re gonna need a ruling from @RacismDog on this one. https://t.co/8uYWql4oUW

— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) January 18, 2019

[image via screengrab]

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