On Saturday or Sunday, Trump stated, while discussing Hurricane Dorian, that the forecasted track had it strongly impacting Alabama. About 20 minutes later, the NWS in Alabama said that was wrong - Alabama was not going to be impacted at all, the storm would be too far east. The map of the storm track initially showed it going across Florida and heading towards the Gulf but did not show any part of Alabama in the path. When ABC News reported on this, Trump tweeted that the reporter - Jon Karl - was making it up.
Today, while discussing Dorian in the Oval Office, Trump used the same 4-day old map - even though the track is now going up the east coast, making that original map outdated - and insisted that it was initially forecasted to hit Alabama as he said. Because he is fundamentally incapable of ever admitting he made a mistake or was wrong about something. Someone (a staff person, perhaps) drew in a crude bubble that would have extended the storm track into Alabama with what appeared to be a black Sharpie.
http://tinyurl.com/y64sbud9
When questioned about the alteration, Trump said he didn't know why it looked like that, but they had a better map using the European model rather than the official NOAA forecast map. If so, why not use that rather than the official forecast map? Why alter the official map with what looks like something a child in kindergarten would do? As far as I know, he never did produce the map of the European model. I do recall seeing some of the European model maps on Friday or Saturday, but I don't recall if any of the "strings" forecast it as going as far west as Alabama.
As the article above notes, it's actually a federal crime to knowingly alter an NOAA forecast and present it as the real forecast, punishable by a fine and/or 90 days in jail. Doing it just because you refuse to admit you made a mistake is not a defense. |
