Trump blames ‘radical Islam’ for uptick in crime in Britain

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is misrepresenting a report on British crime statistics by blaming an uptick in police-reported incidents on “Radical Islamic terror.”

Britain’s Office for National Statistics this week reported a 13 per cent crime increase from the previous year in England and Wales. The report says the uptick “reflects a range of factors,” including an increase in incidents, improvements to how crimes are recorded and more victims coming forward. The report does not mention Islam.

Early Friday morning, Trump tweeted: “Just out report: ‘United Kingdom crime rises 13% annually amid spread of Radical Islamic terror.’” It was not clear what source Trump was quoting, as that line does not appear in the report.