President Donald Trump on Sunday weighed in on reports that NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Bryant, died in a helicopter crash, calling it “terrible news.” But his tweet triggered a fierce backlash for getting wrong the number of people killed in the crash.
“Reports are that basketball great Kobe Bryant and three others have been killed in a helicopter crash in California,” Trump tweeted on Sunday afternoon. “That is terrible news!”
The tweet came just hours after multiple news networks confirmed the 41-year-old All-Star was among five people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, outside Los Angeles, earlier on Sunday.
Reports are that basketball great Kobe Bryant and three others have been killed in a helicopter crash in California. That is terrible news!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2020
Twitter users quickly responded:
You can’t even get this right.., 5 people were confirmed dead…
— Sarah Lima (@LittleLima22) January 26, 2020
Sit this one out.https://t.co/Tvxd4UDDs5
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) January 26, 2020
"4 others"… but what do you expect from a guy that just finished rage tweeting all day who can't read.
— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) January 26, 2020
That is terrible news, exacerbated by the fact that you’re still in office.
You don’t respect Black athletes. Keep Kobe’s name out of your lying, racist, mouth, you vile, disgusting, white nationalist, demagogue.https://t.co/juWrDYJQqY https://t.co/SwAAEREXrl
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) January 26, 2020
Show some respect, stay off Twitter. It’s 5 people on board, including Kobe’s 13 year daughter.
— Denise Wu (@denisewu) January 26, 2020
Four others.
How did you get this wrong? This info is literally plastered all over the Internet and TV right now.
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) January 26, 2020
it was four others you failure as a human being
— Sarah Beattie (@nachosarah) January 26, 2020
This is the time for you to truly shut the fuck up.
— il padrino (@john_faidutti) January 26, 2020
