Donald Trump’s Twitter reaction Friday to the latest terror attack on London’s underground received a scathing response from British Prime Minister Theresa May, who called his comments unhelpful.
In his early morning tweet, Trump called the person who carried out the attack a “loser terrorist” and suggested that London’s Metropolitan police knew about the bomber, whose attack at the Parsons Green Tube station in West London injured at least 22 people.
“These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard,” the president said, adding a tweet promoting his highly contested travel ban, saying it should be “far larger, tougher and more specific” before lamenting the fact that such a ban is “stupidly … politically incorrect.”
“I never think it’s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation,” May later said in an interview with BBC.
Just after 8:20 a.m. local time (3:20 a.m. ET) Friday, the fiery detonation of an improvised device exploded on the train, sparking chaos among morning commuters. At the time of Trump’s tweet, no suspect had been identified.
PM Theresa May on Trump's tweets about the London explosion: "I never think it's helpful for anyone to speculate." pic.twitter.com/aNO2vhQtdw
Metropolitan Police went on to say that the comment was “pure speculation,” according to The Guardian.
“This is a live investigation and we will provide further updates as it progresses,” the police said in a statement. “Any speculation is extremely unhelpful at this time.”
Later, Trump told reporters at the White House he planned to speak with May. “It’s [terrorism] a terrible thing,” he said. “It just keeps going and going, and we have to be very smart, we have to be very, very tough. Perhaps we are not nearly tough enough.”
Trump’s tweet wobbles an already unstable intelligence relationship with the U.K. following the Manchester bombing in May at an Ariana Grande concert.
U.S. outlets The New York Times and CBS published the name of the suspect and photographs of the bomb scene after British intelligence had asked media to withhold information to protect ongoing investigations, causing British police to temporarily suspend intelligence sharing with the U.S.
All 13 'Black Mirror' Episodes Ranked, From Eerie to Horrifying (Photos)
Every episode of Netflix's "Black Mirror," about how technology reflects and distorts our real lives, is a little scary. Some will just shake your worldview. Others will make you want to throw your cellphone and laptop in the trash. We ranked the episodes from least to most scary.
Season 3, Episode 4: "San Junipero"
This is an unusual "Black Mirror" episode -- though it's disturbing at times, it's really pretty uplifting.
Season 1, Episode 2: "Fifteen Million Merits" This twist on "American Idol," in which people are coerced into doing things they don't want to do, is too much like real life to be scary. Depressing, yes. But not really scary.
Season 2, Episode 1: "Be Right Back" It's not horrific, just heartbreaking. This episode, starring Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson, looks at what makes us human, and what qualities our loved ones can't replace when we're gone.
Season 2, Episode 3: "The Waldo Moment" An insult-spewing cartoon character inserts himself into politics? Many people find this scenario all too familiar.
Season 3, Episode 6: "Hated in the Nation" This story about a killer hashtag and Terminator bees is good, but a little too "Sharknado"-like to be truly scary. Unless you're very, very afraid of bee stings.
Season 3, Episode 1 -- "Nosedive" This is only scary if you've ever had to give a wedding speech -- which is, of course, pretty scary. It's also a scarily accurate critique of our obsession with seeking online validation from strangers.
3. Season 1, Episode 1: "National Anthem"
The starkness of the humiliation for the prime minister in this, the first episode of "Black Mirror," is awful. What's scariest about it is that he simply has no way out.
Season 2, Episode 4: "White Christmas" The sheer coldness of this episode is upsetting, and it will especially get to people who have issues with isolation and claustrophobia. Seasons greetings!
Season 2, Episode 2: "White Bear" A woman is hunted for reasons she doesn't understand. This one has lots of frightening moments and images, and the uncertainty throughout is jittery and no fun. The fact that it's so over-the-top might give you some comfort. since nothing like this could ever happen in real life ... right?
Season 3, Episode 2: "Playtest" It starts light and stays fun, until a man is asked to spend a night in a creepy house. There are some scares, then horrible shocks. Worst, the episode asks questions about memory and identity that linger long after the episode.
Season 3, Episode 3: "The Entire History of You" If you've ever been in love, this one is very, very scary. Paranoia can't save you from pain.
Season 3, Episode 3: "Shut Up and Dance" How upsetting you find this episode will depend a lot on what kinds of things you do online, and how scared you are of other people finding out. There's a pervasive sense of menace and uncertainty throughout this episode that may make you think less of humanity long after the episode ends. The most frightening thing? It's completely realistic.
Episode 3, Season 5: "Men Against Fire" This starts out as a war story with lots of grotesque images, but the most frightening thing is the truth it tells. This is one of the most painful stories ever told about why we fight.
Want to watch Netflix’s brilliant series, but kind of a scaredy cat? Watch the episodes in this order
Every episode of Netflix's "Black Mirror," about how technology reflects and distorts our real lives, is a little scary. Some will just shake your worldview. Others will make you want to throw your cellphone and laptop in the trash. We ranked the episodes from least to most scary.
