A Swedish newspaper reported on Monday that a Fox News segment, which appeared to show Swedish police officers commenting on high-crime rates caused by immigrants, was deceptively edited by filmmaker Ami Horowitz.
According to Dagens Nyheter (DN), a Swedish daily newspaper printed in Stockholm, two police officers interviewed by Horowitz said the filmmaker asked them questions about rising crime rates. But when the film was edited by Horowitz, the officers appeared to be blaming rising crime on immigrants—which is not what they intended.
One of the officers, Anders Göranzon, told DN journalist Hugo Lindkvist that the policemen were responding to questions from Horowitz which had nothing to do with refugees or migrants. “It was supposed to be about crime in high risk areas. Areas with high crime rates.” Göranzon told DN. “There wasn’t any focus on migration or immigration.”
Swedish police featured in Fox news segment: ”Filmmaker is a madman — He has edited the answers.”
.@FoxNewshttps://t.co/rgC9GVxplU pic.twitter.com/BzI0UsMge0— Dagens Nyheter (@dagensnyheter) February 20, 2017
Göranzon also said the officers do not stand behind Horowitz’s film, which he called “bad journalism.”
The officer added that Horowitz’s actual questions should have been included in the film, instead of the make-believe context the officers say Horowitz crafted. “We don’t stand behind it. It shocked us,” said Göranzon. “He has edited the answers. We were answering completely different questions in the interview.”
“We were answering completely different questions in the interview.”
The Fox News segment featuring Horowitz, which appeared on the Tucker Carlson show, gained unusual attention over the weekend due to a remark by President Donald Trump: “We’ve got to keep our country safe. You look at what’s happening in Germany, you look at what’s [sic] happening last night in Sweden.”
Trump was criticized for referencing an event that did not occur in Sweden—references to fake terrorist attacks have plagued the Trump administration—but due to his known proclivity for watching Fox News, it was widely believed he was referencing the Tucker Carlson segment featuring Horowitz. The president confirmed as much in a tweet on Sunday afternoon.
My statement as to what's happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2017
Göranzon also told DN he no longer feels comfortable speaking to journalists due to his experience with Horowitz, whom he called “a madman.”
Fox News did not respond to a request for comment.