Trump goofs up again! tweets 138 million people dead in Sri Lankan blasts
Washington, Apr 21: Known for his gaffes, US President Donald Trump yet again committed a faux pas on Sunday as he erroneously wrote that "138 million people" were killed in a string of blasts in Sri Lanka.
The near-simultaneous attacks on Easter Sunday at three churches and as many luxury hotels frequented by foreigners killed more than 160 people and injured over 450 others, shattering a decade of peace in the country after the end of the brutal civil war with the LTTE.
President Trump offered "heartfelt condolences" to the people of Sri Lanka and said the US stood ready to help.
The US leader, however, erroneously wrote that "138 million people" were killed in the attacks instead of just 138.
"Heartfelt condolences from the people of the United States to the people of Sri Lanka on the horrible terrorist attacks on churches and hotels that have killed at least 138 million people and badly injured 600 more. We stand ready to help!" Trump said in a tweet which was taken down after more than 20 minutes.
Trump's remarks did not go unnoticed as the agile twitterati started poking fun at the appalling tweet.
"You might want to revise that death toll Donald Trump. Not everything is measured in millions. How 'heartfelt' can the condolences be if you aren't even concentrating on the message of condolence when sending it out?" said former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah.
"138 million? Maybe you should wait for the facts pops," wrote one follower of the US president.
"We are a population of 20 million. 138 million is mathematically impossible. Keep your icky condolences, we don't want it," responded another user.
"138 million! More than the population of Sri Lanka. We are now an empty Country as per Donald!!" tweeted another follower.
Sri Lanka has a total population of around 21.7 million.
Trump is known for his wrong tweets and for using embarrassing nicknames as well as 'mispronouncing names' of people such as "Jeff Bozo" in reference to Jeff Bezos of Amazon.
In March, he mistakenly referred to Apple CEO Tim Cook as "Tim Apple", a verbal slip which netizens poked fun at by sharing rib-tickling memes on social media.
Last year, he had called Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson "Marillyn Lockheed."
Later, he deleted the tweet and posted a new one:
138 people have been killed in Sri Lanka, with more that 600 badly injured, in a terrorist attack on churches and hotels. The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka. We stand ready to help!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2019
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Speculation over Nitish Kumar’s Rajya Sabha entry roils Bihar; Giriraj calls it ‘Holi prank’
Patna (PTI): Bihar was abuzz with speculation on Wednesday over rumours that JD(U) president and the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may move to the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for the BJP to take the top post while accommodating his son Nishant as deputy CM.
However, senior BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh dismissed the rumour as a "Holi prank", asserting "Nitish Kumar ji is the chief minister".
The filing of nomination papers for five Rajya Sabha seats in the state will close on Thursday.
While the BJP has named its two candidates, including national general secretary Nitin Nabin, and confirmed a second consecutive term for junior NDA ally Upendra Kushwaha, the JD(U) is yet to officially announce its nominees.
The rumours of Kumar, who turned 75 earlier this month, being one of the candidates of JD(U), surfaced a day after the party had announced that his son Nishant would be making a belated entry into politics.
Earlier, there were speculations that the reclusive Nishant, who is in his late 40s and is yet to be formally inducted into the JD(U), could be sent straight to the Rajya Sabha.
However, with less than 24 hours left for filling of nomination papers, several media outlets ran reports claiming that the chief minister, who has been at the helm since 2005, could choose the Rajya Sabha route to make an "honourable exit".
According to these unconfirmed reports, the BJP, which has been outperforming the JD(U) in elections, will have its own CM in the only Hindi heartland state where the highest seat of power has eluded it.
These reports also suggested that as a bargain, Kumar could settle for the deputy CM's post for his son.
When Giriraj Singh, who represents Begusarai Lok Sabha seat in the state, was approached with queries, he said, "Today is Holi. Such pranks are common on the occasion. Nitish Kumar ji is the chief minister".
JD(U) MLC Sanjay Kumar alias Gandhi ji, a close aide of the party supremo, reacted with bewilderment when his response was sought to the rumours.
"We have no information about who will be the Rajya Sabha candidates of the party. There is an impression that Union minister Ram Nath Thakur may retain his seat, but that is also not official. As regards the other seat, it is a decision to be taken by the chief minister, who is known to reveal his cards at the eleventh hour. We cannot say anything on the reports in the media," he said.
