False reports of explosives found in a car near a Trump rally spread online
NEW YORK — Police on Long Island moved quickly Wednesday to remove social media posts that falsely reported explosives had been found in a car near former President Donald Trump’s planned rally in New York.
The false reports of an explosive device began circulating hours before the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign event at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, just days after he was apparently the target of a second possible assassination attempt.
Nassau County Police Chief Patrick Ryder said police questioned and detained a person who “may have been training a bomb detection dog” near the scene of the rally and that “falsely reported explosives were found.”
Lt. Scott Skrynecki, a spokesman for the area police department, said in follow-up messages that the person, whom police have not yet identified, was a civilian and not a member of a law enforcement agency.
He also said the person did not work at or have anything to do with the event, which is expected to draw thousands of Trump supporters to the arena that was once home to the NHL’s New York Islanders.
It is Trump’s first rally on Long Island, a suburban area east of New York City, since 2017.
In 2020, President Joe Biden defeated Trump by a margin of about 4% on Long Island, beating him in Nassau County by about 60,000 votes, though Trump won by more than 200 votes in neighboring Suffolk County.
Earlier Wednesday, Skrynecki and other county officials quickly responded by denying the claims about the online filing, which appear to have been prompted by a reporter citing anonymous sources in local law enforcement.
The claims were then shared widely on X, formerly Twitter, by a number of prominent accounts, including that of the company’s owner, Elon Musk, which has nearly 200 million followers. X spokespeople did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
“Incorrect,” Skrynecki texted AP as the claims spread.
“No. Ridiculous. Zero validity,” said Christopher Boyle, spokesman for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.