The US ambassador to the Netherlands has been caught out after dismissing suggestions he once said there were “no-go zones” in the country because of radical Muslims – only to be shown footage of him stating precisely that.
A now viral video shows Donald Trump’s pick Pete Hoekstra accusing journalist Wouter Zwart of “fake news” after he was confronted about saying that cars and politicians are being “set on fire”.
@Nieuwsuur to new US ambassador: “You mentioned [..] that there are no go-zones in the Netherlands and that cars and politicians are set on fire.” Pete Hoekstra: “I didn’t say that. That’s actually an incorrect statement [..] fake news.” Hmm, let’s have a look at the footage ? pic.twitter.com/vlstN9vhSK — Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) December 21, 2017
Zwart: “You mentioned in a debate that there are no-go zones in the Netherlands, and that cars and politicians are being set on fire in the Netherlands.” Hoekstra: “I didn’t say that. This is actually an incorrect statement. We would call it fake news. I never said that.”
Hoekstra is then shown clips of him speaking at a 2015 panel discussion titled ‘Muslim Migration into Europe’, in Charleston, South Carolina.
In the video, Hoekstra clearly argues Muslims have brought “chaos” to the Netherlands, and that bureaucrats and vehicles are being set ablaze, and says: “Yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands.”
Just perfect. Dutch journalist to new US Ambassador: you said there were ‘no go zones’ in Netherlands, where are they? Ambassador: That’s fake news, I didn’t say that Journalist: We can show you that clip now. Ambassador: Err ?? pic.twitter.com/8ohIOzmYAc
December 22, 2017
Hoekstra then doubled down on his position.
When challenged about having called the broadcaster’s suggestions “fake news”, Hoekstra denied he had used the phrase “fake news”.
“I didn’t call that fake news,” he said with a straight face. “I didn’t use the words today. I don’t think I did.”
Is it not even worse than that? It’s not totally clear but does he not say that him saying ‘fake news’ earlier in that very interview is ‘fake news’?
December 22, 2017
Hoekstra was born in the Netherlands but left when he was three and was raised in the US. He served as a Republican Congressman for Michigan from 1993 to 2011.
The full report (made by @WouterZwart, Kyle Lanningham and @LizetPellikaan) on Pete Hoekstra appointment can be watched here. All interviews in English. https://t.co/5JITVgpzq7
December 22, 2017