Kellyanne Conway says she misspoke when referencing 'Bowling Green massacre'

A top aide to U.S. President Donald Trump says she misspoke when she cited a 2011 "massacre" in Kentucky that never happened.

During an interview with MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Thursday, Kellyanne Conway defended Trump's temporary ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations by saying that former president Barack Obama instituted a similar policy for Iraqi refugees in 2011.

• Kellyanne Conway — from pollster to presidential counsellor

"President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized, and they were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre," Conway said. "Most people don't know that because it didn't get covered."

It didn't happen.

Conway doesn't correct 2nd false statement

Conway tweeted Friday morning that she meant to say "Bowling Green terrorists" during the interview.

But her description of the 2011 policy as a ban was also a mischaracterization, which she didn't correct.

Obama never banned Iraqi refugees or other Iraqi travellers from coming to the United States. His administration did slow down the processing for Iraqis seeking special immigrant visas, which are given to translators and interpreters who worked with the U.S. in that country.

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The slowdown was prompted by the May 2011 arrest of two men in Kentucky charged with plotting to send weapons and money to al-Qaeda operatives abroad. Waad Ramadan Alwan and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi were mistakenly admitted to the U.S. as Iraqi refugees in 2009 and resettled in Bowling Green, Ky.

Iraqis admitted every month of 2011

Alwan and Hammadi are now in prison after pleading guilty. They were never accused of plotting to launch attacks inside the U.S.

According to State Department data, 9,388 Iraqi refugees were admitted to the United States during the 2011 budget year. The data also show that Iraqi refugees were admitted every month during the 2011 calendar year.

In addition, more than 7,800 Iraqis were allowed into the United States on non-immigrant visas, including tourists, during the 2011 budget year.

'Never remember'

Conway's remarks sparked seemingly endless snickering online, with jabs like "never remember" and "I survived the Bowling Green massacre."

Even Big Red, the beloved, furry Western Kentucky University mascot, wasn't immune: One social media post shows him sprawled on the ground with the inscription "Never forget."

"The jokes are flying, for sure," said Guy Jordan, who teaches at Western Kentucky. "My sense of things is that we are today a city of people walking around looking at their phones and giggling softly to ourselves.

Jordan quipped the only massacres in Bowling Green have been some of Western's football victories.

Radio chatter, pizza platter

For Bowling Green radio personality Jelisa Chatman, Conway's remarks were like a gift as an on-the-air subject.

"You wake up in the morning and you think, 'What am I going to talk about today?"' she said. "And God is like, 'here you go. You need something to talk about, how about this?"

At Home Cafe & Marketplace, the most popular pizza on Friday was "the Bowling Green Massacre" pie.

The specialty pizza, with blackened chicken, mac and cheese and jalapenos, was on pace to set a one-day sales record at the Bowling Green restaurant, said owner Josh Poling.

"The minute I heard it last night, I was like, 'Oh gosh, that's too good of an opportunity to pass up,"' he said.

All proceeds from the specialty pizza's sales will go to the Southern Poverty Law Center, he said.

Meanwhile, someone registered the domain name BowlingGreenMassacre.com; people clicking on the site were automatically directed to the website of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Not everyone laughing

Not everyone was piling on.

Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson said he understands how someone can "misspeak" during an interview, and said he appreciated the "clarification."

Asked how people were responding, the mayor said: "People roll their eyes at trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill."

Bowling Green is the home of Republican Senator Rand Paul.

His spokeswoman said Friday the focus should be on U.S. immigration policy. "Regardless of her words, our visa and refugee systems are severely broken, and the situation regarding the Bowling Green terrorists demonstrates that point," Kelsey Cooper said.