The Hashtag
#BowlingGreenMassacre mocked a fictional terrorist attack invented by Kellyanne Conway, becoming a darkly comic symbol of the administration’s relationship with facts.
Origins
On February 2, 2017, in defending Trump’s travel ban, Conway told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews: “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. Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered.”
It didn’t get covered because it never happened. Two Iraqi refugees were arrested in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2011 for attempting to send weapons to Iraq—no massacre, no radicalization in the U.S., no ban.
Cultural Impact
The internet’s response was instant and merciless:
- “Never Forget Bowling Green” memes with fake candlelight vigils
- Wikipedia created a “Bowling Green massacre” hoax entry
- Comedians held mock memorials
- GoFundMe parody campaigns for “survivors”
Conway later claimed she misspoke, saying “terrorists” instead of “massacre,” but had used the phrase multiple times in interviews.
The hashtag joined “alternative facts” as evidence of the administration’s casual relationship with truth, particularly when justifying immigration policies.