Trump offers altered hurricane chart, appearing to double down on 'Alabama' warning

President Trump presented a doctored Hurricane Dorian map to possibly justify the fact he had warned that the state of Alabama was in direct path of the storm.

The President of the United States altered a National Hurricane Center map with a sharpie to falsely extend the official forecast toward Alabama so he didn't have to admit he was wrong in a tweet. https://t.co/i0CJcYV4yq pic.twitter.com/pR57IL6WfT

— Dennis Mersereau (@wxdam) September 4, 2019

In a White House video offered from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump showed a modified map from the National Hurricane Center showing that Alabama would be impacted by Dorian. The map looks as if it was altered with a Sharpie.

President @realDonaldTrump gives an update on Hurricane #Dorian: pic.twitter.com/CmxAXHY5AO

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 4, 2019

In a tweet Sunday, Trump raised the possibility that the state would be in the path, but 20 minutes later, the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Ala., refuted the tweet.

“Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian,” the NWS tweeted back.

Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane #Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east. #alwx

— NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) September 1, 2019

When asked Wednesday if the chart had been drawn on, Trump offered, “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Someone just asked Trump about the clearly-altered map of Hurricane Dorian's (outdated) trajectory to include Alabama.

Trump's response: pic.twitter.com/0whmUgcjQa

— jordan (@JordanUhl) September 4, 2019

“We had actually our original chart that it was going to end up hitting Florida directly,” Trump said, holding the map as he sat alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan. “It was going to be hitting directly, that would have affected a lot of other states. But that was the original chart. It was going to hit not only Florida, Georgia, it was going toward the Gulf (of Mexico). That was what was originally projected. And it took a right turn and ultimately, hopefully we’re going to be lucky.”