Trump appears to show altered Hurricane Dorian map in Oval Office

During a briefing in the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Donald Trump showed what appeared to be a Sharpie-altered version of a forecast for Hurricane Dorian. 

While talking to reporters, Trump displayed a model produced last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showing Dorian’s projected path. However, there was a big difference in what the president showed. 

Many were quick to point out that Trump’s version had what looked like a black line drawn on the map to extend the forecast cone into Alabama.

“We had actually our original chart that it was going to end up hitting Florida directly,” Trump said, while holding what he called their “original chart.” 

President Donald Trump holds a chart as he talks with reporters after receiving a briefing on Hurricane Dorian in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

AP

The president had repeatedly claimed over the weekend that Alabama was set to be one of the states hit by Hurricane Dorian, even though the NOAA’s projected path for the storm did not include the state.

Later in the day Wednesday, Trump told reporters he didn’t know anything about apparent changes made to the map he had shown at the hurricane briefing. 

President Donald Trump holds a chart as he talks with reporters after receiving a briefing on Hurricane Dorian in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

AP

“I know Alabama was in the original forecast,” Trump said. “The original path was through Florida,” Trump described, noting as he did earlier in the day that the U.S. got lucky with Florida not being directly hit by the storm. 

“The original path was through Florida,” Trump said.  

At least seven deaths have been reported in the Bahamas, with the full scope of the disaster still unknown. Trump also said the United States is providing humanitarian support to the archipelago country.