Police in Long Island Debunk Rumors of Explosives Near Trump Rally

On Wednesday, law enforcement officials in Long Island moved swiftly to dispel false rumors circulating on social media about explosives being discovered in a car close to a rally for former President Donald Trump.

The misinformation emerged just hours before Trump’s scheduled campaign event at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale. This comes shortly after he was reportedly the target of a second assassination attempt.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder reported that authorities detained an individual who was described as potentially training a bomb detection dog near the rally site. This person allegedly made a false claim regarding the discovery of explosives.

Lt. Scott Skrynecki, a spokesperson for the county police, clarified that the individual involved was a civilian and had no affiliation with law enforcement. Skrynecki also confirmed that this person was not connected to the rally itself, which is anticipated to attract a large crowd of Trump supporters.

This upcoming rally marks Trump’s first event in Long Island since 2017, a significant occasion as the region is located just east of New York City. In the 2020 election, Trump lost Long Island to President Joe Biden by approximately 4%, with Biden outperforming Trump in Nassau County by about 60,000 votes. Trump, however, did carry neighboring Suffolk County by a narrow margin of over 200 votes.

In an effort to combat the spread of the false claims, Skrynecki and other officials acted quickly. The rumors appeared to have originated from a social media post by a reporter who cited unnamed sources from within the local police department.

These erroneous statements were amplified on X, formerly known as Twitter, by numerous prominent accounts, including that of Elon Musk, who commands nearly 200 million followers. The platform’s representatives did not respond right away to a request for comment.

As the misinformation continued to circulate, Skrynecki reached out to the Associated Press, stating the claims were “false.” He expressed disbelief at the false narrative surrounding the event.

Christopher Boyle, a spokesperson for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, also denounced the rumors, emphasizing their lack of validity.