{"slug":"trump-sharpiegate-alabama-hurricane-dorian","title":"Sharpiegate: Trump Altered Official Hurricane Map with Sharpie, Pressured NOAA Scientists","date":"2019-09-01","lastUpdated":"2019-09-09","description":"On September 1, 2019, Trump displayed a National Hurricane Center forecast map for Hurricane Dorian that had been altered with a black felt-tip marker (likely a Sharpie) to extend the storm's projected cone into Alabama — after Trump had tweeted incorrectly that Alabama was in the storm's path. NOAA meteorologists had publicly corrected the record; Trump subsequently pressured NOAA leadership to support his false claim. NOAA issued an unsigned statement backing Trump and contradicting its own scientists. The Commerce Secretary reportedly threatened to fire NOAA leadership if they didn't comply.","summary":"Trump's September 1 tweet falsely included Alabama in Hurricane Dorian's path. The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, issued a correction saying Alabama was not at risk. Trump then displayed an Oval Office map showing the altered cone reaching into Alabama. Multiple officials at NOAA described feeling pressured not to contradict the president. The Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross reportedly threatened firings if NOAA scientists publicly contradicted Trump's Alabama claim. An unsigned statement supporting Trump's position was issued by NOAA over scientists' objections. A formal Inspector General investigation was opened.","category":"rule-of-law","severity":"major","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/us/politics/trump-hurricane-dorian-alabama-map.html","title":"Trump Showed a Doctored Hurricane Map — Who Did It?","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/09/06/commerce-secretary-threatened-firings-noaa-after-agency-contradicted-trump-about-hurricane-dorian-threat-alabama-paper-reports/","title":"Commerce Secretary threatened NOAA firings after agency contradicted Trump","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://apnews.com/article/trump-hurricane-dorian-sharpie-alabama-map","title":"Trump shows Sharpie-altered hurricane map, disputes Alabama claim","publisher":"The Associated Press"},{"url":"https://www.noaa.gov/stories/noaa-ig-report-on-sharpiegate","title":"NOAA Inspector General Report on Sharpiegate","publisher":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["NOAA","hurricane","Sharpiegate","science","first-term","disinformation"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2019-09-01","title":"Trump tweets Alabama is in Dorian's path","summary":"Trump tweets that Alabama will be hit harder than anticipated by Hurricane Dorian. This is false — Alabama is outside Dorian's projected track. The National Weather Service in Birmingham issues a correction within hours."},{"date":"2019-09-04","title":"Trump displays altered map in Oval Office","summary":"In an Oval Office briefing, Trump shows a NOAA forecast map of Hurricane Dorian that has been altered with what appears to be a black Sharpie to extend the projected storm cone over Alabama. He insists his original statement was correct."},{"date":"2019-09-06","title":"NOAA issues unsigned statement backing Trump","summary":"NOAA releases an unsigned statement criticizing the Birmingham NWS office for its correction and backing Trump's claim that Alabama was at risk. Senior NOAA officials later describe the statement as politically coerced."},{"date":"2020-07-09","title":"IG report confirms political pressure","summary":"The NOAA Inspector General releases a report finding that Commerce Department pressure was applied to NOAA to support Trump's Alabama claim and that the unsigned statement had 'compromised NOAA's integrity.'"}],"location":{"name":"Washington, D.C. / Alabama","lat":32.3617,"lng":-86.2792},"custom":{"era":"first-term","posture":"reported","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"Alabama residents misinformed about hurricane risk; NOAA scientists whose work was politically overridden; public reliance on accurate emergency weather information","structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"President; displayed altered hurricane map; pressured NOAA to support false claim","institution":"White House"},{"name":"Wilbur Ross","role":"Commerce Secretary; reportedly threatened to fire NOAA leadership if they contradicted Trump","institution":"Department of Commerce"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2020-07-09","summary":"Updated with IG report findings."}]}}