Report: Trump was the one who marked up Dorian map with Sharpie

President Trump was the one who doctored a projection of Hurricane Dorian’s path before the map was displayed during a White House meeting between Trump and acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, according to a White House official.

An unnamed official told The Washington Post that Trump himself edited the map projection provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to include the state of Alabama.

“No one else writes like that on a map with a black Sharpie,” the official told the news outlet.

{mosads}Multiple news reports have pointed out that the map displayed by Trump during the meeting appeared to be altered and contained information that was out of date following Hurricane Dorian’s northward turn toward the Carolinas after making landfall in the Bahamas.

The revelations came as a White House spokesperson maintained to the Post that the president’s comments on Sunday about the possibility of Dorian’s winds and rain reaching Alabama were not inaccurate.

“While speaking to the press last Sunday the President addressed Hurricane Dorian and its potential impact on multiple states, including Alabama,” a spokesperson said. “The President’s comments were based on that morning’s Hurricane Dorian briefing, which included the possibility of tropical storm force winds in southeastern Alabama.”

Trump has battled the press for days over his comments expressing concern that Alabama could be hit by the storm, which the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Ala., dismissed in a statement following the president’s tweet.

“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,” the agency tweeted.

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

The spokesman’s statement came days after Trump originally made the claim and as the storm lashed the Carolinas on Thursday with heavy rain, intense wind and tornadoes.

On Thursday afternoon, Trump shared charts from Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 that indicated areas in Alabama had a 5 percent to 20 percent chance of experiencing storm-force winds, though newer projections were later released.

Just as I said, Alabama was originally projected to be hit. The Fake News denies it! pic.twitter.com/elJ7ROfm2p

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2019

Trump also shared an Aug. 30 tweet from the Alabama National Guard saying that the storm was projected to reach the southern part of the state by the early part of this week. 

“I was with you all the way Alabama. The Fake News Media was not!” Trump tweeted.

The president did not respond to shouted questions from reporters about his Alabama defense during a Medal of Freedom ceremony on Thursday at the White House.