CELEBS/RACISM/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “In an unusual flexing of diplomatic muscle, President Trump lashed out on Thursday [7-25-19] at the prime minister of Sweden over what he said was the unfair treatment of the rapper ASAP Rocky, who was charged with assault earlier in the day after nearly three weeks in Swedish custody…Rocky was charged on Thursday with having committed an assault causing actual bodily harm on June 30 in central Stockholm, Swedish prosecutors said in a statement, capping weeks of speculation about how the country would handle a street brawl that was captured, at least in part, on camera. The rapper will remain in custody, at least until his trial begins on Tuesday, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement. The punishment for Rocky could include a fine based on his daily earnings or a maximum of two years in prison, said Annika Collin, a spokeswoman for the Swedish Prosecution Authority. The decision to charge Rocky, and Mr. Trump’s increasing ire over the charges, will sharpen the focus on a case that started as a fistfight, but has ballooned into much more, with Sweden facing accusations of racism and human rights abuses for its treatment of the rapper.”
–Alex Marshall and Joe Coscarelli, “Trump Lashes Out at Sweden Over ASAP Rocky’s Detention,” The New York Times online, July 25, 2019