Fact-Check: Yes, the San Bernardino Terrorists’ Neighbors Failed to Report Them

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump claimed that “many people saw the bombs all over the apartment of the two people that killed 14 and wounded many, many people [in San Bernardino].”

Fact-Check: HALF TRUE

Trump was answering a question about Islamophobia, and while he acknowledged that prejudice against Muslims is a problem, he argued that political correctness places American lives at risk.  

He cited the neighbors of the San Bernardino terrorists — and he was correct to do so, because they did tell reporters after the attack that they had seen unusual activity, but chose not to report it for fear of being accused of racial profiling.

However, the neighbors did not actually see “bombs” (though that was, in fact, what the San Bernardino terrorists were building in their home).

So while Trump’s statement about political correctness was essentially true, he was incorrect about the details.