Donald Trump tweeted in defense tonight of the Covington Catholic students in that viral encounter with Native American elder Nathan Phillips, claiming the media “smeared” the students.

Trump tweeted after watching Tucker Carlson‘s opening segment tonight blasting the media coverage for calling out the students.

Trump tweeted, “Looking like Nick Sandman & Covington Catholic students were treated unfairly with early judgements proving out to be false – smeared by media. Not good, but making big comeback!

“New footage shows that media was wrong about teen’s encounter with Native American”

Looking like Nick Sandman & Covington Catholic students were treated unfairly with early judgements proving out to be false – smeared by media. Not good, but making big comeback! “New footage shows that media was wrong about teen’s encounter with Native American” @TuckerCarlson

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2019

The comments from Trump come amid the fallout from an incident involving students from a Kentucky high school and a Native American elder at the Indigenous Indigenous People’s March in Washington, D.C.

Video passed around social media over the weekend appeared to show the students harassing and taunting the man, Nathan Phillips. The most widely-shared video featured a student, Nick Sandmann, smirking as Phillips played his drum.

Additional footage and reports emerging later appeared to show that Phillips approached Sandman after other protesters started hassling the students. It remains unclear whether Phillips was intervening on behalf of either group.

Twitter had some thoughts:

Um…don't think this is a hill Trump should have picked to fight on. Right up there with "fine people on both sides." Once again defending a group of hateful jerks. Big mistake…and will of course, bring more scrutiny on odious kids, school and culture that produced them. https://t.co/AnbFneQ7M8

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) January 22, 2019

I knew Trump wouldn't be able to help himself. He'll always protect and defend racists and white supremacists. https://t.co/VpT0YdV2cT

— Matt Murphy (@MattMurph24) January 22, 2019

Trump weighing in was what this clusterfuck needed https://t.co/Yjwh49CP4M

— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) January 22, 2019

Trump goes out of his way to defend MAGA racists on MLK Day. https://t.co/VpT0YdV2cT

— Matt Murphy (@MattMurph24) January 22, 2019

This was the segment on Tucker Carlson that Trump tweeted about: