Trump senior adviser Conway cites non-existent terror attack as factor in refugee ban

Kellyanne Conway, one of US President Donald Trump's senior advisers in the White House, has cited the impact of the "Bowling Green Massacre" as one of the reasons for the immigrant ban in the country - but many have been quick to point out that there was no such massacre.

Conway was Trump's campaign manager during his successful run to the Oval Office, and has often defended the several controversial actions from Trump both during the campaign and since he became president.

Trump signed an executive order last week barring the entry to the US for citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan.

In an interview with MSNBC, Conway cited the example of two Iraqi refugees who were responsible for the fictional massacre, while defending Trump's travel ban.

"I bet it's brand new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalised and they were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre," Conway claimed.

The Iraqi men Conway is thought to have been referring to are reportedly serving life sentences for terrorism-related actions but were not accused of having taken part in any massacre.

They lived in the Bowling Green area of Kentucky, but there is no record of such an attack ever happening in that region.

Along with press secretary Sean Spicer, Conway has previously been accused of manipulating facts and figures after she coined the term "alternative facts" in an interview concerning the size of crowds at Trump's inauguration.