Sharpiegate

English alt=|thumb|President Trump receives an update on Hurricane Dorian on August 29, 2019. This map was later altered to show Dorian impacting Alabama. Etymology From en Sharpie -gate, after the brand of pen. Proper noun en American football informal A 2002 controversy where Terry Owens (American football) Terry Owens signed a football with a Sharpie hidden in his sock. en 2002-10-16 David Steele The pen is mightier than 49ers, as long as it's in the end zone w:SFGate THERE WILL be no Sharpiegate to distract the 49ers this week. Terrell Owens' latest hand grenade was not only defused, it turned out not to be explosive at all. https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/The-pen-is-mightier-than-49ers-as-long-as-it-s-2762064.php https://web.archive.org/web/20251221162458/https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/The-pen-is-mightier-than-49ers-as-long-as-it-s-2762064.php 21 December 2025 en informal A 2019 controversy around US president Donald Trump presenting a modified weather map indicating that Alabama would be hit by Hurricane Dorian, in opposition to official forecasts. 10 September 2019 Ed Pilkington Wilbur Ross faces calls to resign after report he threatened firings over 'Sharpiegate' The US secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, is facing calls for his resignation after it was reported that he had threatened to fire senior staff at a federal agency unless they sided publicly with Donald Trump in the rumbling dispute dubbed “Sharpiegate”. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/09/wilbur-ross-sharpiegate-alabama-resignation https://web.archive.org/web/20261022143231/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/09/wilbur-ross-sharpiegate-alabama-resignation 22 October 2026 1 February 2020 Madeleine Carlisle Newly-Released NOAA Emails Show Anger and Confusion Around Trump’s ‘Doctored’ Hurricane Dorian Map The President then doubled down on his claim that Alabama was at risk. On Sept. 4, he gave an update on the storm while sitting in front of a map that appeared to have been altered with a black marker to make it seem like Alabama might be hit. Public backlash ensued, and the moment was swiftly deemed #sharpiegate on social media. https://time.com/5775953/trump-dorian-alabama-sharpiegate-noaa/ 2 March 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200405173651/https://time.com/5775953/trump-dorian-alabama-sharpiegate-noaa/ 5 April 2020 en 3 February 2020 Rachel Frazin Emails show weather service employees were frustrated by Trump, 'Sharpiegate' The Hill (website) The Hill Emails obtained by The Hill and other news outlets through a Freedom of Information Act request show some scientists were flabbergasted at the president's actions in the so-called Sharpiegate controversy, and that they worried about other steps that might be taken. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/481214-emails-show-weather-service-employees-were-frustrated-by-trump https://web.archive.org/web/20221201182649/https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/481214-emails-show-weather-service-employees-were-frustrated-by-trump/ 1 December 2022 en 28 February 2020 Alex Henderson Fox News host Laura Ingraham loses it when guest mentions "Sharpiegate" during coronavirus segment Salon (magazine) Salon Ingraham could have admitted that Trump made himself look ridiculous during the "Sharpiegate" fiasco. Instead, she was angry that Goodstein even brought it up. https://www.salon.com/2020/02/28/fox-news-host-laura-ingraham-loses-it-when-guest-mentions-sharpiegate-during-coronavirus-segment_partner/ https://web.archive.org/web/20250911191917/https://www.salon.com/2020/02/28/fox-news-host-laura-ingraham-loses-it-when-guest-mentions-sharpiegate-during-coronavirus-segment_partner/ 11 September 2025 en 2020-09-22 Scott Waldman Climate science critic to be chief scientist at key U.S. climate research agency Science (magazine) Science https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/climate-science-critic-be-chief-scientist-key-us-climate-research-agency But Maue has dinged Trump administration officials as well—notably those who were involved in a mini-scandal known as "Sharpiegate." https://web.archive.org/web/20210421053241/https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/climate-science-critic-be-chief-scientist-key-us-climate-research-agency 21 April 2021 en informal A conspiracy theory claiming that ballots marked with Sharpie pens were unfairly disqualified in the 2020 US presidential election. en Donald Trump