Sharpiegate

English

President Trump receives an update on Hurricane Dorian on August 29, 2019. This map was later altered to show Dorian impacting Alabama.

Etymology

From Sharpie +‎ -gate, after the brand of pen.

Proper noun

Sharpiegate

1. (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.
   • 2019 September 10, Ed Pilkington, “Wilbur Ross faces calls to resign after report he threatened firings over 'Sharpiegate'”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     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”.

   • 2020 February 1, Madeleine Carlisle, “Newly-Released NOAA Emails Show Anger and Confusion Around Trump’s ‘Doctored’ Hurricane Dorian Map”, in Time‎^[2]:

     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.

   • 2020 February 3, Rachel Frazin, “Emails show weather service employees were frustrated by Trump, 'Sharpiegate'”, in The Hill‎^[3]:

     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.

   • 2020 February 28, Alex Henderson, “Fox News host Laura Ingraham loses it when guest mentions "Sharpiegate" during coronavirus segment”, in Salon‎^[4]:

     Ingraham could have admitted that Trump made himself look ridiculous during the "Sharpiegate" fiasco. Instead, she was angry that Goodstein even brought it up.

   • 2020 September 22, Scott Waldman, “Climate science critic to be chief scientist at key U.S. climate research agency”, in Science‎^[5]:

     But Maue has dinged Trump administration officials as well—notably those who were involved in a mini-scandal known as "Sharpiegate."

2. (informal) A conspiracy theory claiming that ballots marked with Sharpie pens were unfairly disqualified in the 2020 US presidential election.