Trump begins his trade speech in Granite City, Illinois, home to a U.S. Steel facility expanding because of his tariffs: "We're here today to celebrate a great victory."
Trump praises local Republican members of Congress as great fighters for their constituencies. He says he sometimes ignores their calls because he doesn't want to deal with that.
Trump: "We've got aluminum coming out good. We've got steel coming out beyond good."
"With a president like this, we just know he will never blink," the CEO of US Steel says, calling for the preservation of tariffs, a day after Trump suggested he'll get rid of the tariffs on the European Union.
Trump promotes "buy American." Then adds: "Of course in terms of a slogan the greatest perhaps in the history of politics: Make America Great Again, that's the best." He says it'll be Keep America Great in 2020, though, so people's hats will become "a little bit obsolete."
Trump, brag-complaining about the media, points to the cameras in the back: "This never happened to Obama. This didn't happen to Bush...they're dying to see us make a little bit of a mistake. They analyze every word."
Trump, complaining about the media, at a steel plant, brings up Russia unprompted: "'Did he say something positive about Russia? I think he loves Russia!' Be nice to get a long with Russia. But that's OK. But these people, they analyze every single word, and they follow us."
Trump to steelworkers: "I could be one of you. I could be one of you. I like you guys. I like you guys. But I could be one of you. It's true. Looking around, all these good-looking people. It could be me. And I'd be happy if I was."
My gosh. Trump lies to U.S. Steel workers, at a U.S. Steel facility, that U.S. Steel is opening up seven plants. It isn't.
Yes, this lie has always been "six plants" until today, when Trump added an extra imaginary U.S. Steel plant in front of U.S. Steel workers.
Trump, complaining about the trade deficit (which he exaggerates for the 23rd time), says, "In other words, if we didn't trade, we'd save a hell of a lot of money." (Cue economists' heads imploding.)
Trump says people who negotiated U.S. trade deals were either ignorant, uncaring, or "didn't, frankly, love our country."
Trump says the steel industry is more special than other industries. "This isn't another - this is STEEL."
Trump says that he used to order a lot of steel, when he was "in the construction business," and sometimes, when it was foreign, "It wasn't steel. It was a lotta garbage that looked like steel."
Mini-correction here: Of the six previous times Trump has told the lie about U.S. Steel expansions, he's said "six plants" five times and "seven of them, six of them eextensions" one time.
Trump notes that the crowd is still standing for him. He alleges that the media is going to claim that he didn't receive any standing ovations, even though, you see, everyone was already standing.
Trump falsely: "This is tough, but I did win that women's vote, didn't I...'Why would women vote for Trump?' I don't know, but I got more than she did."
Exit polls said he only won among *white* women, had 41-42% with women overall.
Exit polls said he only won among *white* women, had 41-42% with women overall.
Trump boasts of the 3.7 million jobs created since the election - "that beautiful, beautiful election."
Trump says the U.S. can't sell military equipment to everybody, but he's cool with it if they're "semi-friendly." He explains: "We do have a little standard, right. But if they're sorta friendly, we're selling them a hell of a lot of stuff."
Trump falsely: "We're rated number one in the world for growth and other elements." (I don't know what other elements are, no)
Trump falsely claims that China's growth was "flatlined" before it entered the WTO, then shot up. Its GDP growth rates for 1992, 1993 and 1994, for example, were all higher than its growth rates for 2002, 2003 and 2004, the years following its admittance to the WTO.
Trump on tariffs: "We are not starting a trade war: we've been in a trade war for many years and we've lost for many years. But over the last year and a half, we're winning. We're back, and we're winning, and we are winning bigger than anyone understands."
Trump, loooose, says China is targeting soybeans "in the hopes we will SURRENDERRR our intellectual property" and continue to make money "off the big, fat, sloppy United States."
Trump falsely says the trade deficit with China is $375 billion, ignoring services trade, and then less than a minute later says it's $500 billion, which is just completely made up. It's $337 billion.
Trump says he made a breakthrough "with the European Union - commonly referred to as 'Europe.'"
Trump falsely says the U.S. has been prevented from selling cars into the EU. European Automobile Manufacturers Association: "The U.S. is the third biggest exporter of cars to the EU in terms of value, representing a 15.4% share of EU imports in 2017."
Three rapid-fire NATO false claims in a row from Trump:
- Falsely says NATO spending was "going down" before him. (It rose in 2015 and 2016)
- Falsely says the U.S. pays 4.3% of GDP (3.5%)
- Falsely says other countries were "delinquent" (not how it works)
- Falsely says NATO spending was "going down" before him. (It rose in 2015 and 2016)
- Falsely says the U.S. pays 4.3% of GDP (3.5%)
- Falsely says other countries were "delinquent" (not how it works)
Trump then adds two more false claims:
- NATO spending has been up $44 billion according to Stoltenberg ($41 billion)
- At the meeting they agreed to hundreds of billions more (no)
- NATO spending has been up $44 billion according to Stoltenberg ($41 billion)
- At the meeting they agreed to hundreds of billions more (no)
Trump's description of NATO leaders: "These are kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, and a dictator or two."
Trump adds a sixth false claim about NATO in this speech, saying U.S. military spending was "70 to 90%" of total NATO spending. It's been 72%.
Trump lies that it sounded like Obama was "ready to go to war" with North Korea. (He says this was merely his impression when they spoke, but it's baseless.)
For the fourth time, Trump falsely says it's been nine months since any North Korean missile tests. It's been less than eight months.
Trump says he doesn't understand how he was called too tough on NATO but too soft on Russia. He says this like there's some weird irony in this argument.
Trump on the benefits to him of live speech coverage: "Look at all those cameras back there. It's like the Academy Awards, there's no difference...it's covered live, much of it. And when I say it, they can't do anything about it, 'cause I say it."
This is supposed to be an official, non-campaign event, but Trump is openly campaigning: "You've gotta vote Republican, folks, you've gotta vote Republican. Vote for these two congressmen."
Trump is now ranting about MS-13 using knives to inflict pain, etc. This is supposed to be a speech about his tariffs and the supposed steel revival, but his brain is all over the place.
Trump: "A country, Czechoslovakia, long time ago, people used to take single dollar bills and they used to paint 'em and paste 'em onto the windshield of their car because it represented America. It's all coming back now. That's what's happening."
Trump: "Prestiiige. Remember that word, prestiiige? Our country is becoming prestigious again."
No idea, cannot believe my fact check is going to have to involve calling up Czechoslovakia experts, anyone please tell me if you know
Trump has concluded his alleged "remarks on trade."
Via @_jfwall, Trump also told this we-used-to-be-beloved-in-Czechoslovakia story in 2015. This time, he nonsensically added, "It's all coming back now. That's what's happening."
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