Here's a thread on just some of Trump's 67 false claims list week. The full list can be found here - thestar.com/news/world/201… - but the variety, audacity and absurdity is worth highlighting.
Trump said that there had just been a court ruling against the use of the motto “In God We Trust”: “Did you see some court ruled against it the other day? 'In God We Trust.'"
There was no ruling the other day. And all recent rulings have come down in favour of In God We Trust.
There was no ruling the other day. And all recent rulings have come down in favour of In God We Trust.
Trump said that Dov Hikind, a NY legislator who has praised him, is such a staunch Democrat that he “probably never uttered the word Republican in his life” and “would never vote for a Republican.”
Hikind endorsed Bush, McCain and Romney. He said he wrote in Paul Ryan in 2016.
Hikind endorsed Bush, McCain and Romney. He said he wrote in Paul Ryan in 2016.
Trump repeated his smear of former Democratic IT staffer Imran Awan, saying, “He had all the information on the Democrats...And they don't even have his computers and his servers...”
The Justice Department explicitly cleared Awan of any crime related to politics or servers.
The Justice Department explicitly cleared Awan of any crime related to politics or servers.
Truimp blasted Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown for voting against Neil Gorsuch: “How do you do that? First in his class at Harvard…”
Gorsuch wasn’t even in the top 50 in his class at Harvard, Harvard told me.
Gorsuch wasn’t even in the top 50 in his class at Harvard, Harvard told me.
Trump said Hillary Clinton said “there's no such thing as manufacturing jobs anymore.”
She talked a lot about creating such jobs. In the third debate, she said, "I want us to have the biggest jobs program since World War II. Jobs in infrastructure and advanced manufacturing."
She talked a lot about creating such jobs. In the third debate, she said, "I want us to have the biggest jobs program since World War II. Jobs in infrastructure and advanced manufacturing."
Trump said of NY Gov. Cuomo: "Sues everybody. You know, you go into that state, you get sued; that's why people don't want to move in…But if you go to New York, you get sued, and people are afraid to go to New York. They don't want to go."
This is, clearly, complete nonsense.
This is, clearly, complete nonsense.
Trump said the FBI raid on Paul Manafort was especially egregious because it happened “on a weekend.”
It happened on a Wednesday, news outlets have reported.
It happened on a Wednesday, news outlets have reported.
Trump took credit for the idea to let veterans facing VA waits see private doctors: “Oh, I had something so smart. I said, 'Listen, I have an idea. If they have to wait that long, why don't we send them to a doctor around the corner?’”
This was approved in 2014 under Obama.
This was approved in 2014 under Obama.
Trump stood beside West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and said, “He’s all man: 6-foot-11.”
Justice is 6-foot-7.
Justice is 6-foot-7.
Trump claimed that he has persuaded big stores to start saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays: “You know, they're saying 'Christmas' again now, right?...They're all saying 'Merry Christmas' now. They're proud of it."
There is no evidence of this.
There is no evidence of this.
Trump said: "You know, they kept saying I had a problem with the women's vote; I get 52 per cent in the election. I did OK. I did OK."
He got 52 per cent of the *white* women’s vote, according to exit polls. He got 41 per cent or 42 per cent of the overall women’s vote.
He got 52 per cent of the *white* women’s vote, according to exit polls. He got 41 per cent or 42 per cent of the overall women’s vote.
Trump boasted of having a “52% overall” approval rating.
Trump’s approval rating was not even close to 52% in any approval poll at the time. In his favourite pollster, Rasmussen, he was at 46%, and had not been at 52% since March 2017.
Trump’s approval rating was not even close to 52% in any approval poll at the time. In his favourite pollster, Rasmussen, he was at 46%, and had not been at 52% since March 2017.
Trump said, “We've got the cleanest country in the planet right now. There's nobody cleaner than us and it's getting better and better."
This can be hard to quantify, but nobody credible thinks that. The Environmental Performance Index has the U.S. ranked 27th in the world.
This can be hard to quantify, but nobody credible thinks that. The Environmental Performance Index has the U.S. ranked 27th in the world.
Trump said DeSantis was at “3” per cent in the primary polls before Trump gave his "full" endorsement: “He was a 3, and I gave him a nice shot and a nice little tweak, bing bing, and he went from 3 to like 20-something.”
DeSantis was in the mid-teens in the polls at the time.
DeSantis was in the mid-teens in the polls at the time.
Trump decried “the large scale killing of farmers” in South Africa.
There is no such large-scale killing. SA agricultural industry group says there were 47 people killed on farms in 2017-2018 tracking year, a 19-year low; there are more than 17,000 total murders per year there.
There is no such large-scale killing. SA agricultural industry group says there were 47 people killed on farms in 2017-2018 tracking year, a 19-year low; there are more than 17,000 total murders per year there.
Trump said Homeland Security employees are “building the border wall as we sit, and the wall is getting longer, and taller, and stronger each and every day.”
Construction on the border wall has not started.
Construction on the border wall has not started.
Trump said West Virginia coal is "indestructible stuff," unlike windmills and oil pipelines, and "you can do anything you want to coal" without it being damaged.
Coal...is...burned.
Coal...is...burned.
Trump said, "The United States is paying close to 90 per cent of the cost of protecting Europe.”
U.S. defence spending -- on everything, not just protecting Europe -- is 72% of NATO members' total defence spending7 Of NATO's own budget, the U.S. pays an agreed-upon 22%.
U.S. defence spending -- on everything, not just protecting Europe -- is 72% of NATO members' total defence spending7 Of NATO's own budget, the U.S. pays an agreed-upon 22%.
Trump said that Michael Cohen couldn't have committed a campaign finance crime because his payments didn't involve campaign funds (wrong) and that Cohen, executive VP of the Trump Organization, worked for him "more or less part time" (lol).
Trump said he has viewed data on Americans' approval of ICE, and it's overwhelming: "I don't mean like 51 per cent; I mean like 88 per cent, 93 per cent. I've seen numbers."
It's nowhere close. In a July Pew poll, ICE had 44% favourable, 47% unfavourable.
It's nowhere close. In a July Pew poll, ICE had 44% favourable, 47% unfavourable.
OK I'll stop here.
That was like one third of the president's falseness last week.
This is absolutely bonkers.
That was like one third of the president's falseness last week.
This is absolutely bonkers.
