Embedded Files
In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims
In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims
POSTED JANUARY 30, 2021
It's over. This is the last Politics 2020 post. Donald Trump can no longer tell lies as the President of the United States. In his wake, he's left a country more divided than ever and a radicalized following of deluded supporters. The Republican Party has remade itself in his image and is no longer a credible partner in the American democracy.
A link to the Washington Post's final tally and searchable data base is below. Check out his most repeated bogus remarks and track the rise of the post-truth era in America.
MAGA-land delusions, Republican enablers, and a belated call for healing
MAGA-land delusions, Republican enablers, and a belated call for healing
POSTED JANUARY 15, 2020
Four years of Trump's lies and racist rhetoric reached its ultimate conclusion on January 6. A horde of deluded Trump supporters, egged on by Trump's incendiary speech and believing fervently in his two month fairy tale of election fraud, invaded the Capitol and tried to stop the counting of the Electoral College votes. Clearly this is on him, but blame for the Capitol violence also falls on the Republican Senators, Representatives and Attorneys General who supported the fallacy of election fraud and tried to overturn the election results. They are a disgrace.
Only 10 Republicans voted for impeachment. One of them, Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan, said that he and other colleagues are buying body armor over death threats linked to their impeachment votes. Liz Cheney made a forceful statement in favor of impeachment concluding that "There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution." For this bit of truth-telling, her Republican colleagues are now trying to remove her from her high-ranking position in the Republican House.
Some House Republicans called for less divisiveness and more healing, claiming that impeachment would only cause more violence and it was time to heal the country. Others repeated lies about the election.
Eugene Robinson at the Washington Post writes that the Republican Party is running out of time to repudiate Trump's lies. "If its members fail to act now, they may never extricate themselves, or their country, from it." Robinson continues, "The biggest problem facing the nation now is...that more than 70 percent of Republican voters believe — falsely — that there was some kind of widespread fraud in the election...Much more important than whether Trump is convicted in his coming trial is whether Republicans level with their constituents and tell them that Trump is lying."
An opinion piece at the Columbus Dispatch [link right] makes a similar point: Republicans' penance for accepting Trump's lies is to tell the truth. "If Trump’s lies are ever to be sapped of their destructive power, these truths – that Donald Trump was unfit to be president; that he lied incessantly to the country; and that he lost a fair election to Joe Biden – will have to be repeated by decent Republicans many more times than the lies were uttered."
Whether MAGA-land will believe Republicans who tell the truth is anybody's guess. MAGA media and many Republican politicians continue to promote Trump's election fraud and other fictions. An ultra-right-wing congresswoman even declared she will introduce articles of impeachment against Joe Biden. [link below left]
One of the country's two major political parties has now become an anti-democracy cult where truth has no meaning, extremists set the agenda, and insane conspiracies rule. As Trump was about to take office, I posted a "Trumpocalypse Survival Guide." Two of the actions suggested were to "protest the Alt-Right's agenda" and "regain control of the truth." We still have a long way to go.
The lies Trump told in his call with Georgia's Secretary of State
The lies Trump told in his call with Georgia's Secretary of State
POSTED JANUARY 5, 2020
Fortunately for the American Democracy, Georgia's Secretary of State is not as gullible as the average Trump supporter. Ignoring the criminality of the call for a moment, we hear a delusional Trump claiming:
He won the election in Georgia
Other states will be flipping for Trump soon
Close to 5000 dead people voted in Georgia
250,000 to 300,000 ballots were dropped mysteriously into the rolls, much of [it in] Fulton County
A couple hundred thousand forged signatures in Fulton County
Thousands of voters moved out of Georgia, registered in another state, then moved back to vote in Georgia
They are shredding thousands and thousands of ballots now
A Fulton Co. election worker put each ballot through three times instead of once
See the link right for more of Trump's unfounded accusations
Reality vs. 10 of Trump's lies about the election
Reality vs. 10 of Trump's lies about the election
POSTED DECEMBER 23, 2020
BuzzFeed News pulled together a partial list of the egregious lies Trump had tweeted about the election as of December 2. [link right]
This is dangerous stuff. Democracy is being undermined and Trump is stoking tensions in a profoundly divided country. The author of the article, Ellie Hall, calls on Twitter to do more to stop the misinformation than put on "pathetic" labels.
"At what point will Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the election qualify as interference in a peaceful transition of power? Although he has not explicitly called on supporters to take up arms in his defense, thousands of Americans have engaged with Trump’s tweets with promises to fight to keep him in power."
It's scarier when you watch the demagogue lie
It's scarier when you watch the demagogue lie
POSTED DECEMBER 7, 2020
In an article describing how Trump tried to intervene in Pennsylvania (link right), the Washington Post has video clips of some of Trump's baseless claims of fraud along with a fact check. I don't watch much network or cable news but hearing the outlandish, unsupported statements coming from this man's mouth and knowing that a major portion of his voters believe these lies makes me wonder about the rationality of his supporters. As Trump fan Lindsay Graham noted, Team Trump is one for thirty-three in law suits. You'd think people would have gotten the picture by now.
The Post article relates incidents in Pennsylvania and Michigan where Trumpist mobs, inflamed by the president's false narrative, demonstrated over the weekend at the homes of state officials. "Protesters chanting 'Stop the steal,' some with firearms, demonstrated over the weekend at the homes of Cutler in Pennsylvania and the Democratic secretary of state in Michigan."
Trump's lies about non-existent election fraud have gained dangerous traction among his cult-like supporters. Is Trump so naive to believe that his rhetoric will not incite violence? I hope I am wrong but it appears to be only a matter of time before one of the more unhinged among the Trump cult does something really stupid.
Trump's lies about the election have been swallowed whole by his gullible supporters
Trump's lies about the election have been swallowed whole by his gullible supporters
POSTED NOVEMBER 27, 2020
The Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, was right. "Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth."
The Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, was right. "Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth."
Trump apparently believes firmly in this as he continues to lie about the election results.
Trump apparently believes firmly in this as he continues to lie about the election results.
Abraham Lincoln was also right. “You can fool some of the people all of the time..."
Abraham Lincoln was also right. “You can fool some of the people all of the time..."
Trump voters apparently fall into Lincoln's first category of his famous dictum. In a disturbing CNBC/Change Research poll, a mere 3% of voters for President Donald Trump think President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 election, while 73% think the incumbent was the victor.
Trump voters apparently fall into Lincoln's first category of his famous dictum. In a disturbing CNBC/Change Research poll, a mere 3% of voters for President Donald Trump think President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 election, while 73% think the incumbent was the victor.
Jacob Pramuk at CNBC [link right] continues: "...the poll underscores the potentially bigger harm Trump’s lies about the vote tallies have done to public faith in the electoral process. The president appears to have convinced many of his supporters he lost unfairly, even as state officials and judges have repeatedly shot down claims of fraud and wrongdoing....The vast majority of Trump voters — 81% — said they would not give Biden a chance as president. Only 19% said they would."
Ok, that last sentence sounds really bad but consider that Biden won 51% of the popular vote, that 19% of Trump's 47% of the popular vote is 9%...looks like Biden will have 60% of the country behind him when he takes office in January.
As for the Trumpists who believe his lies and act on them, the New York Daily News Editorial Board put it well in a piece titled "Dear Trump supporters: Those who egg on the president now are truly reprehensible."
"Many people with legitimate grievances voted for Trump in 2016. While it was harder to excuse support for his reelection after witnessing his behavior in office, we don’t cast aspersions at all who wanted more conservative judges, fewer regulations and lower taxes...But these are the times that try men’s souls, and we must pronounce unforgiving judgment on those who stand with Trump as he says he won an election he lost, spreads corrosive lies about American democracy and starts pulling levers no president has ever pulled to try to override the will of the people and jeopardize the peaceful transfer of power."
AP FACT CHECK: Trump's vote falsehoods
AP FACT CHECK: Trump's vote falsehoods
POSTED NOVEMBER 9, 2020
We have grown so used to Trump's pathological lying that we were not surprised by his torrent of fabrications as his chances for re-election faded. But in this case his attempt to undermine the vote, the most basic right in a democracy, crossed a line. A sitting president trying to undermine the legitimacy of an election while the votes were still being counted is unprecedented in American history. These were among the most dangerous of his tens of thousands of lies. They were the rantings of a man unhinged at the prospect of losing fairly, an attack on democracy that only his most blind loyalists could believe.
We have grown so used to Trump's pathological lying that we were not surprised by his torrent of fabrications as his chances for re-election faded. But in this case his attempt to undermine the vote, the most basic right in a democracy, crossed a line. A sitting president trying to undermine the legitimacy of an election while the votes were still being counted is unprecedented in American history. These were among the most dangerous of his tens of thousands of lies. They were the rantings of a man unhinged at the prospect of losing fairly, an attack on democracy that only his most blind loyalists could believe.
As AP reported: "The most direct attempt to undermine the integrity of the U.S. election with bad information came not from overseas sources or online liars but from a president standing behind the presidential seal at the White House and facing his defeat."
As AP reported: "The most direct attempt to undermine the integrity of the U.S. election with bad information came not from overseas sources or online liars but from a president standing behind the presidential seal at the White House and facing his defeat."
Among the unfounded statements and outright lies in the AP summary (link right):
TRUMP: “The American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots.” — statement Saturday after the outcome in Pennsylvania delivered Biden the presidential election victory.
THE FACTS: Trump has not presented evidence that Americans had a dishonest election or that “illegal ballots” shaped the result.
TRUMP: “Tens of thousands of votes were illegally received after 8 P.M. on Tuesday, Election Day, totally and easily changing the results in Pennsylvania and certain other razor thin states.” — tweet Saturday morning.
THE FACTS: This is groundless. Many states allow votes received in the mail after Election Day to be counted. It's not illegal. And Trump has presented no evidence that “tens of thousands” came in after poll closings.
TRUMP: “Our campaign has been denied access to observe any counting in Detroit.” — Thursday night.
THE FACTS: That’s false. Absentee ballots were counted at a downtown convention center, where some 134 counting boards were set up. Each party was allowed one poll watcher per board, said City Clerk Janice Winfrey. She said she was not aware of any Republican poll watchers being removed but noted some had been “very aggressive, trying to intimidate the poll workers and processors.”
Read that last sentence again. If this doesn't sound like fascism, what does?
Trump unleashes an "unrelenting series of false, misleading, and exaggerated statements in final debate"
Trump unleashes an "unrelenting series of false, misleading, and exaggerated statements in final debate"
POSTED OCTOBER 23, 2020
New York Times fact check (link right) concluded that "the president once again relied heavily on well-worn talking points that have long been shown to be false. The president appeared determined to reinvent the reality of the last four years — and the history of the pandemic in 2020 — as he faces judgment on his actions in just 12 days." For starters:
He once again falsely dismissed the Russia investigations as a “phony witch hunt.”
He insisted that aside from Abraham Lincoln, “nobody has done more for the Black community,” an assertion that people in both parties find laughable.
He tried again to wish away the pandemic, saying “we are rounding the turn” even as daily cases of the virus this week topped 70,000 in the United States for the first time since July.
Trump's Depraved Retweet
Trump's Depraved Retweet
POSTED OCTOBER 17, 2020
"This week, Donald Trump has been pushing an unhinged conspiracy alleging, without a shred of evidence, that Joe Biden ordered the murder of two dozen Navy SEALs. Biden, according to this theory, gave the order to shoot down a Navy SEAL helicopter as part of a scheme to cover-up that the killing Osama bin Laden in 2011 was faked. The story gets stranger from there." (Popular Information, October 15 - link right)
"Promoting a vile and unhinged conspiracy theory, baselessly accusing your opponent of murdering U.S. troops, would be disastrous for most candidates. But Trump's conduct has largely been met with indifference by major media outlets" Judd Legum writes.
Noting the rise of QAnon conspiracists in the mainstream of the GOP, Legum continues, "Marjorie Taylor-Green, a Republican congressional candidate in Georgia, is poised to become the first member of Congress who supports the QAnon conspiracy theory...Sooner or later, Trump will no longer be president. But Trumpism, and the elevation of bizarre and dangerous conspiracy theories, is here to stay."
Republicans have weaponized the QAnon conspiracy in attack ads against Democrats running for Congress. Not only is Trump depraved, the Republican Party has truly lost its soul.
GOP sinks to a new low, weaponizing QAnon conspiracy theory in attack ads
GOP sinks to a new low, weaponizing QAnon conspiracy theory in attack ads
POSTED SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
QAnon the conspiracy group embraced by Donald Trump in August has made its appearance in NRCC ads attacking Democrats as protecting child abusers and sexual predators. It represents a new low for the Republicans - outdoing their Willie Horton ads against Mike Dukakis in 1988 and their ironically named Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign smearing John Kerry in 2004.
My own congressman, Tom Malinowski, is currently being subjected to the NRCC smear campaign. As Business Insider reports (link right) on the lie: An attack ad created by the NRCC targets Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in New Jersey, falsely claiming the freshman congressman "tried to make it easier for predators to hide in the shadows" as the "top lobbyist for a radical group that opposed the National Sex Offender Registry."
The reality: "Before running for Congress, Malinowski served as the longtime Washington director of Human Rights Watch, a well-respected non-profit that advocates against torture, genocide, and other forms of oppression around the world. He also served as President Barack Obama's assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor." It was Malinowski's opposition, as Human Rights Watch director, to the 2006 Omnibus Crime Bill that drew the NRCC's attention. HRW is one of the foremost protectors of human rights investigating abuses in over 100 countries. The 2006 bill was opposed by many other civil rights organizations.
The gist of the QAnon conspiracy theory is that national Democrats, aided by Hollywood and a group of “global elites”, are running a massive ring devoted to the abduction, trafficking, torture, sexual abuse and cannibalization of children, all with the purpose of fulfilling the rituals of their Satanic faith. Donald Trump, according to this fantasy, is the only person willing and able to mount an attack against them. (The Guardian)
Trump as Hero - the epic coronavirus lies
Trump as Hero - the epic coronavirus lies
POSTED SEPTEMBER 14, 2020
America's death toll from the coronavirus now exceeds 190,000. Tens of thousands of these are due to Trump's delayed and dysfunctional response. Lying about the coronvirus and mismanaging the response from the very first days, Trump caused tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths. At a recent campaign rally in North Carolina, he kept up the barrage of lies exclaiming at one point: "Your state should be open! Your state should be open!" Trump proceeded to roll out his 2020 campaign coronavirus story, which the New Yorker calls "a story as epic as it is fictitious." (see link right)
Highlights: "China did it to me and the country", "I've saved millions of lives", "Thanks to me, a safe, effective vaccine will be available by the end of the year, and maybe even much sooner than that." As for the latter claim, the most that he has done is not veto the money appropriated by Congress. We all want to see a safe effective vaccine but skipping the necessary testing for safety and efficacy will not work.
The whole article is a good read - if only to see how far from the truth Trump's story is and how deluded his supporters are.
A Night of Lies at the RNC
A Night of Lies at the RNC
POSTED AUGUST 26, 2020
The first night of the Republican National Convention opened about as expected - a racist dog whistle featuring the McCloskeys, lies about mail-in voting and, of course, praise for Trump's response to the coronavirus. Had one been in a coma for the last 6 months and woke up for the convention, he would think that the president had done a magnificent job controlling the pandemic. This is fully in line with Republican voters delusional (or is it insensitive and ignorant) view of the pandemic: 57% of Republican voters think that the U.S. coronavirus death toll, which is over 176,000 and rising, is “acceptable,” according to CBS News/ YouGov poll out on Sunday Aug 23. An even larger number say that the national response to coronavirus is “going well."
Slate's William Saletan writes, "At its convention, the GOP presented an almost entirely fake history of President Donald Trump’s response to the novel coronavirus. Like authoritarian parties in other countries, the Republicans substituted propaganda for reality." He then takes apart the non-stop coronavirus lies (link sidebar) about Trump's coronavirus travel bans, emergency declarations, US testing, medical supplies, vaccines, and the speed of his response.
The Bedminster Press Briefings and Other Fictions
The Bedminster Press Briefings and Other Fictions
POSTED AUGUST 17, 2020
Here are some doozies from the past 10 days from FastCheck.org's Trump web page.
Trump's Bedminster press briefings on August 7 and 8 were rife with misinformation. [sidebar] Here a few of the lies and exaggerations:
Trump falsely claimed that “the Democrats don’t want to do anything having to do with protecting people from eviction," even though the House Democrats had already passed a coronavirus relief bill to do exactly that.
Trump made the curious claim that he would pursue an executive order to require “health insurance companies to cover all preexisting conditions for all customers,” falsely adding this had “never been done before.” This is part of the ACA.
Trump falsely said if the Democrats controlled Washington, they would pass “legislation gutting every single police department in America.” Nearly 90% of funding for police comes from local governments.
Trump boasted of the nearly 9.3 million jobs added in the U.S. since May but neglected to mention the 22.2 million in job losses in March and April.
Mail-in Ballots in Democratic states: Hogan Gidley, the national press secretary for the Trump campaign, warned that Nevada legislators have created a loophole that would allow voters to drop their ballots in the mail after election day. His concern is based on the faulty premise that the U.S. Postal Service does not postmark ballots with prepaid postage. In Nevada's primary elections, more than 450,000 ballots votes were cast via prepaid mail-in ballots during the primary election in June. All of them had a postmark.
COVID- 19: In an August 10 press briefing, President Donald Trump exaggerated Americans’ comparative success battling the coronavirus, falsely saying in a press briefing that the U.S. per capita death rate is lower than “most” of Western Europe. He also claimed a 9% decrease in COVID-19 fatalities over the past week. Data do not show such a decline.
The Lies and Times of Mike Pompeo
The Lies and Times of Mike Pompeo
POSTED JULY 29, 2020
Simon Tisdall's July 26 post in the Guardian opens with "Mike Pompeo rode into town last week, telling whoppers as is his wont. The secretary of state – Donald Trump’s top enforcer – accused Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization chief, of cutting a secret pre-pandemic deal with China." It was just the latest of the stream of lies from the neocon evangelical who has done so much to destroy America's credibility.
Among a few of Pompeo's actions detailed in the article (link right):
- Pompeo's justification of January’s assassination of Iran’s Gen Qassem Suleimani by saying he posed an “imminent” threat to US interests. Declaring the killing unlawful, the UN investigator ruled this month there was not a shred of evidence to support this.
- Denying that he knew the details of the call to Ukraine at the heart of the Trump impeachment when in fact he had listened in
- The Trump administration’s attempt to destroy the International Criminal Court
Tisdall considers the truly awful possibility that Pompeo is positioning himself as Trump's successor in 2024. Pompeo certainly has the lying down.
Peddling fiction and division at Mt Rushmore
Peddling fiction and division at Mt Rushmore
POSTED JULY 6, 2020
After failing to protect Americans against the coronavirus, Trump proclaimed himself the defender of monuments and statues in a typically divisive speech at Mt. Rushmore. In a time of pandemic, high unemployment, and a reassessment of systemic racism, Trump tried to paint those demonstrating for change as wanting to end America. The most fascistic and authoritarian president we've ever seen tried to turn the definition of fascism on its head with accusations that a "new far-left fascism" is part of "a merciless campaign to wipe out our history." The irony of his statements was totally lost on those at his rally.
The LA Times (link right) puts the rally speech in perspective: "Trump has indicated repeatedly — sometimes employing racist rhetoric or dog whistles — that he believes his best hope at victory lies in rallying his largely white voting base around the idea that demands for change amount to an attack on American values and culture. In Friday’s speech, he aimed exclusively at those voters, making few concessions to the usual July Fourth traditions of national unity." What a surprise.
Trump's racist attack on Ilhan Omar
Trump's racist attack on Ilhan Omar
POSTED JUNE 22, 2020
Rep. Ilhan Omar was once again the target of a lying racist rant by the man who inhabits the White House. Omar is a very convenient target for the divider-in-chief. A black woman, a Muslim, an immigrant, and left-of-center, she holds views not dissimilar from Bernie Sanders. Committed to international law and human rights, she is a marked contrast to Trump's top diplomat - the unthinkingly belligerent Trump sycophant Mike Pompeo. Pompeo has declared that the US does not recognize international law (Israeli annexation plans) and recently called the UN Council on Human Rights a "haven for dictators."
Trump must have been trying to find something to arouse the enthusiasm of his partly filled stadium in Tulsa, something to stir these die-hard supporters, some of whom broke out in yawns during parts of his rally. "She is going to be very much involved in a Biden government," he bleated. I can only hope so.
Juan Cole at Informed Comment sets the record straight. (link right)
As Cole notes: "His attack on her came the weekend of Father’s Day, just after her father had died, which is low even for Trump."
The "Antifa" Lies
The "Antifa" Lies
POSTED JUNE 11, 2020
Buffalo police pushed a peaceful elderly protester to the ground sending him to the hospital. Trump, in what is a low even for him, claimed the elderly protester was actually a member of "Antifa" and had staged the encounter He apparently picked it up through the right-wing conspiracy network based on a story from a far-right Russian reporter. Trump had previously blamed without any evidence "Antifa" for the looting that occurred during demonstrations. The hospitalized man is actually a member of the pacifist Catholic Worker movement and the FBI finds no "Antifa" involvement in the occasional violence that broke out when the protests against police brutality first began.
As for "Antifa", it is a loosely organized collection of individuals who are anti-fascist. Effie Baum, who calls herself "an everyday anti-fascist", explains: "The fact of the matter is [that anti-fascists] are our front lines of defense from state violence and from violence that would be inflicted on us by the right. One of the other things that anti-fascists do is expose fascists and people that are engaging in white nationalist and far-right ideologies and violent activity." (High Country News)
As the elections draw nearer, expect more smears to be directed towards "Antifa" as a false equivalency is established between the community defense tactics of anti-fascists and the violence promoted by the far-right.
Ten voter fraud lies debunked
Ten voter fraud lies debunked
POSTED MAY 30, 2020
The Brennan Center notes: "Mail voting has taken on new importance as a crucial strategy for protecting voters’ safety amid the Covid-19 pandemic. As if on cue, President Trump and his surrogates have claimed that mail voting is rife with fraud, and that efforts to expand access to mail voting are illegitimate. That is incorrect: as the Brennan Center has explained, fraud in mail voting remains extremely rare, and none of the states that hold their elections primarily by mail have had voter fraud scandals since implementing the systems. "
BC gives a rebuttal to "10 of the most egregious voter fraud claims of the past five years." Included on the list are two races - one in Kentucky and one in Florida - where the Republican candidate claimed "rampant fraud" and "significant irregularities." Of course, the allegations were unfounded. Were these a dress rehearsal for 2020? Trump's frenzied lying about mail voting is setting the stage for his challenge of the vote count - particularly should he lose in a close election. He's stirred up his unhinged supporters and they have shown up armed to protest face masks. Imagine what they will do when he claims fraud in an election.
Presidential coronavirus misinformation
Presidential coronavirus misinformation
POSTED MAY 20, 2020
The Atlantic has been doing a superb job of covering the COVID-19 pandemic. The link right is to one of these articles that fits right in at "Politics 2020: Facts Matter."
The Atlantic has been doing a superb job of covering the COVID-19 pandemic. The link right is to one of these articles that fits right in at "Politics 2020: Facts Matter."
The author says the post will be updated as needed, but how much more can he add to this already "overwhelming dishonesty."
The author says the post will be updated as needed, but how much more can he add to this already "overwhelming dishonesty."
A Mother's Day Twitter meltdown
A Mother's Day Twitter meltdown
POSTED MAY 19, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has cost more than 90,000 American lives and 36 million jobs and we are not out of the woods yet. On Mother's Day, the person presiding over this national disaster spent his morning in full Twitter meltdown - making or elevating allegations of criminal conduct against no less than 20 individuals and organizations, amplifying a number of accounts that have promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory about Democrats being involved in a pedophilia cult, claiming he was getting high marks for the administration's response to the pandemic, and suggesting that investigations of the Obama administration could be coming.
Left-leaning Vox and "capitalist tool" Forbes both came to the same conclusion. Obamagate and the Twitter storm are distractions with no basis in truth.
Vox (5/11): "As the US coronavirus death toll surged past 80,000, with new cases not yet showing a discernible downward trajectory, Trump tried to defend his handling of the crisis with a mix of whataboutism and trying to pin blame elsewhere."
Forbes (5/14): "At its essence, Obamagate is an extraordinary example of leadership by distraction. Rather than address issues head on, leadership by distraction cynically uses the tools of diversion and division try to change the focus of the American people. By creating inflammatory and fictitious narratives, leadership by distraction searches for election issues when there are none. It uses clickbait slogans to mask complex challenges. And most of all it belies the concepts of leadership altogether – leadership by distraction is the antithesis of leadership."
The voter fraud lies
The voter fraud lies
POSTED APRIL 29, 2020
A constant theme of Republicans including most notably Trump is the large amount of (presumably) Democratic voter fraud. It's nonsense of course, but it has been used to disenfranchise voters by passage of strict voter ID laws and voter roll purges targeting minority communities. With an election looming - an election that may depend on absentee and mail-in ballots because of the pandemic, Trump has begun a litany of lies about mail-in ballots. He is laying the groundwork for a claim of voter fraud should he lose a close election and prepping his more unhinged supporters to take to the streets, perhaps armed, to protest his defeat. FactCheck.org notes his recent adds of "false and exaggerated statements to his already lengthy list of bogus voter fraud claims."
There is no evidence to back up Trump’s blanket claim that “mailed ballots are corrupt.” Voting experts say the president is exaggerating when he says mail ballots are “fraudulent in many cases.” While the instances of voter fraud via mail-in or absentee ballots are more common than in-person voting fraud, the number of known cases is relatively rare.
Trump also falsely claimed that California reached a settlement with Judicial Watch in which the state “agree[d] that a million people should not have voted.” California and Los Angeles County agreed to remove inactive voters from their voter rolls per federal law. But there’s no evidence any of them voted, fraudulently or otherwise.
And as he has in the past, Trump claimed there’s “a lot of fraudulent voting going on in this country.” Experts say voter fraud is rare.
Claims of voter fraud are among the president's more dangerous lies. When these baseless claims go unchallenged, Trump undermines faith in the American democracy. As Federal Election Commission Chair Ellen Weintraub tweeted in August of last year: "SAD: Last night, @realDonaldTrump again made unfounded claims about massive voter fraud in NH in 2016. In this letter, I ask him to back up his claims in terms a former casino operator should understand: “There comes a time when you need to lay your cards on the table or fold.”
In other words, Donald, you need to put up or shut up.
Trump's latest desperate attempt to deflect COVID-19 criticism
Trump's latest desperate attempt to deflect COVID-19 criticism
POSTED APRIL 16, 2020
Trump's increasingly desperate attempts to deflect criticism of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic took on a new dimension this week. On Tuesday April 14, Trump announced the United States would withhold funding for W.H.O. - a move roundly condemned in the international medical community with the editor-in-chief of The Lancet medical journal calling Trump's ploy a "crime against humanity" and an "appalling betrayal of international solidarity". On Wednesday, Trump tried to justify his reprehensible action. Of course, in keeping with past performance, the charges he made had nothing to do with reality. In a segment titled “Pure Baloney: Zoologist Debunks Trump’s COVID-19 Origin Theory, Explains Animal-Human Transmission", Democracy Now! reports on Trump's comments:
"On Wednesday[April 15], Trump suggested, without evidence, that World Health Organization officials conspired to hide the truth about the coronavirus. His comments came one day after he announced the U.S. would begin withholding hundreds of millions of dollars of funding for the U.N. body. At the same news briefing, President Trump fueled the fringe theory promoted by Fox News that the virus came from a lab in Wuhan, China."
Trump revises history of his coronavirus comments
Trump revises history of his coronavirus comments
POSTED MARCH 25, 2020
Last week, Trump claimed: “I’ve felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”
THE FACTS: Not once did Trump describe the COVID-19 outbreak as a possible pandemic until after the WHO declared it so on March 11. On the contrary, from January until March, he repeatedly suggested the virus was under “control” and that cases were going “down, not up” and would even completely disappear with warm weather by April, often contradicting his own health experts.
Trump also has described the coronavirus as a “hoax,” although he later made clear that he was referring to Democratic criticism of his handling of the outbreak.
Asked, for instance, by CNBC on Jan. 22 if there were worries about a pandemic, Trump said, "No. Not at all. And — we're — we have it totally under control. It's one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It's going to be just fine."
In February, he asserted that coronavirus cases were going “very substantially down, not up” and told Fox Business News it will be fine because “in April, supposedly, it dies with the hotter weather. And that’s a beautiful date to look forward to.”
"It’s going to disappear. One day — it’s like a miracle — it will disappear,” he added on Feb. 27.
“It’s got the world aflutter, but it’ll work out,” Trump told a meeting of the National Association of Counties on March 3.
Two days before WHO’s pandemic declaration, Trump still painted a rosy picture on the coronavirus outlook. “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year,” he tweeted on March 9. “Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!”
The coronavirus conspiracy theories
The coronavirus conspiracy theories
POSTED MARCH 18, 2020
The right-wing conspiracy theories surrounding the coronavirus appear to be on the wane, and even President Trump, who for weeks denied its severity, appears to have seen the light. A partial listing of some of the nonsense that helped slow the United States' response:
The right-wing conspiracy theories surrounding the coronavirus appear to be on the wane, and even President Trump, who for weeks denied its severity, appears to have seen the light. A partial listing of some of the nonsense that helped slow the United States' response:
As the coronavirus began to impact the United States, Trump proposed cuts to the budget of the Centers for Disease Control, and his budget director is holding firm on those cuts even as the full scope of the outbreak became known.
Trump and the right-wing echo chamber down-played the threat of the virus for weeks. Instead of taking action, they blamed the media including a tweet by Trump in late February that CNN and MSNBC are "doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus (sic) look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible."
Trump Medal of Freedom awardee and conspiracy theorist Rush Limbaugh claimed that the coronavirus "is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump," "probably is a ChiCom laboratory experiment that is in the process of being weaponized", and "that the virus 'is the common cold.' (Politifact)
"Trump has consistently sought to downplay the public health risk of the burgeoning pandemic while his administration has been slow to respond to the crisis. Perhaps most concerning has been Trump’s instinct to outright contradict the facts and statements of the government’s top infectious disease experts as his administration has struggled to contain the outbreak." (Vox "Trump's 7 worst statements on the coronavirus outbreak")
After delaying passage of a House bill to fight the coronavirus on spurious grounds, Republicans tried to pin the blame on Nancy Pelosi. "A Republican Twitter account accused U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of delaying a vote on a coronavirus-funding package on the House floor so that a Democratic political organization could run ads against Republican lawmakers to make the latter look bad." Snopes fact-checking gives it a completely false rating. "Pelosi’s chief of staff, Drew Hammill, took to Twitter to respond to McCarthy, pointing out as much. “The bipartisan negotiations on the coronavirus funding supplemental are still underway. Your staff have been participating in those talks,” Hammill wrote, calling McCarthy’s comment “a disgusting and false accusation.”
"Now they are messing with who we are as Americans"
"Now they are messing with who we are as Americans"
POSTED MARCH 6, 2019
Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was directing her comments at Facebook, they could just as well have been directed to the Trump campaign which posted a thousand deceptive "census" ads on Facebook. The 2020 census will determine government spending and Congressional districts, among many other particulars important to a democracy.
Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was directing her comments at Facebook, they could just as well have been directed to the Trump campaign which posted a thousand deceptive "census" ads on Facebook. The 2020 census will determine government spending and Congressional districts, among many other particulars important to a democracy.
...the Trump campaign is flooding Facebook with deceptive ads about the Census, and Facebook will not do anything about it. The Trump campaign is currently running more than 1,000 ads urging users to "take the Official 2020 Congressional District Census today." The ads also include an image of the "2020 Census." Users that click on the ad are directed to a campaign website labeled as the "Certified Website of President Donald J. Trump." The upper right of the landing page says, "For Official Use Only." There is a clear and deliberate attempt to make this look like a government document. As the real 2020 Census approaches, media coverage stresses the importance of participating in the 2020 Census. The Trump ad exploits this sense of civic duty to collect American's personal information. After filling out the form, users are asked to make a donation to the Trump campaign.
Trump made his typical 56 false claims last week
Trump made his typical 56 false claims last week
POSTED FEBRUARY 23, 2020
Noting that the president has been averaging 59 false claims per week since they started their "Facts First" column, CNN analyzes his 56 from the past week. Here are a few of them:
Noting that the president has been averaging 59 false claims per week since they started their "Facts First" column, CNN analyzes his 56 from the past week. Here are a few of them:
The most egregious false claim: The "buses" to New Hampshire
Just as Trump has a handy fictional excuse for why he lost the popular vote in 2016 -- millions of illegal votes in California and maybe elsewhere -- he has a handy fictional excuse for why he didn't win New Hampshire: "hundreds and hundreds of buses" of improper voters, "shipped up" from Massachusetts, he told a rally crowd in New Hampshire last week. That simply did not happen. This is the President propagating a conspiracy theory, and undermining faith in American democracy, for no good reason.
"Redemption money" and the wall
"You do know who's paying for the wall, don't you? Right. Redemption from illegal aliens that are coming in. The redemption money is paying for the wall." -- February 10 campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire. Facts First: American taxpayers are paying for Trump's border wall. Immigration experts say "redemption money" is not even a term they are familiar with.
Robert Mueller and Congress
Asked by interviewer Geraldo Rivera what he was referring to in a tweet accusing former special counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller of having "lied to Congress," Trump said, "Well, he said in Congress that he never applied for the job of the FBI director and now it's been proven that he did." -- February 13 radio interview with Geraldo Rivera. Facts First: It has not been proven that Mueller had applied for the job of FBI director when he met with Trump in May 2017. Mueller's testimony -- that he met with Trump because he had been asked to provide advice on the vacant job of FBI director, not because he was seeking the job again -- has been corroborated by former senior Trump aide Steve Bannon.
Ukraine and impeachment: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman's claims about Trump's call
Trump said Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who raised concerns about Trump's July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, "reported a false call" and "reported very inaccurate things" about the call. -- February 11 exchange with reporters at signing ceremony for the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act
Facts First: There is simply no evidence Vindman has said anything factually inaccurate about the call. Unlike the whistleblower who filed a complaint about the call after being told about it, Vindman listened to the call live. (Contrary to Trump's repeated claims, the whistleblower's description was also highly accurate.)
Lies, lies and more lies: the Soleimani assassination and a throwback
Lies, lies and more lies: the Soleimani assassination and a throwback
POSTED JANUARY 17, 2020
The assassination of top Iranian commander Major-General Qassem Soleimani earlier this month was an act of war. To justify this reckless and unconstitutional action, the Trump administration has claimed an "imminent threat". Obviously, from their administration-wide evasions, there was none. Rebuttals of their lies from across the political spectrum are in a post in The Fray.
The assassination of top Iranian commander Major-General Qassem Soleimani earlier this month was an act of war. To justify this reckless and unconstitutional action, the Trump administration has claimed an "imminent threat". Obviously, from their administration-wide evasions, there was none. Rebuttals of their lies from across the political spectrum are in a post in The Fray.
In an excellent post on Slate, late night host Seth Meyers points out the similarities to the Bush Administration's lies used to justify the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Warning: the segment has graphic video clips of Republican hypocrites declaiming Obama's use of executive orders and, more disgustingly, Trump's performance at a MAGA-land rally after his criminal act, in which he mocks Congress request that, as per the Constitution, he inform them of acts of war.
In an excellent post on Slate, late night host Seth Meyers points out the similarities to the Bush Administration's lies used to justify the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Warning: the segment has graphic video clips of Republican hypocrites declaiming Obama's use of executive orders and, more disgustingly, Trump's performance at a MAGA-land rally after his criminal act, in which he mocks Congress request that, as per the Constitution, he inform them of acts of war.
Blaming everyone else
Blaming everyone else
POSTED DECEMBER 31, 2019
Trump and Pompeo are at it again. Just as they developed a fictional narrative to downplay the popular protests against the right-wing governments in Chile and Colombia ("It's the Cubans and Venezuelans."), they have developed a fiction to justify the US's continuing presence in Iraq. This time the "villain" is (surprise, surprise) Iran. The Trump administration’s strike on three bases of the Kata’ib Hizbullah in Iraq and two in Syria has provoked widespread fury among politicians, students and the public.
Trump and Pompeo are at it again. Just as they developed a fictional narrative to downplay the popular protests against the right-wing governments in Chile and Colombia ("It's the Cubans and Venezuelans."), they have developed a fiction to justify the US's continuing presence in Iraq. This time the "villain" is (surprise, surprise) Iran. The Trump administration’s strike on three bases of the Kata’ib Hizbullah in Iraq and two in Syria has provoked widespread fury among politicians, students and the public.
The lie:
The lie:
When hundreds of protesters stormed the US embassy trapping diplomats inside in response to the airstrikes that killed or wounded scores of militia fighters, Trump blamed Iran for the embassy siege.
When hundreds of protesters stormed the US embassy trapping diplomats inside in response to the airstrikes that killed or wounded scores of militia fighters, Trump blamed Iran for the embassy siege.
The truth:
The truth:
The Iraqi government said that it is “reviewing its relationship” with the US in the wake of the American attacks. The Baghdad government said in a statement, “This sinful attack violates the goals and the principles for the sake of which the international coalition was formed, and impels Iraq to review its relationships and its frameworks for action and its policies and laws so as to safeguard the sovereignty and security of the country, protecting the lives of its children and promoting common interests.”
The Iraqi government said that it is “reviewing its relationship” with the US in the wake of the American attacks. The Baghdad government said in a statement, “This sinful attack violates the goals and the principles for the sake of which the international coalition was formed, and impels Iraq to review its relationships and its frameworks for action and its policies and laws so as to safeguard the sovereignty and security of the country, protecting the lives of its children and promoting common interests.”
One of his ugliest rallies yet
One of his ugliest rallies yet
POSTED DECEMBER 14, 2019
Trump's speech in Hershey, Pennsylvania revealed a "Presidency off the rails" and "put the stakes of 2020 in sharp relief." Vox reports: "Over the course of a more than 90-minute delivery, Trump pushed conspiracy theories and blatant lies, trashed law enforcement officials that aren’t blindly loyal to him, exhibited thuggish tendencies toward protesters, made misogynistic remarks, and demonstrated that he fundamentally misunderstands the Constitution."
Trump's speech in Hershey, Pennsylvania revealed a "Presidency off the rails" and "put the stakes of 2020 in sharp relief." Vox reports: "Over the course of a more than 90-minute delivery, Trump pushed conspiracy theories and blatant lies, trashed law enforcement officials that aren’t blindly loyal to him, exhibited thuggish tendencies toward protesters, made misogynistic remarks, and demonstrated that he fundamentally misunderstands the Constitution."
Here are two of the items marking Trump's rally from the Vox analysis.
Here are two of the items marking Trump's rally from the Vox analysis.
During a portion of his speech on Tuesday [Dec 10] in which he demeaned both the FBI rank-and-file and bureau leadership, Trump out of nowhere suggested, without evidence, that former FBI agent Lisa Page took out a restraining order against former FBI agent Peter Strzok. Strzok and Page became become right-wing punching bags and the subject of conspiracy theories after it was revealed that while in the course of having an affair with eachother during their FBI tenures, the two shared personal text messages in which they expressed anti-Trump opinions.
Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women, and yet during his speech in Hershey he tried to politicize sex crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. He gloated about how his use of a racial slur hurt Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s poll numbers — “she opened that fresh mouth of hers and it stopped,” he said — and at another point, told a story in which he referred to Warren’s marriage as “a phony, disgusting deal.”
Trump's fictional Ukraine narrative
Trump's fictional Ukraine narrative
POSTED NOV 24, 2019
In a desperate effort to maintain their base, Republicans have presented a thoroughly bogus justification for Trump's impeachable offenses. It's getting a lot of play on Fox News, and those Fox News viewers who still believe Iraq had weapons of mass destruction are eating it up. The narrative goes something like this: it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 elections. And they intervened on behalf of the Democratic National Committee, not on behalf of Donald Trump. Let's not forget Trump's call for Russia to hack Hillary Clinton's emails, which he now claims was a joke.
In a desperate effort to maintain their base, Republicans have presented a thoroughly bogus justification for Trump's impeachable offenses. It's getting a lot of play on Fox News, and those Fox News viewers who still believe Iraq had weapons of mass destruction are eating it up. The narrative goes something like this: it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 elections. And they intervened on behalf of the Democratic National Committee, not on behalf of Donald Trump. Let's not forget Trump's call for Russia to hack Hillary Clinton's emails, which he now claims was a joke.
During a nearly hour-long phone interview with "Fox & Friends" Friday morning, Trump defended his administration's freeze on military aid to Ukraine earlier this year as well as his July 25 call with the Ukrainian president that prompted a whistleblower complaint, saying he was simply trying to root out corruption in the country.
"A lot of it had to do, they say, with Ukraine," he began, before alleging that the country has the DNC server that was hacked in 2016.
"The FBI went in and they told them get out of here, we're not giving it to you. They gave the server to CrowdStrike... which is a company owned by a very wealthy Ukrainian, and I still want to see that server," " Trump said of the DNC's actions upon learning that it had been hacked in the run-up to the election. "You know, the FBI has never gotten that server. That's a big part of this whole thing. Why did they give it to a Ukrainian company?"
Almost none of these claims are remotely true.
NBC relates the testimony of former Trump Russia expert Fiona Hill on what it calls "a thorough dismantling"
NBC relates the testimony of former Trump Russia expert Fiona Hill on what it calls "a thorough dismantling"
"Some of you on this committee appear to believe that Russia and its security services did not conduct a campaign against our country — and that perhaps, somehow, for some reason, Ukraine did. This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves," Hill said. "In the course of this investigation, I would ask that you please not promote politically driven falsehoods that so clearly advance Russian interests...."These fictions are harmful even if they are deployed for purely domestic political purposes," she said.
Trumpublican impeachment defense shredded by NY Times and Washington Post
Trumpublican impeachment defense shredded by NY Times and Washington Post
POSTED NOV 14, 2019
As the open impeachment hearings start and the facts of the Ukraine scandal become more obvious, Trump and the Republicans are fighting the charges with denials, word quibbling, and personal attacks.
As the open impeachment hearings start and the facts of the Ukraine scandal become more obvious, Trump and the Republicans are fighting the charges with denials, word quibbling, and personal attacks.
The New York Times, in its staid "gray lady" fashion, tears the arguments apart. Here is a summary of its fact check of one of the Trumpublican tactics:
The New York Times, in its staid "gray lady" fashion, tears the arguments apart. Here is a summary of its fact check of one of the Trumpublican tactics:
Attacking the whistle-blower and witnesses
Mr. Trump...has falsely claimed at least two dozen times that the whistle-blower complaint that spurred the impeachment inquiry was “inaccurate,” “false” or “a lie.” In fact, the White House released a reconstructed transcript of the president’s phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine that corroborated much of what the whistle-blower reported. Witness testimony has also backed up and fleshed out the whistle-blower’s main points.
The Washington Post gives us "5 takeaways from Bill Taylor’s and George Kent’s impeachment testimony". Here is one that addresses Trump and his defenders' claim that there was no "quid pro quo":
The Washington Post gives us "5 takeaways from Bill Taylor’s and George Kent’s impeachment testimony". Here is one that addresses Trump and his defenders' claim that there was no "quid pro quo":
Taylor cites numerous veiled — but clear — confirmations of quid pro quo
We knew based upon Taylor’s testimony that, even as Sondland passed along Trump’s assurances that there was no quid pro quo, Taylor believed that wasn’t the case. And under questioning from Democratic counsel Daniel S. Goldman, Taylor made that abundantly clear. He said that when Sondland told him that there would be a “stalemate” if no investigations were announced, Taylor said he understood that to mean U.S. military aid was conditioned on those investigations. “What I understood [him as saying] is that security assistance would not come,” Taylor said.
A lynching?
A lynching?
POSTED OCT 23, 2019
Trump's comparing the ongoing impeachment inquiry with a lynching is offensive on many levels. His ignorance of the Constitutionality of an impeachment inquiry is stunning. Maybe he's just playing to his base. In any case his odious tweet drew swift and appropriate condemnation.
Trump's comparing the ongoing impeachment inquiry with a lynching is offensive on many levels. His ignorance of the Constitutionality of an impeachment inquiry is stunning. Maybe he's just playing to his base. In any case his odious tweet drew swift and appropriate condemnation.
A lynching. There are just no words.
People with consciences everywhere were quick to condemn the tweet, explaining what really should not need to be explained. That calling a legal process a "lynching" is both factually erroneous and blatantly inappropriate. That a white man in power harkening to historical violence against black people in an attempt to paint himself as a victim is racist as all get out. That the comparison is horrendous and hurtful and beneath the basics of human decency, much less the dignity of the office of the President.
The backlash was swift, severe, and completely deserved....
Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., pointed out that the tweet is "a reflection of the very real trajectory of our nation and the very repugnant evil of racism, which still permeates both legislation and language in the United States."
Trump lashes out at impeachment inquiry in another "fact-challenged week"
Trump lashes out at impeachment inquiry in another "fact-challenged week"
POSTED OCT 7, 2019
"Facing an impeachment inquiry, President Donald Trump is turning to a familiar playbook to defend himself: attacking his investigators , blasting the inquiry as illegal and deriding the process as all-but-rigged." With this lead-in, the Associated Press tries to set the record straight. Here are a couple from their fact check.
"Facing an impeachment inquiry, President Donald Trump is turning to a familiar playbook to defend himself: attacking his investigators , blasting the inquiry as illegal and deriding the process as all-but-rigged." With this lead-in, the Associated Press tries to set the record straight. Here are a couple from their fact check.
IMPEACHMENT
TRUMP: "As I learn more and more each day, I am coming to the conclusion that what is taking place is not an impeachment, it is a COUP, intended to take away the Power of the....People." — tweet Tuesday.
THE FACTS: No illegal coup is afoot. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., last month initiated impeachment proceedings against Trump. She accused him of abusing presidential powers by seeking help from a foreign government to undermine Democratic rival Joe Biden and help his own reelection. The move followed a complaint by a whistleblower, a CIA officer, who made the charges.
UKRAINE
TRUMP: "I had a transcript done by very, very talented people — word for word, comma for comma. ... We had an exact transcript. And when we produced that transcript, they died." — news conference Wednesday with Finland's president.
TRUMP: "They never thought in a million years that I'd release the conversation ... And this is an exact word-for-word transcript of the conversation, right? Taken by very talented stenographers." — remarks Wednesday to reporters in the Oval Office.
THE FACTS: It's not a word-for-word transcript. The memorandum of Trump's July 25 phone call with Zelenskiy itself makes clear that it does not represent an exact transcript of what was said...The acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, told a House panel last month that he believed the whistleblower acted in "good faith" and the complaint was consistent with the White House's rough transcript.
Trump retweets lie that Ilhan Omar “partied” on 9/11 anniversary
Trump retweets lie that Ilhan Omar “partied” on 9/11 anniversary
POSTED SEP 21, 2019
As Vox comments, this may be his most grotesque lie yet.
As Vox comments, this may be his most grotesque lie yet.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump amplified a lie intended to make it seem like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) “partied” on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, when in fact she did no such thing. Here’s the backstory: On September 13, progressive activist Adam Green posted video of Omar dancing to a Lizzo track during a Congressional Black Caucus event that had taken place earlier that day. Nearly a week later, the president of the United States, with an assist from one of his favorite conspiracy theorists, twisted that video into a grotesque smear against one of America’s first Muslim congresswomen. The conspiracy theorist in question is Terrence Williams, who Trump amplified last month when he retweeted Williams’s fact-free attempt to link the Clintons to Jeffrey Epstein’s death.
Wednesday’s tweet was not the first time that Trump — who has a long history of pushing Islamophobic lies about 9/11 — has used the attacks to smear Omar. Last April, Trump tried to create a perception that Omar downplayed the attacks by tweeting an edited video that interspersed comments Omar made during a speech to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) with graphic 9/11 footage. (Vox, Sep 18)
A grotesque lie and one that will play well with the Muslim-hating lunatics at the fringes of MAGA-land. Does this moron realize that he may be endangering the life of the Congresswoman?
A grotesque lie and one that will play well with the Muslim-hating lunatics at the fringes of MAGA-land. Does this moron realize that he may be endangering the life of the Congresswoman?
Trump's false claims on why he should not be impeached
Trump's false claims on why he should not be impeached
POSTED SEPTEMBER 14, 2019
CNN reports on three false statements and three "requiring context" in Trump tweets on why he should not be impeached. There is actually only one reason not to impeach Trump - Republicans, who are not even allowing a presidential primary in many states, control the Senate. The move would be meaningless and would only encourage his base. Here are a couple of the Trumpian misleading statements:
CNN reports on three false statements and three "requiring context" in Trump tweets on why he should not be impeached. There is actually only one reason not to impeach Trump - Republicans, who are not even allowing a presidential primary in many states, control the Senate. The move would be meaningless and would only encourage his base. Here are a couple of the Trumpian misleading statements:
"Became Number 1 in the World & Independent in Energy," Trump said.
Facts First: These are separate claims, and they are both false. The US became the world's top energy producer under Obama, not Trump; it is crude oil production in particular in which it took the number-one spot under Trump. And the US has not yet become "independent in energy," though government forecasters predict that US energy exports will exceed US energy imports next year.
"No Obstruction, No Collusion, only treasonous crimes committed by the other side, and led by the Democrats," Trump said.
Facts First: Mueller's report laid out multiple cases of possible obstruction; Trump's appointee as attorney general, William Barr, concluded the evidence was insufficient to establish a crime was committed, though other prominent lawyers disagreed. Regardless, there is no evidence of "treasonous crimes" by "the other side," whether Trump means Mueller's team or Democrats -- and there is no evidence any such crimes were "led by the Democrats."
Trump the Weatherman
Trump the Weatherman
POSTED SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
Trump claimed Alabama was going to be hit by Hurricane Dorian when no weather service on the planet had predicted any such thing. Then he defended his statement by altering a weather map. As Trump whoppers go, this was not a big one. Still, we need to wonder why the President of the United States would even do such a thing.
Trump claimed Alabama was going to be hit by Hurricane Dorian when no weather service on the planet had predicted any such thing. Then he defended his statement by altering a weather map. As Trump whoppers go, this was not a big one. Still, we need to wonder why the President of the United States would even do such a thing.
As Bahamians reel from the historic devastation of Hurricane Dorian, The Washington Post reported that President Trump personally used a black magic marker to alter a map showing the storm’s projected path, in an effort to support his false claim last weekend that Alabama might be hit by the hurricane. In fact, the National Hurricane Center never included Alabama in any of the forecast cones for Dorian. On Thursday, Trump spent a fourth straight day defending his false statements, tweeting, “I accept the Fake News apologies.” (Democracy Now!, Sep 6)
Max Boot at the Washington Post lists fourteen reasons he would vote for any Democrat over Trump - based on Trump's actions in the second half of August alone! Boot writes, "This was by no means the worst period of the Trump presidency, but it nevertheless offers a snapshot of why President Trump cannot under any circumstances be reelected."
Max Boot at the Washington Post lists fourteen reasons he would vote for any Democrat over Trump - based on Trump's actions in the second half of August alone! Boot writes, "This was by no means the worst period of the Trump presidency, but it nevertheless offers a snapshot of why President Trump cannot under any circumstances be reelected."
POSTED AUGUST 22, 2019
During his New Hampshire rally Trump once again without facts or any evidence whatsoever claimed he lost New Hampshire because of voter fraud: He told reporters beforehand that he should have won the state but “thousands and thousands of people” came in from “locations unknown” to vote. He added: “But I knew where their location was,” apparently implying again that undocumented immigrants were to blame.
During his New Hampshire rally Trump once again without facts or any evidence whatsoever claimed he lost New Hampshire because of voter fraud: He told reporters beforehand that he should have won the state but “thousands and thousands of people” came in from “locations unknown” to vote. He added: “But I knew where their location was,” apparently implying again that undocumented immigrants were to blame.
Federal Election Commission Chair Ellen Weintraub "sent him a letter Friday demanding that he turn over any information backing them up — or drop the subject. Weintraub said she was using words a 'former casino operator' could understand: 'You need to lay your cards on the table — or fold.' Since Trump lost the popular vote in 2016, he has insisted — without evidence — that the 3 million votes he lost by, plus millions more, were fraudulent and cast illegally by noncitizens."
Federal Election Commission Chair Ellen Weintraub "sent him a letter Friday demanding that he turn over any information backing them up — or drop the subject. Weintraub said she was using words a 'former casino operator' could understand: 'You need to lay your cards on the table — or fold.' Since Trump lost the popular vote in 2016, he has insisted — without evidence — that the 3 million votes he lost by, plus millions more, were fraudulent and cast illegally by noncitizens."
Trump made up facts in the aftermath of two mass shootings and as U.S. businesses braced for a trade war with China (AP fact check)
Trump made up facts in the aftermath of two mass shootings and as U.S. businesses braced for a trade war with China (AP fact check)
POSTED AUG 22, 2019
Trump distorted science in seeking to assign blame on video games for the deadly shootings in Texas and Ohio, rather than on his own words that critics say contributed to a combustible racial climate spawning violence. He also pointed to an imminent magic solution in the form of legislation on background checks that was far from certain and misrepresented his record on gun control.
Trump distorted science in seeking to assign blame on video games for the deadly shootings in Texas and Ohio, rather than on his own words that critics say contributed to a combustible racial climate spawning violence. He also pointed to an imminent magic solution in the form of legislation on background checks that was far from certain and misrepresented his record on gun control.
On trade, Trump repeatedly exaggerated the benefits of tariffs and sought unfairly to fault the Federal Reserve — not his own policies — for any weakness in the U.S. economy. Trump says he will impose new taxes on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports on Sept. 1 that are almost certain to inflict pain on American consumers.
On trade, Trump repeatedly exaggerated the benefits of tariffs and sought unfairly to fault the Federal Reserve — not his own policies — for any weakness in the U.S. economy. Trump says he will impose new taxes on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports on Sept. 1 that are almost certain to inflict pain on American consumers.
A politically-motivated vicious lie about Representatives Omar and Tlaib
A politically-motivated vicious lie about Representatives Omar and Tlaib
POSTED AUGUST 16, 2019
Trump pressured the Israeli government into denying entry to U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. His tweet on the subject included this: "They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace! "
Trump pressured the Israeli government into denying entry to U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. His tweet on the subject included this: "They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace! "
"Of course, Trump’s tweet was a lie, consistent with the discourse of a man who has been clocked in by the Washington Post lying more than 12,000 times since he took office. It is an outrageous lie to suggest that Omar and Tlaib hate all Jewish people. Beyond that Trump achieves new heights in chutzpah when he, an apologist for Nazis and white supremacists who despise the Jews, presents himself as a defender of the Jewish people."
"Of course, Trump’s tweet was a lie, consistent with the discourse of a man who has been clocked in by the Washington Post lying more than 12,000 times since he took office. It is an outrageous lie to suggest that Omar and Tlaib hate all Jewish people. Beyond that Trump achieves new heights in chutzpah when he, an apologist for Nazis and white supremacists who despise the Jews, presents himself as a defender of the Jewish people."
POSTED AUGUST 3, 2019
Democratic legislation and the words of Democratic presidential candidates tell the opposite story. They specifically exclude violent offenders from measures that create a path to citizenship or offer alternatives to widespread deportation.
Trump said $16 billion in farm aid is being funded "out of the tariffs that we’ve gotten from China." Tariffs are paid into the U.S. Treasury, and the Treasury funds the farm aid. But there is no specific earmark or conduit connecting the two. More significantly, Trump’s claim simply does not reflect how tariffs work. The tariffs imposed by Trump have been paid almost entirely by U.S. importers, who pass much of that on to consumers through price increases.
NC MAGA Rally: a dangerous lie about Rep. Omar and an(other) exaggeration about the economy
NC MAGA Rally: a dangerous lie about Rep. Omar and an(other) exaggeration about the economy
POSTED JULY 19, 2019
Trump riled his nativist base at the Greenville rally to its despicable "send her back" chant by misrepresenting her words to make her look like an al-Qaida sympathizer. With numerous death threats against her, Ilhan OImar might well have had a target painted on her back by Trump's words.
Trump riled his nativist base at the Greenville rally to its despicable "send her back" chant by misrepresenting her words to make her look like an al-Qaida sympathizer. With numerous death threats against her, Ilhan OImar might well have had a target painted on her back by Trump's words.
This is not at all what the Minnesota Democrat said. She did not voice pride in the terrorist group. Trump is referring to an interview Omar gave in 2013. In it, she talked about studying terrorism history or theory under a professor who dramatically pronounced the names of terrorist groups, as if to emphasize their evil nature. At no point did she say "al-Qaida" should be uttered with intensity or pride and that "America" shouldn't. (AP, July 18)
The state of the economy exaggeration pales by comparison but he continues to say it.
The state of the economy exaggeration pales by comparison but he continues to say it.
TRUMP: "We have the strongest economy in history."
THE FACTS: The economy is not the strongest in the country's history. It expanded at an annual rate of 3.1% in the first quarter of this year. That growth was the highest in just four years for the first quarter. (AP, July 18)
Liar-in-chief is at it again: Trump wrong on all 3 claims about Iran deal
Liar-in-chief is at it again: Trump wrong on all 3 claims about Iran deal
Posted July 13, 2019
With war or an unjustifiable attack on Iran a possibility, this is one of the more dangerous areas for misstatement. Trump continues to try to justify his unilateral withdrawal and violation of the JCPOA. He's wrong on all three claims in his Wednesday tweet. Let's hope his lies don't create an atmosphere where attacking Iran gains popular support.
With war or an unjustifiable attack on Iran a possibility, this is one of the more dangerous areas for misstatement. Trump continues to try to justify his unilateral withdrawal and violation of the JCPOA. He's wrong on all three claims in his Wednesday tweet. Let's hope his lies don't create an atmosphere where attacking Iran gains popular support.
President Donald Trump's Wednesday tweet on the Iran nuclear deal contained three inaccurate claims. "Iran has long been secretly 'enriching,' in total violation of the terrible 150 Billion Dollar deal made by John Kerry and the Obama Administration," Trump tweeted. "Remember, that deal was to expire in a short number of years."
Facts First: All three parts of this tweet are wrong. International nuclear monitors and Trump's own intelligence officials say Iran complied until recently with the agreement's limits on its enrichment activities. Trump exaggerated the amount of money Iran gained access to because of the agreement. And he mischaracterized the deal by saying the whole thing would soon "expire."
CNN then delves into the specifics.
One if by land, two if by sea, three if by Delta shuttle from LaGuardia (Posted July 7, 2019)
One if by land, two if by sea, three if by Delta shuttle from LaGuardia (Posted July 7, 2019)
In what some have called a "measured" speech at a July 4th event complete with military flyovers, Trump presented US militarism (and possibly himself)as the primary cause of America's greatness. AP presents a fact check on The Donald. Here are some of its observations:
In what some have called a "measured" speech at a July 4th event complete with military flyovers, Trump presented US militarism (and possibly himself)as the primary cause of America's greatness. AP presents a fact check on The Donald. Here are some of its observations:
HISTORY
TRUMP: "The Continental Army suffered a bitter winter of Valley Forge, found glory across the waters of the Delaware and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown. Our army manned the air (unintelligible), it rammed the ramparts. It took over the airports. It did everything it had to do. And at Fort McHenry, under the rockets' red glare, it had nothing but victory. And when dawn came, their star-spangled banner waved defiant." — July 4 speech.
THE FACTS: Trump said the teleprompter stopped working during this passage: "I knew the speech very well so I was able to do it without a teleprompter." There were, of course, no airplanes during the War of Independence, and the Battle of Fort McHenry took place during the War of 1812, not the revolution. Trump segued from colonial times to modern times and back to the War of 1812 so fast that it seemed he was conflating wars and misstating aviation history. But the confusion apparently came from his need to wing it when the script went down.
FOR A MORE HILARIOUS look, CHECK THIS LINK for the high-flying memes inspired by the president's gaffe.
ECONOMY
TRUMP: "The Economy is the BEST IT HAS EVER BEEN!" — tweet Tuesday.
THE FACTS: The economy is not one of the best in the country's history. It expanded at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of this year. That growth was the highest in just four years for the first quarter. In the late 1990s, growth topped 4 percent for four straight years, a level it has not yet reached on an annual basis under Trump. Growth even reached 7.2 percent in 1984. In fact, there are many signs that growth is slowing, partly because of Trump's trade fights with China and Europe. Factory activity has decelerated for three straight months as global growth has slowed and companies are reining in their spending on large equipment.
AUTOS
TRUMP: "We have many, many companies that left our country and they're now coming back. Especially the automobile business. We have auto plants being built all over the country. We went decades and no plant was built. No plant was even expanded." — remarks Monday in Oval Office.
THE FACTS: There's no evidence that car companies are flooding back to the U.S. He's also incorrect in saying that auto plants haven't been built in decades. A number of automakers — Toyota, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen among them — opened plants in recent decades, mostly in the South. Government statistics show that jobs in auto and parts manufacturing grew at a slower rate in the two-plus years since Trump took office than in the two prior years.
CNN reported that Trump made 15 false claims in his 76 minute speech. Here are a few of those whoppers documented by the Associated Press:
CNN reported that Trump made 15 false claims in his 76 minute speech. Here are a few of those whoppers documented by the Associated Press:
TRUMP: “It’s soaring to incredible new heights. Perhaps the greatest economy we’ve had in the history of our country.”
THE FACTS: The economy is not one of the best in the country’s history. The economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of this year. That growth was the highest in just four years for the first quarter. While the economy has shown strength, it grew 2.9% in 2018 — the same pace it reached in 2015 under President Barack Obama — and simply hasn’t hit historically high growth rates. Trump has legitimate claim to a good economy but it’s not a record-breaker and it flows from an expansion that began in mid-2009.
TRUMP: “We’ve done so much ... with the biggest tax cut in history.”
THE FACTS: His tax cuts are nowhere close to the biggest in U.S. history. It’s a $1.5 trillion tax cut over 10 years. As a share of the total economy, a tax cut of that size ranks 12th, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 cut is the biggest, followed by the 1945 rollback of taxes that financed World War II.
TRUMP: “Almost 160 million people are working. That’s more than ever before.”
THE FACTS: Yes, but that’s not a feather in a president’s cap. More people are working primarily because there are more people. Population growth drives this phenomenon. A more relevant measure is the proportion of Americans with jobs, and that is still below record highs. According to Labor Department data, 60.6 percent of people in the United States 16 years and older were working in May. That’s below the all-time high of 64.7 percent in April 2000 during Bill Clinton’s administration, though higher than the 59.9 percent when Trump was inaugurated in January 2017.
TRUMP on his tariffs: “We are taking in billions and billions of dollars into our treasury. ... We had never taken 10 cents from China.”
THE FACTS: Tariff money coming into the treasury is mainly from U.S. businesses and consumers, not from China. Tariffs are primarily if not entirely a tax paid domestically. A study in March by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University and Princeton University, before Trump raised tariffs even more, found that the public and U.S. companies were paying $3 billion a month in higher taxes from the trade dispute with China, suffering $1.4 billion a month in lost efficiency and absorbing the entire impact. It’s also false that the U.S. never collected a dime in tariffs before he took action. Tariffs on goods from China are not remotely new. They are simply higher in some cases than they were before.
TRUMP: “We will always protect patients with pre-existing conditions. Always.”
THE FACTS: He’s not protecting current legal safeguards for patients with pre-existing medical conditions, which are part of “Obamacare.” His administration instead is pressing in court for full repeal of Obama’s health care law, including other popular provisions such as coverage for young adults on their parents’ insurance, Medicaid expansion, health insurance subsidies and preventive care at no additional charge to the patient.
TRUMP: “We passed VA Choice. ...They’ve been trying to get that passed also for about 44 years.”
THE FACTS: No, Congress approved the private-sector Veterans Choice health program in 2014 and Obama signed it into law. Trump signed an expansion of it.
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