Tag: Trump lies

What a presidential president would have said about the FBI

The following commentary by the Editorial Board was posted on the Washington Post website December 5, 2017:

GIVEN HOW far President Trump strays from the norms of democratic rhetoric, we think it useful from time to time to recall how a more presidential president might speak. This is another such time. Following the guilty plea of former national security adviser Michael Flynn in the special counsel investigation, Mr. Trump’s lawyer said a president cannot be found guilty of obstruction of justice, and Mr. Trump himself has been attacking federal law enforcement:

“Many people in our Country are asking what the ‘Justice’ Department is going to do about the fact that totally Crooked Hillary, AFTER receiving a subpoena from the United States Congress, deleted and ‘acid washed’ 33,000 Emails? No justice!” Continue reading “What a presidential president would have said about the FBI”

Trump likes to take credit for trends that began before his presidency — and we can prove it

The following article by Philip Bump was posted on the Washington Post website December 4, 2017:

To hear President Trump tell it, the stock market began its bull market precisely at noon on January 20, 2017. Or, in other iterations, as soon as the New York Stock Exchange opened on Nov. 9, 2016 — the first day after his election.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Great numbers on Stocks and the Economy. If we get Tax Cuts and Reform, we’ll really see some great results!

Twitter Ads info and privacy

Continue reading “Trump likes to take credit for trends that began before his presidency — and we can prove it”

Trump’s claim that ‘they just kept cutting, cutting, cutting the military’ until it was ‘depleted’

The following article by Nicole Lewis was posted on the Washington Post website December 5, 2017:

Credit: Whitney Curtis/Getty Images

“We’re at $700 billion for the military. And, you know, they were cutting back for years. They just kept cutting, cutting, cutting the military. And you got lean, to put it nicely. It was depleted, was the word. And now it’s changing.”

— President Trump, remarks to members of the Coast Guard, Nov. 23, 2017

Since taking office, President Trump has repeatedly called for a “rebuilding” of the U.S. military to combat ISIS and “to keep America safe.” On Nov. 16, the Senate backed Trump’s expanded vision for the military when they sent him a defense policy bill, authorizing a significantly increased military budget. The budget, which tops Trump’s initial proposal, includes funding for new equipment and strengthened nuclear defenses. Continue reading “Trump’s claim that ‘they just kept cutting, cutting, cutting the military’ until it was ‘depleted’”

Trump says Hillary Clinton repeatedly lied to the FBI. The FBI disagrees.

The following article by Luke Barnes was posed on the Think Progress website December 4, 2017:

Former FBI director James Comey ridiculed the notion over the summer.

Credit: Evan Vucci/AP)

In an attempt to control the fall-out from Michael Flynn pleading guilty to lying to the FBI, Donald Trump tried to equate Flynn’s actions with those of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, pleaded guilty over the weekend and is now cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible Russian collusion with the Trump White House. Naturally, however, the President thought that Flynn had been treated “very unfair”.

“Hillary Clinton lied many times to the FBI”, Trump told reporters ahead of boarding Marine One for a trip to Utah. “Nothing happened to her. Flynn lied, and they destroyed his life. I think it’s a shame. Hillary Clinton, on the 4th of July weekend, went to the FBI, not under oath. It was the most incredible thing anyone’s ever seen. She lied many times. Nothing happened to her. Flynn lied, and it’s like they ruined his life. It’s unfair.” On Saturday Trump had also tweeted about the indictment, complaining that Flynn pleading guilty showed how the system was “rigged”. Continue reading “Trump says Hillary Clinton repeatedly lied to the FBI. The FBI disagrees.”

‘I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn’: Trump goes on tweetstorm about the FBI

The following article by John Wagner was posted on the Washington Post website December 3, 2017:

Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post

 

President Trump issued a fresh denial Sunday that he asked then-FBI Director James B. Comey to halt an investigation into the conduct of his dismissed national security adviser Michael Flynn.

“I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn,” Trump said in a pre-dawn message on Twitter. “Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!” Continue reading “‘I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn’: Trump goes on tweetstorm about the FBI”

Former Trump campaign aide: ‘It’s clear that it is’ Trump on ‘Access Hollywood’ tape

The following article by Brett Samuels was posted on the Hill website December 3, 2017:

A former Trump campaign official said Sunday “it’s clear” that it’s President Trump on the 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape released in 2016, in which Trump brags about groping women.

“I don’t even know why that’s of interest today. The president put out his apology that weekend. I don’t believe it’s changed,” former Trump deputy campaign manager David Bossie said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Continue reading “Former Trump campaign aide: ‘It’s clear that it is’ Trump on ‘Access Hollywood’ tape”

FACT CHECK: Trump’s Pledge To Restore ‘Merry Christmas’ To The White House Facebook Twitter Flipboard Email

The following article by Brakkton Booker was posted on the NPR website November 30, 2017:

Updated at 6:47 p.m. ET

President Donald Trump speaks during a rally on Wednesday in St. Charles, Mo.
Credit: Whitney Curtis/Getty Images

One of the nation’s oldest holiday celebrations took place Thursday evening on the Ellipse next to White House — the annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree. It is a tradition that dates back to the Coolidge administration in the 1920s and was President Trump’s and first lady Melania Trump’s first time taking part in the event since moving into the White House.

The ceremony comes a day after the president reiterated a pledge he’s echoed many times since becoming a candidate in 2015 to end the so-called war on Christmas. At a speech Wednesday in Missouri to publicize the GOP tax overhaul expected to come up for a vote in the Senate this week, President Trump kicked off his remarks by saying: “I told you that we would be saying Merry Christmas again, right?”

Here’s a closer look at the president’s claim. Continue reading “FACT CHECK: Trump’s Pledge To Restore ‘Merry Christmas’ To The White House Facebook Twitter Flipboard Email”

President Trump says the tax bill will ‘cost me a fortune.’ That’s false.

The following article by Glenn Kessler was posted on the Washington Post website November 30, 2017:

In short, no. The president would benefit mightily from either version of the GOP tax bill. (Meg Kelly/The Washington Post)

“This is going to cost me a fortune, this thing, believe me. This is not good for me. . . . I think my accountants are going crazy right now.”
— President Trump, remarks on tax plan, St. Charles, Mo., Nov. 29, 2017

There have been many times when we have thrown patently ridiculous claims made by the president into our database of false and misleading claims, only to decide later that we need to do a full fact check because the president keeps repeating the falsehood. Continue reading “President Trump says the tax bill will ‘cost me a fortune.’ That’s false.”

Trump Claims Access Hollywood Tape Is Fake

The following article by Tom Porter of Newsweek was posted on the National Memo website November 27, 2017:

Credit: Evan Vucci, AP

President Donald Trump now claims that the Access Hollywood tape on which he boasted of sexually assaulting women may not be genuine, according to a report in The New York Times.

On the tape, which surfaced weeks before the November 2016 presidential election, the former reality star can be heard bragging to TV presenter Billy Bush of grabbing women “by the pussy.”

Trump faced calls to step aside from the race after the tape went public, and apologized for the remarks, dismissing them as “locker room talk.” Continue reading “Trump Claims Access Hollywood Tape Is Fake”

President Trump has made 1,628 false or misleading claims over 298 days

THe following article by Glenn Kessler, Meg Kelly and Nicole Lewis was posted on the Washington Post website November 14, 2017:

As of Nov. 13, President Trump has made 1,628 false or misleading claims since taking office. He now averages 5.5 per day. Here are the five he says most regularly. (Meg Kelly/The Washington Post)

For some reason, our year-long project analyzing, categorizing and tracking every false or misleading claim by President Trump had seemed like quite a burden in the past month. Well, the numbers are in and now we know why: In the past 35 days, Trump has averaged an astonishing nine claims a day.

The total now stands at 1,628 claims in 298 days, or an average of 5.5 claims a day. That puts the president on track to reach 1,999 claims by the end of his first year in office, though he obviously would easily exceed 2,000 if he maintained the pace of the past month. (Our full interactive graphic can be found here.) Continue reading “President Trump has made 1,628 false or misleading claims over 298 days”