Tag: Trump lies

President Trump’s false claim that counterprotesters lacked a permit

The following article by Glenn Kessler was posted on the Washington Post website August 16, 2017:

President Trump first asked reporters to define the “alt-right,” before saying members of the “alt-left” were also to blame for violence in Charlottesville, while taking questions from reporters on Aug. 15 at Trump Tower in New York. (The Washington Post)

“You had a group on the other side that came charging in without a permit, and they were very, very violent. . . . You had a lot of people in that [white nationalist] group that were there to innocently protest and very legally protest, because you know — I don’t know if you know — they had a permit. The other group didn’t have a permit.”
— President Trump, remarks during a news conference on infrastructure, Aug. 15, 2017

In blaming both sides for the violence in Charlottesville that left one person dead, President Trump twice asserted that the people protesting white supremacists and neo-Nazis lacked a permit, unlike the groups that gathered to protest the possible removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Continue reading “President Trump’s false claim that counterprotesters lacked a permit”

President Trump’s claim that he has done ‘far more than anyone’ for ‘inner cities’

The following article by Michelle Ye Hee Lee was posted on the Washington Post website August 17, 2017:

Credit:  Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

“I’ll tell you, we’re spending a lot of money on the inner cities. We’re fixing the inner cities. We’re doing far more than anybody’s done with respect to the inner cities. It’s a priority for me. And it’s very important.”
— President Trump, remarks during a news conference on infrastructure, Aug. 15, 2017

After delivering remarks on an infrastructure plan, President Trump spoke about violence at the Aug. 12 white supremacist rally and counterprotest in Charlottesville, where a woman who was protesting racism was killed. Continue reading “President Trump’s claim that he has done ‘far more than anyone’ for ‘inner cities’”

President Trump’s claim that foreigners are responsible for ‘the vast majority’ of terrorism convictions since 9/11

The following article by Michelle Ye Hee Lee was posted on the Washington Post website August 15, 2017:

“According to data provided by the Department of Justice, the vast majority of individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our country.”
— President Trump, address to Congress, Feb. 28, 2017

When President Trump signed the Muslim ban executive order in early 2017, we looked into several exaggeratedclaims by Trump and other administration officials about foreigners convicted of terrorism. Continue reading “President Trump’s claim that foreigners are responsible for ‘the vast majority’ of terrorism convictions since 9/11”

President Trump’s claim that low-skilled immigration placed ‘substantial pressure’ on U.S. workers

The following article by Michelle Ye Hee Lee was posted on the Washington Post website August 10, 2017:

President Trump announced the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act on Aug. 2, which aims to cut immigration by half from the current level of more than 1 million green cards granted per year. (Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

“For decades, the United States was operated and has operated a very low-skill immigration system. … This policy has placed substantial pressure on American workers, taxpayers and community resources. Among those hit the hardest in recent years have been immigrants and, very importantly, minority workers competing for jobs against brand-new arrivals. And it has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers.”
— President Trump, remarks on the RAISE Act, Aug. 2, 2017

President Trump has endorsed a sweeping Senate bill that would slash legal immigration levels by half over a decade: the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act. Continue reading “President Trump’s claim that low-skilled immigration placed ‘substantial pressure’ on U.S. workers”

Trump says his political base is ‘stronger than ever’ despite polling to the contrary

The following article by John Wagner was posted on the Washington Post website August 7, 2017:

President Trump likes to trumpet his “tremendous” support and strong base, but polls show that his approval rating is declining, even among key demographics that voted for him in 2016. (Video: Jenny Starrs/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

President Trump declared Monday that his political base is “bigger & stronger than ever before” despite recent polling — which he branded “fake” — that shows a drop-off in support.

In a series of tweets from Bedminster, N.J., where Trump is on what aides describe as a 17-day “working vacation,” he ticked off a number of factors that he said have “driven the Trump base even closer together.” Among them: record stock-market numbers, strong jobs reports, his Supreme Court pick this year and a backlash against “the Fake News Russian collusion story.” Continue reading “Trump says his political base is ‘stronger than ever’ despite polling to the contrary”

President Trump’s claim of Obamacare ‘bailouts’ for insurance companies

The following article by Glenn Kessler was posted on the Washington Post website August 7, 2017:


Do insurance companies get ‘bailouts’ under Obamacare? Washington Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler investigates. (Video: Meg Kelly/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

“If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!”

— President Trump, in a tweet, July 29, 2017

“Bailout” is a pejorative term in Washington. After Republicans in the Senate failed to pass a bill that would replace the Affordable Care Act, the president threatened to end what he termed “bailouts” for insurance companies and members of Congress.

What’s he talking about? And are these really bailouts? Continue reading “President Trump’s claim of Obamacare ‘bailouts’ for insurance companies”

President Trump’s claim about immigrants ‘immediately’ collecting ‘welfare’

The following article by Michelle Ye Hee Lee was posted on the Washington Post website August 4, 2017:

“The RAISE Act prevents new migrants and new immigrants from collecting welfare … They’re not going to come in and just immediately go and collect welfare. That doesn’t happen under the RAISE Act. They can’t do that.”
—President Trump, news conference, Aug. 2, 2017

“We also believe that those seeking to immigrate into our country should be able to support themselves financially and should not be able to use welfare for themselves or the household for a period of at least five years.”
—Trump, speech in Youngstown, Ohio, July 25, 2017

As a part of the administration’s efforts to restrict legal and illegal immigration, President Trump endorsed a sweeping Senate bill that would slash legal immigration levels by half over a decade. The Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act would create a points system for employment-based green cards, so that people applying for visas would need to meet certain requirements. Continue reading “President Trump’s claim about immigrants ‘immediately’ collecting ‘welfare’”

Witch Hunt?

The following article was posted on the TrumpAccountable.org website August 3, 2017:

Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to the ongoing Russia investigation as the “single greatest witch hunt in political history.” In tweets, through his press secretaries, in speeches, and interviews, Trump has pushed back on what seem to be solid facts emerging from the investigation.

Here’s a central (and basic) question: If there’s no connection between President Trump’s campaign and Russian efforts to influence the election, why is he consistently misleading the public about what happened? If he didn’t do anything wrong, why is he lying?

Trump’s boldest misleading statements on Russia include: Continue reading “Witch Hunt?”

First Golfer: Donald Trump’s relationship with golf has never been more complicated

The following article by Alan Shipnuck with special reporting by Michael Bamberger, Ben Baskin and Pete Madden was posted on the Golf.com site August 1, 2017 and will appear in the August 7, 2017 issue of Sports Illustrated:

Credit: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/GETTYIMAGES

Playing golf with the 45th President of the United States offers a revealing character study of him. Donald Trump’s private clubs are where he feels most comfortable, and holding court with members and guests and employees is an important part of the ritual—in the pro shop, at the driving range and especially on the 1st tee, where Trump traditionally announces the teams for a friendly wager and will typically take the best player available for his partner. Some earnest person in the group will typically keep score, though the terms of the match are usually unstated and Trump’s interest in the ebb and flow of the match is modest at best. Yet he somehow knows when his putt is meaningful, and he attempts those putts with a certain amount of fanfare.

SI spoke with numerous people who have teed it up with Trump over the years and all report that he doesn’t play a round of golf so much as narrate it, his commentary peppered with hyperbole. “Is this not the most beautiful asphalt you’ve ever seen in your life?” he’ll say of an ordinary cart path. At the turn he’ll ask, “Have you ever had a better burger?” Years ago Trump was mid-round when he took a long call from Mark Burnett, the producer of The Apprentice. He put down his phone just long enough to play his shots, at one point saying, “Wait one second here while I blast this 250-yard 3-wood.” Trump also lavishes attention on his playing partners. “We didn’t talk any business because there wasn’t time,” says Ernie Els, who last February played golf alongside Trump and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. “He was more focused on making sure me and the Japanese prime minister had a good time. He kept on the two of us, making sure we had a proper introduction, making conversation, just being a good host.” Continue reading “First Golfer: Donald Trump’s relationship with golf has never been more complicated”