Tag: Trump Oval Office address

Experts saw signs of growing authoritarianism in Trump’s prime-time address

Credit: Drew Angerer, Getty Images

He may not have declared a state of emergency yet, but experts warn that authoritarian tendencies are already creeping in.

On Tuesday night Trump pulled back from the brink. For now.

After claiming last week that he could declare a national emergency and unilaterally authorize and fund the construction of a wall on the U.S./Mexico border, Trump used his prime-time address on Tuesday night to quietly back away from the idea. Instead of side-stepping Congress, Trump called on Democrats to pass a spending bill that would reopen the federal government and allocate more than $5 billion in funding for his wall.

“The only solution is for Democrats to pass a spending bill that reopens our government and defends our borders,” Trump said. “I have invited Congressional leaders to the White House to get this done. Hopefully we can rise above partisan politics.”

View the complete January 9 article by Luke Barnes on the ThinkProgress.org website here.

FACT CHECK: Trump’s Oval Office Address Filled With Lies

As we expected, Trump’s Oval Office address last night was filled with lies. Here’s the truth about Trump’s government shutdown:

TRUMP’S LIE: “There is a growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border.”

FACT: Trump is manufacturing a “crisis” at the border despite border apprehensions remaining near historic lows.

Washington Post: “By any available measure, there is no new crisis at the border.  Apprehensions of people trying to cross the southern border peaked most recently at 1.6 million in 2000 and have been in decline since, partly because of technology upgrades, tougher penalties post-9/11, a decline in migration rates from Mexico and a sharp rise in the number of Border Patrol officers.”

USA Today: “But even those numbers remain at historic lows for the U.S. During the 2000s, it was common for Border Patrol agents to arrest over 100,000 people each month.” Continue reading “FACT CHECK: Trump’s Oval Office Address Filled With Lies”