Saturday's lies
by digby
Just one day of Trump publicly lying courtesy of The Star. And we're not even talking about the birther nonsense.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump delivered two speeches on Saturday.
The first was to The Remembrance Project, a group for the family members of people killed by illegal immigrants. The second was to a rally in Colorado Springs.
He made 12 false statements. Here’s a fact check:
Speech on immigration to The Remembrance Project
Falsely said, “Her plan calls for...ignoring visa overstays, closing detention centres.” (Clinton is not calling to ignore visa overstays. She wants to close only privately owned detention centres, not all detention centres.)
Falsely said, “Hillary Clinton is the first person to ever run for the presidency of a country effectively proposing to abolish the borders around the country that she’s supposed to be representing.”
Falsely said, “According to the federal government’s own data, there are more than 2 million convicted-criminal illegal immigrants inside the United States right now.” (That figure – 1.9 million – refers to the number of non-citizens, illegal AND legal, with convictions. The number of illegal immigrants with convictions is much smaller.)
Falsely said, “The government knows a lot about the people that did it, but they don’t go after them. They’ve killed people, they don’t go after them.”
Falsely said, “Hundreds of individuals who have been given visas and refugee – think of this, they’ve been given, they’re refugee admissions into this country, subsequently were charged with terrorism, and nobody does anything about it.” (This figure is incorrect. “I have seen no evidence that there are ‘scores’ of recent migrants charged with terrorism,” Rand Corp’s Seth Jones told the Washington Post.
Falsely said, “We’re admitting people here with no idea who they are.” (Refugees undergo extensive screening.)
Speech to rally in Colorado Springs
Falsely said, “We’re going to have a massive tax reduction, big league tax reduction, for working and middle-class families.” (Trump’s bracket changes would give middle-class families an income boost of 0.5 per cent or less, according to the conservative Tax Foundation.)
Falsely said, “Destroyed her phones – and think of this: with a hammer! Boom. Thirteen of them.” (Two of Clinton’s phones were destroyed with a hammer.)
Falsely accused Clinton of selling “government favours and access.” (There is no evidence of this.)
Falsely said, “Since President Obama came into office, another 2 million Hispanic Americans have fallen into poverty.” (This figure begins the count during George W. Bush’s last year; when the count begins in 2009, the figure is less than 1 million. It is also highly misleading to use a raw number; the poverty rate for Hispanics has fallen.)
Falsely said, “Hillary Clinton is going to raise your taxes very, very substantially.” (Clinton’s tax hike only applies to the top 1 per cent of earners.)
Falsely said, “We have a trade deficit of $800 billion a year.” (The trade deficit in goods alone $763 billion – but there was a trade surplus in services of $227 billion, putting the total deficit well below $600 billion.)
Misleadingly said, “58 per cent of African-American youth are not employed.” (This figure counts millions of 16-to-19-year-olds who are not looking for work, including high school students and the children of black millionaires.)
That's just Saturday. And it doesn't count the tweets:
You'll recall that he also said he know so much more about how to do Gates' job than he does at his rally last night.
Over 50% of the country thinks it's either fine if that psycho becomes president of the United States or are enthusiastically hoping for it.
Update: Here's a list of things Trump said on Friday, just in case you missed that incredible day.
On an eventful Friday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump renounced his baseless “birther” conspiracy-peddling in a bizarre event at his new Washington hotel, did an interview on Fox Business, and held a rally in Miami, where he tried to woo the Cuban community. A list of some of the things he said:
Called for the disarming of Hillary Clinton’s Secret Service detail; added, “Let’s see what happens to her . . . it’ll be very dangerous”
Renounced five years “birther” lying with one sentence: “President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period”
Falsely blamed Hillary Clinton’s campaign for starting the birther saga
Falsely claimed to have opposed the Iraq war
Falsely claimed to have said “I don’t know” when asked by Howard Stern whether he supported the war (Actually said, “Yeah, I guess so. I wish the first time it was done correctly”)
Claimed Bataclan massacre would have been averted if people there had guns
Bragged on Twitter about tricking the media
Reversed position on Cuba: Said he would reverse Obama softening he called “fine” in September
Falsely claimed 58 per cent of African-American youth can't get a job. (It's 26 per cent)
Falsely claimed black people have “no jobs, no education”; falsely claimed black people in “inner cities” can’t walk down the street without getting shot
Falsely claimed Clinton “is raising your taxes substantially.” (Her tax hike is only on the top 1 per cent)
Falsely claimed 65 per cent of black children under the age of 6 are in poverty. (Not true in even one state)
Falsely claimed Clinton destroyed 13 iPhones with a hammer. (It was two BlackBerries)
Falsely claimed she sold government favours
Falsely claimed Hispanic poverty has seen a catastrophic increase under Obama. (The Hispanic poverty rate has fallen since 2009; Trump is beginning his count in 2008, before Obama took office)
Falsely claimed that, before Obama, Air Force One was always greeted by top foreign leaders; said he would turn around Air Force One if top Cuban, Saudi or Chinese officials didn’t greet him
Falsely claimed the room he was speaking in was “100 degrees”
Attacked Clinton over her stamina/health: Boasted he does multiple daily speeches, said, “Do you think Hillary Clinton can get through one?”
Falsely claimed he is “winning in Michigan”
Falsely claimed analysts say his polls show there is more enthusiasm for him than for any candidate in the past
Misleadingly claimed that he will “lower your taxes so substantially.” (According to the conservative Tax Foundation, middle-income earners will see income boosts of just 0.2 per cent to 0.5 per cent)
No I want you to think about this:
