False or misleading statements by Donald Trump

{{further|Rhetoric of Donald Trump}}

Many academics and observers who study the American political scene have called Trump unique or highly unusual in his lying and its effect on political discourse. "It has long been a truism that politicians lie," wrote Carole McGranahan for the American Ethnologist in 2017, but "Donald Trump is different". He is the most "accomplished and effective liar" to have ever participated in American politics; moreover, his lying has reshaped public discourse so that "the frequency, degree, and impact of lying in politics are now unprecedented".{{cite journal |last=McGranahan |first=Carole |title=An anthropology of lying: Trump and the political sociality of moral outrage |journal=American Ethnologist |date=May 2017 |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=243–248 |url=https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/amet.12475 |doi=10.1111/amet.12475 |quote=It has long been a truism that politicians lie, but with the entry of Donald Trump into the U.S. political domain, the frequency, degree, and impact of lying in politics are now unprecedented [...] Donald Trump is different. By all metrics and counting schemes, his lies are off the charts. We simply have not seen such an accomplished and effective liar before in U.S. politics. |access-date=October 1, 2022 |archive-date=October 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005125503/https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/amet.12475 |url-status=live | issn = 0094-0496 |url-access=subscription }}

Historian Douglas Brinkley stated that U.S. presidents have occasionally "lied or misled the country," but none were a "serial liar" like Trump.{{cite news |work=Toronto Star |date=December 22, 2017 |first=Daniel |last=Dale |author-link=Daniel Dale |title=Donald Trump has spent a year lying shamelessly. It hasn't worked |access-date=May 29, 2020 |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2017/12/22/donald-trump-has-spent-a-year-lying-shamelessly-it-hasnt-worked.html |quote='We've had presidents that have lied or misled the country, but we've never had a serial liar before. And that's what we're dealing with here,' said Douglas Brinkley, the prominent Rice University presidential historian. |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101103349/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2017/12/22/donald-trump-has-spent-a-year-lying-shamelessly-it-hasnt-worked.html |url-status=live }} Donnel Stern, writing in Psychoanalytic Dialogues in 2019, declared: "We expect politicians to stretch the truth. But Trump is a whole different animal," because Trump "lies as a policy", and "will say anything" to satisfy his supporters or himself.{{cite journal |last1=Stern |first1=Donnel |s2cid=164971149 |title=Constructivism in the Age of Trump: Truth, Lies, and Knowing the Difference |journal=Psychoanalytic Dialogues |date=May 9, 2019 |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=189–196 |doi=10.1080/10481885.2019.1587996 |quote=Donald Trump lies so often that some have wondered whether he has poisoned the well [...] We expect politicians to stretch the truth. But Trump is a whole different animal. He lies as a policy.}}

Heidi Taksdal Skjeseth, writing for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in 2017, described how lies have "always been an integral part of politics". However, Trump was "delivering untruths on an unprecedented scale", during his campaign and presidency. Skjeseth commented that no one in French politics was comparable to Trump in his provision of falsehoods.{{cite web |website=Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism |date=2017 |first=Heidi Taksdal |last=Skjeseth |title=All the president's lies: Media coverage of lies in the US and France |url=https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2017-10/Taksdal%20Skjeseth%2C%20All%20the%20President%27s%20Lies%20-%20Media%20Coverage%20of%20lies%20in%20the%20US%20and%20France.pdf |quote=... a president who is delivering untruths on an unprecedented scale. Mr Trump did this both while running for president, and he has continued to do so in office. There is no precedent for this amount of untruths in the US |access-date=October 1, 2022 |archive-date=August 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828164746/https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2017-10/Taksdal%20Skjeseth%2C%20All%20the%20President%27s%20Lies%20-%20Media%20Coverage%20of%20lies%20in%20the%20US%20and%20France.pdf |url-status=live }}

Jeremy Adam Smith wrote that "lying is a feature, not a bug, of Trump's campaign and presidency."{{cite web | last=Edsall | first=Thomas B | title=This Is Why Trump Lies Like There's No Tomorrow | website=The New York Times | date=June 28, 2023 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/opinion/donald-trump-presidency-lies.html | access-date=June 30, 2023 | archive-date=June 29, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629190143/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/opinion/donald-trump-presidency-lies.html | url-status=live }} Thomas B. Edsall wrote "Donald Trump can lay claim to the title of most prodigious liar in the history of the presidency." George C. Edwards III wrote: "Donald Trump tells more untruths than any previous president. There is no one that is a close second."

Trump is conscious of the value of repetition to get his lies believed. He demonstrated this knowledge when he instructed Stephanie Grisham, his White House press secretary, to use his method of lying: "As long as you keep repeating something, it doesn't matter what you say."{{cite journal | last1=Pillai | first1=Raunak M | last2=Kim | first2=Eunji | last3=Fazio | first3=Lisa K | title=All the President's Lies: Repeated False Claims and Public Opinion | journal=Public Opinion Quarterly | publisher=Oxford University Press (OUP) | url=https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfad032 | date=September 15, 2023 | volume=87 | issue=3 | pages=764–802 | issn=0033-362X | doi=10.1093/poq/nfad032 | access-date=September 24, 2023 | quote=A hallmark of the Trump presidency was a stream of false statements, many of which were repeated dozens or even hundreds of times. But whether (and to what extent) this repetition translates into public misperceptions remains an open question. We address this question by leveraging the most comprehensive data on Trump’s repetition of misleading claims during his presidency. In a national survey asking Americans to evaluate the truth of claims from this database, we find a clear partisan asymmetry. An increase in the number of repetitions of a falsehood corresponded with increased belief among Republicans but decreased belief among Democrats. We also find an important moderating role of media consumption. The effects of repetition were larger when people consumed more right-leaning cable news and when falsehoods were mostly repeated on Twitter. We discuss implications of these findings for misinformation research. | archive-date=March 9, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309064003/https://academic.oup.com/poq/article-abstract/87/3/764/7275174?redirectedFrom=fulltext | url-status=live | url-access=subscription }}

Trump effectively uses the Big lie technique's method of repetition to exploit the illusory truth effect, a tendency to believe false information to be correct after repeated exposure.{{cite web|title=The Truth Effect and Other Processing Fluency Miracles|url=http://scienceblogs.com/mixingmemory/2007/09/18/the-truth-effect-and-other-pro/|website=Science Blogs|access-date=December 30, 2016|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506190909/https://scienceblogs.com/mixingmemory/2007/09/18/the-truth-effect-and-other-pro|url-status=live}} Research has studied Trump's use of the effect.

{{blockquote|New research published in Public Opinion Quarterly reveals a correlation between the number of times President Donald Trump repeated falsehoods during his presidency and misperceptions among Republicans, and that the repetition effect was stronger on the beliefs of people who consume information primarily from right-leaning news outlets.{{cite web | last=Somers | first=Jenna | title=New study reveals correlation between Trump's repeated falsehoods and public misperceptions. | website=Vanderbilt University | date=September 18, 2023 | url=https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2023/09/18/new-study-reveals-correlation-between-trumps-repeated-falsehoods-and-public-misperceptions/ | access-date=September 24, 2023 | archive-date=September 22, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922220708/https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2023/09/18/new-study-reveals-correlation-between-trumps-repeated-falsehoods-and-public-misperceptions/ | url-status=live }}}}

The Washington Post fact-checker created a new category of falsehoods in 2018, the "Bottomless Pinocchio," for falsehoods repeated at least twenty times (so often "that there can be no question the politician is aware his or her facts are wrong"). Trump was the only politician who met the standard of the category, with 14 statements that immediately qualified. According to the Post Trump repeated some falsehoods so many times he had effectively engaged in disinformation.{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |title=Meet the Bottomless Pinocchio, a new rating for a false claim repeated over and over again |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 10, 2018 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/10/meet-bottomless-pinocchio-new-rating-false-claim-repeated-over-over-again/ |access-date=January 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118132341/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/10/meet-bottomless-pinocchio-new-rating-false-claim-repeated-over-over-again/ |archive-date=January 18, 2019 |url-status=live }} CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale notes that news outlets may initially check a false claim by Trump, but are unlikely to continue pointing out that it's false, "especially because he is constantly mixing in dozens of new lies that require time and resources to address. And so, by virtue of shameless perseverance, Trump often manages to outlast most of the media's willingness to correct any particular falsehood".{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=2024-09-03 |title=Analysis: Trump is still telling lies he told eight years ago |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/03/politics/trump-fact-checking-analysis/index.html |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=CNN Politics |language=en}}

It has been suggested that Trump's apparent "avalanche of lies" consists of bullshit rather than of lying as strictly defined. According to Harry Frankfurt's influential 2005 book On Bullshit, the liar cares about the truth and attempts to hide it, while the bullshitter does not care whether what they say is true or false. Eduardo Porter writes in The Washington Post that Frankfurt's bullshitter definition fits Trump: "To subvert the truth, you must first know it, or at least think you do. That’s not Trump’s game." For example, Trump does not, in Porter's argument, have to check US unemployment or inflation statistics to assert that "we inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare", because for bullshit, the facts do not matter. On the contrary, by ignoring the facts, bullshit has the power to guide group beliefs in a politically desirable direction and thereby to shape group identities. As early as 2015, Jeet Heer wrote that Trump’s propensity to bullshit is not an aberration in his party: "Over the last two decades, the GOP as a party has increasingly adopted positions that are not just politically extreme but also in defiance of facts and science".

{{Further|Wealth of Donald Trump}}

Within years of expanding his father's property development business into Manhattan in the early 1970s, Trump attracted the attention of The New York Times for his brash and controversial style, with one real-estate financier observing in 1976, "His deals are dramatic, but they haven't come into being. So far, the chief beneficiary of his creativity has been his public image." Der Scutt, the prominent architect who designed Trump Tower, said in 1976, "He's extremely aggressive when he sells, maybe to the point of overselling. Like, he'll say the convention center is the biggest in the world, when it really isn't. He'll exaggerate for the purpose of making a sale."{{cite news |work=The New York Times |date=November 1, 1976 |first=Judy |last=Klemesrud |author-link=Judy Lee Klemesrud |title=Donald Trump, Real Estate Promoter, Builds Image as He Buys Buildings |access-date=October 23, 2018 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/01/archives/donald-trump-real-estate-promoter-builds-image-as-he-buys-buildings.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017203902/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/01/archives/donald-trump-real-estate-promoter-builds-image-as-he-buys-buildings.html |archive-date=October 17, 2018 |url-status=live }} A 1984 GQ profile of Trump quoted him stating he owned the whole block on Central Park South and Avenue of the Americas. GQ noted that the two buildings Trump owned were likely less than a sixth of the block.{{cite news|last=Carter|first=Graydon|author-link=Graydon Carter|date=May 1, 1984|title=The Secret to Donald Trump's Success|work=GQ|url=https://www.gq.com/story/donald-trump-gq-profile-graydon-carter|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028033854/https://www.gq.com/story/donald-trump-gq-profile-graydon-carter|archive-date=October 28, 2018}}

The New York state attorney general, Letitia James, opened a civil investigation into Trump's business practices, especially regarding inflated property values.{{Cite web|last=D'Antonio|first=Michael|date=January 20, 2022|title=Opinion: Trump documents allegedly claimed his apartment was nearly three times larger than it is|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/20/opinions/trump-organization-attorney-general-accountability-dantonio/index.html|access-date=January 21, 2022|website=CNN|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120191130/https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/20/opinions/trump-organization-attorney-general-accountability-dantonio/index.html|url-status=live}} She joined the Manhattan district attorney's office in a criminal investigation into possible property tax fraud by the Trump Organization.{{Cite web|last1=Eisler|first1=Peter|last2=Szep|first2=Jason|date=February 19, 2021|title=New York City Tax Agency Subpoenaed In Trump Criminal Probe|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/manhattan-district-attorney-cy-vance-trump-probe_n_603092fac5b66dfc101ec310|access-date=February 20, 2021|website=HuffPost|language=en|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309090851/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/manhattan-district-attorney-cy-vance-trump-probe_n_603092fac5b66dfc101ec310|url-status=live}}

In 1984, Trump posed as his own spokesman John Barron and made false assertions of his wealth to secure a higher ranking on the Forbes 400 list of wealthy Americans, including by claiming he owned over 90% of his family's business. Audio recordings of these claims were released in 2018 by journalist Jonathan Greenberg.{{cite news|last=Greenberg|first=Jonathan|date=April 20, 2018|title=Trump lied to me about his wealth to get onto the Forbes 400. Here are the tapes.|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-lied-to-me-about-his-wealth-to-get-onto-the-forbes-400-here-are-the-tapes/2018/04/20/ac762b08-4287-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html|url-status=live|access-date=October 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420104357/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-lied-to-me-about-his-wealth-to-get-onto-the-forbes-400-here-are-the-tapes/2018/04/20/ac762b08-4287-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html|archive-date=April 20, 2018}}

Following the October 1987 stock market crash, Trump claimed to press that he had taken no losses and sold all his stock a month before. Per SEC filings he owned large stakes in some companies during the crash. Forbes calculated that Trump had lost at least $19 million related to Resorts International stock,{{cite news|last=Malanga|first=Steven|author-link=Steven Malanga|date=May 12, 2016|title=My Pen Pal, Donald Trump Or, the art of the squeal|website=City Journal|publisher=Manhattan Institute for Policy Research|url=https://www.city-journal.org/html/my-pen-pal-donald-trump-14442.html|url-status=live|access-date=October 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232344/https://www.city-journal.org/html/my-pen-pal-donald-trump-14442.html|archive-date=October 21, 2018}}{{better source needed|date=July 2023|reason=City Journal is not a reliable outlet, and the specific Forbes source should be cited directly if it is reliable}}{{cite news |last1=O'Harrow, Jr |first1=Robert |title=Trump's bad bet: How too much debt drove his biggest casino aground |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/trumps-bad-bet-how-too-much-debt-drove-his-biggest-casino-aground/2016/01/18/f67cedc2-9ac8-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html |access-date=July 22, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 24, 2023 |archive-date=March 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314051011/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/trumps-bad-bet-how-too-much-debt-drove-his-biggest-casino-aground/2016/01/18/f67cedc2-9ac8-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html |url-status=live }} while journalist Gwenda Blair noted $22 million from stock in the Alexander's department store chain.{{cite news |last1=Kruse |first1=Michael |title=1988: The Year Donald Trump Lost His Mind |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/1988-the-year-donald-lost-his-mind-213721/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |work=Politico Magazine |date=March 11, 2016 |language=en |archive-date=July 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722213640/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/1988-the-year-donald-lost-his-mind-213721/ |url-status=live }}

Challenging estimates of his net worth he considered too low, in 1989 Trump said he had very little debt.{{cite news|last=Plaskin|first=Glenn|date=March 12, 1989|title=Trump: 'The People's Billionaire'|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-03-12-8903260257-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029031047/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-03-12-8903260257-story.html|archive-date=October 29, 2018}} Reuters reported Trump owed $4 billion (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=4000000000|start_year=1990}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) to more than 70 banks at the beginning of 1990.{{cite news|last=Flitter|first=Emily|date=July 17, 2016|title=Art of the spin: Trump bankers question his portrayal of financial comeback |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-bankruptcies-insig/art-of-the-spin-trump-bankers-question-his-portrayal-of-financial-comeback-idUSKCN0ZX0GP|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014053134/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-bankruptcies-insig/art-of-the-spin-trump-bankers-question-his-portrayal-of-financial-comeback-idUSKCN0ZX0GP|archive-date=October 14, 2018}} In 1997, Ben Berzin Jr., who had been tasked with recovering some of the $100 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=100000000|start_year=1997}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) his bank had lent Trump, said "During the time that I dealt with Mr. Trump, I was continually surprised by his mastery of situational ethics. He does not seem to be able to differentiate between fact and fiction."{{cite news|last=Malanga|first=Steven|author-link=Steven Malanga|date=April 6, 2011|title=Donald Trump: The Art of the Tease|website=Real Clear Markets|url=https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2011/04/06/donald_trump_the_art_of_the_tease_98949.html|url-status=live|access-date=October 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026222717/https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2011/04/06/donald_trump_the_art_of_the_tease_98949.html|archive-date=October 26, 2018}}

A 1998 New York Observer article reported that Jerry Nadler "flatly calls Mr. Trump a 'liar'," quoting Nadler stating, "Trump got $6 million [in federal money] in the dead of night when no one knew anything about it" by slipping a provision into a $200 billion federal transportation bill.{{cite news|last=Sargent|first=Greg|date=June 8, 1998|title=Tricky Donald Trump Beats Jerry Nadler in Game of Politics|work=The New York Observer|url=https://observer.com/1998/06/tricky-donald-trump-beats-jerry-nadler-in-game-of-politics/|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028073734/https://observer.com/1998/06/tricky-donald-trump-beats-jerry-nadler-in-game-of-politics/|archive-date=October 28, 2018}} During a 2005 deposition in a defamation lawsuit he initiated about his worth, Trump said: "My net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with markets and with attitudes and with feelings, even my own feelings{{nbsp}}... and that can change rapidly from day to day".{{cite news|last=Singer|first=Mark|author-link=Mark Singer (journalist)|date=July 5, 2016|title=Getting Sued by Trump Has Its Upsides|website=GQ|url=https://www.gq.com/story/getting-sued-by-trump-has-its-upsides|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028225612/https://www.gq.com/story/getting-sued-by-trump-has-its-upsides|archive-date=October 28, 2018}}

David Fahrenthold investigated Trump's claims about his charitable giving and found little evidence the claims are true.{{cite news|last=Fahrenthold|first=David A.|author-link=David Fahrenthold|date=October 4, 2016|title=Trump's co-author on 'The Art of the Deal' donates $55,000 royalty check to charity|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/10/04/trumps-co-author-on-the-art-of-the-deal-donates-55000-royalty-check-to-charity/|url-status=live|access-date=February 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624043151/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/10/04/trumps-co-author-on-the-art-of-the-deal-donates-55000-royalty-check-to-charity/|archive-date=June 24, 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Gross |first1=Terry |author-link=Terry Gross |last2=Fahrenthold |first2=David |author-link2=David Fahrenthold |date=September 28, 2016 |title=Journalist Says Trump Foundation May Have Engaged In 'Self-Dealing' |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/09/28/495782978/journalist-says-trump-foundation-may-have-engaged-in-self-dealing |url-status=live |access-date=March 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160929000019/http://www.npr.org/2016/09/28/495782978/journalist-says-trump-foundation-may-have-engaged-in-self-dealing |archive-date=September 29, 2016}} Following Fahrenthold's reporting, the Attorney General of New York opened an inquiry into the Donald J. Trump Foundation's fundraising practices, and issued a "notice of violation" ordering the Foundation to stop raising money in New York.{{cite news|last=Eder|first=Steve|date=October 3, 2016|title=State Attorney General Orders Trump Foundation to Cease Raising Money in New York|website=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/04/us/politics/trump-foundation-money.html|url-status=live|access-date=March 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225013459/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/04/us/politics/trump-foundation-money.html|archive-date=December 25, 2016}} The Foundation had to admit it engaged in self-dealing practices to benefit Trump, his family, and businesses.{{cite news|last=Fahrenthold|first=David A.|author-link=David Fahrenthold|date=November 22, 2016|title=Trump Foundation admits to violating ban on 'self-dealing', new filing to IRS shows|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-foundation-apparently-admits-to-violating-ban-on-self-dealing-new-filing-to-irs-shows/2016/11/22/893f6508-b0a9-11e6-8616-52b15787add0_story.html|url-status=live|access-date=March 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029091851/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-foundation-apparently-admits-to-violating-ban-on-self-dealing-new-filing-to-irs-shows/2016/11/22/893f6508-b0a9-11e6-8616-52b15787add0_story.html|archive-date=October 29, 2019}}

{{Further|Donald Trump and American football|Donald Trump and golf}}

In 1983, when Trump was forming a business relationship with the New Jersey Generals football team, he spoke about the team at a public forum. "He promised the signing of superstar players he would never sign. He announced the hiring of immortal coaches he would never hire. He scheduled a news conference the next day to confirm all of it, and the next day never came," CNN reporter Keith Olbermann recalled in 2021. Following the forum, Trump approached Olbermann and, rather than waiting for questions, began speaking into Olbermann's microphone about "an entirely different set of coaches and players than he had from the podium."{{Cite news|last=Olbermann|first=Keith|date=February 12, 2021|title=Opinion {{!}} Is This the End of Obsessively Hating Donald Trump?|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/opinion/trump-impeachment-media.html|access-date=February 18, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=February 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218013230/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/opinion/trump-impeachment-media.html|url-status=live}}

In 1987, during testimony regarding an antitrust case between the United States Football League (USFL) and the National Football League (NFL), Trump stated that he had had a meeting with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle years earlier where Rozelle offered him an NFL franchise in exchange for keeping the USFL a spring-time league and not initiating a lawsuit with the NFL.{{Cite web |last=Myers |first=Gary |date=March 5, 2016 |title=Donald Trump made the NFL great ... due to anti-trust lawsuit and never being part of the league |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/myers-donald-trump-made-nfl-great-part-article-1.2554006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716005055/https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/myers-donald-trump-made-nfl-great-part-article-1.2554006 |archive-date=July 16, 2022 |access-date=January 1, 2023 |website=New York Daily News}}{{Cite web |last=Pearlman |first=Jeff |author-link=Jeff Pearlman |date=September 11, 2018 |title=The day Donald Trump's narcissism killed the USFL |url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/11/the-day-donald-trumps-narcissism-killed-the-usfl |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525145027/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/11/the-day-donald-trumps-narcissism-killed-the-usfl |archive-date=May 25, 2022 |access-date=January 1, 2023 |website=The Guardian }} Rozelle denied having made this offer and stated he was opposed to Trump becoming an NFL team owner, with a person present at the meeting between the two stating that Rozelle told Trump, "As long as I or my heirs are involved in the NFL, you will never be a franchise owner in the league".{{Cite web |last=Gaines |first=Cork |date=June 10, 2018 |title=Inside Trump's 35-year war with the NFL that has spanned the USFL, Bon Jovi, and Deflategate |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-winning-pigskin-war-with-the-nfl-2018-6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106003330/https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-winning-pigskin-war-with-the-nfl-2018-6 |archive-date=November 6, 2020 |access-date=January 1, 2023 |website=Business Insider |publisher=Axel Springer SE}}{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Daniel |date=September 21, 2018 |title=Trump's crusade against the NFL is USFL history repeating |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-crusade-nfl-usfl-history-repeating-165618037.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214142716/https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-crusade-nfl-usfl-history-repeating-165618037.html |archive-date=February 14, 2022 |access-date=January 1, 2023 |website=Yahoo! Finance |publisher=Yahoo}}

In 1996, Trump claimed he wagered $1 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=1000000|start_year=1996}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) on 20-to-1 odds boxing match between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. The Las Vegas Sun reported that "while everyone is careful not to call Trump a liar," no one in a position to know about such a sizable wager was aware of it.{{cite news|date=December 4, 1996|title=No trace of Trump $20 mil. win|website=Las Vegas Sun|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/1996/dec/04/no-trace-of-trump-20-mil-win/|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028033927/https://lasvegassun.com/news/1996/dec/04/no-trace-of-trump-20-mil-win/|archive-date=October 28, 2018}}

In a 2004 book, The Games Do Count: America's Best and Brightest on the Power of Sports, Trump claimed to have hit "the winning home run" when his school played Cornwall High School in 1964, garnering a headline "Trump Homers to Win the Game" in a local newspaper. Years later, a journalist discovered that Trump's high school did not play Cornwall that year, nor did any such local headline surface. A classmate recalled a separate incident in high school in which Trump had hit "a blooper the fielders misplayed," sending the ball "just over the third baseman's head," yet Trump insisted to him: "I want you to remember this: I hit the ball out of the ballpark!"{{Cite web |last=Schaerlaeckens |first=Leander |date=May 5, 2020 |title=Was Donald Trump Good at Baseball? |url=https://slate.com/culture/2020/05/donald-trump-baseball-high-school-nyma.html |access-date=August 25, 2020 |website=Slate |archive-date=October 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005152815/https://slate.com/culture/2020/05/donald-trump-baseball-high-school-nyma.html |url-status=live }}

After purchasing the Trump National Golf Club in 2009, Trump erected The River of Blood monument between the 14th hole and 15th tee with a plaque describing the blood of Civil War casualties that turned the river red. No such event ever took place at this site.{{cite news |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas |date=November 24, 2015 |title=In Renovation of Golf Club, Donald Trump Also Dressed Up History |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/us/politics/in-renovation-of-golf-club-donald-trump-also-dressed-up-history.html |access-date=June 10, 2020 |quote=How would they know that? Were they there?|archive-date=August 17, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170817225727/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/us/politics/in-renovation-of-golf-club-donald-trump-also-dressed-up-history.html}}

Trump has repeatedly claimed he is an 18-time club championship winner at several clubs, none of which can be positively confirmed, and 16 of which were not official or all-member club championships. All these wins have been recorded at golf clubs owned or managed by The Trump Organization. Professional and amateur golfers, such as Buddy Marucci, have claimed that Trump would threaten to revoke the membership of anyone who won against him, thus allowing him to win club championships with little competition. Trump has claimed to have won the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach Club Championship in 1999, before the club was officially opened to membership,{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Rick |date=April 2, 2019 |title=Commander in cheat? Donald Trump's 18 golf tournament wins examined |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/apr/02/donald-trump-golf-28-club-championships |access-date=March 22, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} and the 2023 Senior Club Championship at the same course, despite not being present for the first day.{{Cite news |last1=McDougall |first1=A.J. |last2=Petrizzo |first2=Zachary |date=January 23, 2023 |title=Trump Somehow Wins His Club's Golf Championship Despite Missing First Day |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-wins-his-clubs-golf-championship-despite-missing-first-day-for-lynette-hardaways-funeral |access-date=March 22, 2024 |work=The Daily Beast |language=en |archive-date=March 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322081144/https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-wins-his-clubs-golf-championship-despite-missing-first-day-for-lynette-hardaways-funeral |url-status=live }}

In 1973, the New York Times ran its first profile of Trump, stating he had "graduated first in his class from the Wharton School of Finance" five years earlier.{{Cite news |last=Whitman |first=Alden |date=January 28, 1973 |title=A Builder Looks Back – and Moves Forward |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/28/archives/a-builder-looks-backand-moves-forward-builder-looks-back-but-moves.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftimesmachine.content-tagging.us-east-1-01.prd.dvsp.nyt.net%2Ftimesmachine%2F1973%2F01%2F28%2F103217929.html%3Fpdf_redirect%3Dtrue&site=false |access-date=August 6, 2023 |archive-date=August 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806231614/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/28/archives/a-builder-looks-backand-moves-forward-builder-looks-back-but-moves.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftimesmachine.content-tagging.us-east-1-01.prd.dvsp.nyt.net%2Ftimesmachine%2F1973%2F01%2F28%2F103217929.html%3Fpdf_redirect%3Dtrue&site=false |url-status=live }} However, in 1984, the New York Times Magazine shed light by pointing out that "the commencement program from 1968 does not list him as graduating with honors of any kind."{{Cite news |last=Geist |first=William A. |date=April 8, 1984 |title=The Expanding Empire of Donald Trump |language=en |work=New York Times Magazine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html?scp=1&sq=%22THE+EXPANDING+EMPIRE+OF+DONALD+TRUMP%22&st=cse&pagewanted=all |access-date=August 6, 2023 |archive-date=August 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806231614/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html?scp=1&sq=%22THE+EXPANDING+EMPIRE+OF+DONALD+TRUMP%22&st=cse&pagewanted=all |url-status=live }}

After three Trump casino executives died in a 1989 helicopter crash, Trump claimed that he, too, had nearly boarded the helicopter. The claim was denied 30 years later by a former vice president of the Trump Organization.{{Cite web|last=Moran|first=Lee|date=July 31, 2019|title=Trump Lied About Almost Dying In Helicopter Crash, Ex-Employee Says|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lied-helicopter-crash_n_5d418048e4b0d24cde089e8c|access-date=July 26, 2020|website=HuffPost|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022055829/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lied-helicopter-crash_n_5d418048e4b0d24cde089e8c|url-status=live}}

Promoting his Trump University after its formation in 2004, Trump asserted he would handpick all its instructors. Michael Sexton, former president of the venture, stated in a 2012 deposition that Trump selected none.{{cite news |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2016/03/trumps-defense-of-his-university/ |title=Trump's Defense of His 'University' |date=March 1, 2016 |first=D'Angelo |last=Gore |work=FactCheck.org |access-date=October 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606042031/https://www.factcheck.org/2016/03/trumps-defense-of-his-university/ |archive-date=June 6, 2019 |url-status=live }}

During a 2018 interview, television personality Billy Bush recounted a conversation he had had with Trump, in which he refuted Trump's repeated false claims that The Apprentice was the top-rated television program in America. Bush recalled Trump responding, "Billy, look, you just tell them and they believe it. That's it: you just tell them and they believe. They just do."{{Cite web|last=Deerwester|first=Jayme|title=Billy Bush on Trump's lies about 'Apprentice' ratings: 'You just tell them and they believe'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/03/17/billy-bush-continues-his-redemption-tour-talks-trump-real-time-bill-maher/434927002/|website=USA Today|date=March 27, 2018|access-date=October 1, 2022|archive-date=July 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728152156/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/03/17/billy-bush-continues-his-redemption-tour-talks-trump-real-time-bill-maher/434927002/|url-status=live}}

Alair Townsend, a former budget director and deputy mayor of New York during the 1980s, and a former publisher of Crain's New York Business, said "I wouldn't believe Donald Trump if his tongue were notarized."{{better source needed|date=July 2023|reason=City Journal is not a reliable outlet, and this appears to be Malanga's unsupported personal recollection}} Leona Helmsley later used this line as her own when she spoke about Trump in her 1990 interview in Playboy magazine.{{cite news |date=September 21, 1990 |title=It's Leona's Turn in Playboy – Donald Is a 'Skunk' |website=Los Angeles Times |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-21-ca-959-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=October 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107064346/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-09-21/entertainment/ca-959_1_magnate-donald-trump |archive-date=November 7, 2016}}

Trump often appeared in New York tabloid newspapers. Recalling her career with New York Post{{'}}s Page Six column, Susany Mulcahy told Vanity Fair in 2004, "I wrote about him a certain amount, but I actually would sit back and be amazed at how often people would write about him in a completely gullible way. He was a great character, but he was full of crap 90 percent of the time." (Trump told the magazine, "I agree with her 100 percent."){{Cite magazine |last=DiGiacomo |first=Frank |date=December 2004 |title=The Gossip Behind the Gossip |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2004/12/pagesix200412 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en |access-date=August 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621205902/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2004/12/pagesix200412 |archive-date=June 21, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |last=Mulcahy |first=Susan |date=May–June 2016 |title=Confessions of a Trump Tabloid Scribe |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/2016-donald-trump-tabloids-new-york-post-daily-news-media-213842/ |magazine=Politico Magazine |language=en |access-date=August 30, 2019 |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301114115/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/2016-donald-trump-tabloids-new-york-post-daily-news-media-213842/ |url-status=live }} Barbara Res, a former Trump Organization vice president who worked for Trump from 1978 until 1998, said "he would tell the staff his ridiculous lies, and after a while, no one believed a single word he would say".{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/05/hurricane-dorian-sharpie-trump-1482839 |date=September 5, 2019 |title=The short arc of a Sharpie captures the long arc of Trump |first=Nancy |last=Cook |website=Politico |access-date=October 1, 2022 |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114105446/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/05/hurricane-dorian-sharpie-trump-1482839 |url-status=live }}

{{main|Trump: The Art of the Deal}}

Tony Schwartz is a journalist who ghostwrote Trump: The Art of the Deal. In July 2016, Schwartz was interviewed by Jane Mayer for articles in The New Yorker.{{cite news |last=Mayer |first=Jane |author-link=Jane Mayer |date=July 20, 2016 |title=Donald Trump Threatens the Ghostwriter of 'The Art of the Deal' |magazine=The New Yorker |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/donald-trump-threatens-the-ghostwriter-of-the-art-of-the-deal |access-date=February 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201025950/http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/donald-trump-threatens-the-ghostwriter-of-the-art-of-the-deal |archive-date=February 1, 2017 |url-status=live }} He described Trump highly unfavorably, and described how he came to regret writing The Art of the Deal.{{cite news |date=July 21, 2016 |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/07/21/486924253/art-of-the-deal-ghostwriter-on-why-trump-should-not-be-president |title='Art Of The Deal' Ghostwriter On Why Trump Should Not Be President |work=NPR |access-date=February 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208235720/http://www.npr.org/2016/07/21/486924253/art-of-the-deal-ghostwriter-on-why-trump-should-not-be-president |archive-date=February 8, 2017 |url-status=live }} When Schwartz wrote it, he created the phrase "truthful hyperbole", as an "artful euphemism" to describe Trump's "loose relationship with the truth". This passage provides context, written in Trump's voice: "I play to people's fantasies{{nbsp}}... People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular. I call it truthful hyperbole. It's an innocent form of exaggeration—and it's a very effective form of promotion".{{cite news |last=Croucher |first=Shane |title=Is Donald Trump stupid or a liar? |website=International Business Times |date=February 24, 2017 |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/donald-trump-stupid-liar-1608463 |access-date=February 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225121727/http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/donald-trump-stupid-liar-1608463 |archive-date=February 25, 2017 |url-status=live }} He said Trump "loved the phrase".{{cite news |last=Page |first=Clarence |author-link=Clarence Page |title=Column: 'Alternative facts' play to Americans' fantasies |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/clarence-page/ct-alternative-facts-kellyanne-conway-trump-perspec-0125-20170124-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |date=January 24, 2017 |access-date=February 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226201706/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/page/ct-alternative-facts-kellyanne-conway-trump-perspec-0125-20170124-story.html |archive-date=February 26, 2017 |url-status=live }}

Schwartz said "deceit" is never "innocent". He also said, "'Truthful hyperbole' is a contradiction in terms. It's a way of saying, 'It's a lie, but who cares?'" Schwartz repeated his criticism on Good Morning America and Real Time with Bill Maher, saying he "put lipstick on a pig".{{cite news |last=Winsor |first=Morgan |date=July 18, 2016 |title=Tony Schwartz, Co-Author of Donald Trump's 'The Art of the Deal', Says Trump Presidency Would Be 'Terrifying' |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/tony-schwartz-author-donald-trumps-art-deal-trump/story?id=40662196 |access-date=February 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118010759/https://abcnews.go.com/US/tony-schwartz-author-donald-trumps-art-deal-trump/story?id=40662196 |archive-date=November 18, 2016 |url-status=live }}

File:Fred Trump in the 1980s (cropped).jpg, {{circa|1986}}]]

Fearing that anti-German sentiments during and after World War II would negatively affect his business, Trump's father, Fred Trump, began claiming Swedish descent.{{cite book |last=Blair |first=Gwenda |author-link=Gwenda Blair |title=The Trumps: three generations of builders and a president |publisher=Simon and Schuster, Inc. |location=New York |isbn=978-0-7432-1079-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/trumps00gwen/page/159 159] |edition=1st pbk |date=2015 |orig-date=2001 |url=https://archive.org/details/trumps00gwen/page/159 }} (Republication of The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire (Simon and Schuster, 2000, {{ISBN|978-0-684-80849-9}})){{cite news |last=Viser |first=Matt |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/07/16/donald-trump-ambition-and-taste-for-glitz-drove-him-surpass-his-own-father-considerable-success/w9GNiWpAsqzbTSsgkhVBhJ/story.html |title=Donald Trump's drive to surpass his father's success |work=The Boston Globe |date=July 16, 2016 |access-date=November 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102141330/https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/07/16/donald-trump-ambition-and-taste-for-glitz-drove-him-surpass-his-own-father-considerable-success/w9GNiWpAsqzbTSsgkhVBhJ/story.html |archive-date=November 2, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Horowitz |first=Jason |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/22/us/politics/for-donald-trumps-family-an-immigrants-tale-with-2-beginnings.html |title=For Donald Trump's Family, an Immigrant's Tale With 2 Beginnings |work=The New York Times |date=August 22, 2016 |access-date=August 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815192005/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/22/us/politics/for-donald-trumps-family-an-immigrants-tale-with-2-beginnings.html |archive-date=August 15, 2018 |url-status=live }} Both parents of Fred Trump were born and raised in Kallstadt, Kingdom of Bavaria, now part of Germany. The falsehood was repeated by Donald to the press{{cite news|last=Geist|first=William E.|author-link=Bill Geist|date=April 8, 1984|title=The Expanding Empire of Donald Trump|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201175810/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html|archive-date=February 1, 2017}} and in The Art of the Deal,{{cite news |title=Trump's family denied German heritage for years |first=Jennifer |last=Hansler |date=November 28, 2017 |work=CNN|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/28/politics/trump-family-heritage/index.html |access-date=October 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928021526/https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/28/politics/trump-family-heritage/index.html |archive-date=September 28, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Donald Trump claimed he was of Swedish ancestry – but it's a lie |first=Vilhelm |last=Carlström |date=November 28, 2017 |work=Business Insider |url=https://nordic.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-told-the-world-he-was-of-swedish-ancestry---but-its-a-lie-2016-8 |access-date=October 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418085603/https://nordic.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-told-the-world-he-was-of-swedish-ancestry---but-its-a-lie-2016-8 |archive-date=April 18, 2019 |url-status=dead }} where he claimed his grandfather, Friedrich Trump, "came here from Sweden as a child".{{cite news |last=Daly |first=Michael |title=Donald Trump Even Lies About Being Swedish (He's Actually German) |website=The Daily Beast |date=March 24, 2016 |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-even-lies-about-being-swedish-hes-actually-german |access-date=February 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221140516/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/25/donald-trump-even-lies-about-being-swedish-he-s-actually-german.html |archive-date=February 21, 2017 |url-status=live }} In the same book, Donald said his father was born in New Jersey.{{cite news |last=Mayer |first=Jane |author-link=Jane Mayer |date=July 25, 2016 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-tells-all |title=Donald Trump's Ghostwriter Tells All |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=February 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619235905/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-tells-all |archive-date=June 19, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last=Barrett |first=Wayne |author-link=Wayne Barrett |title=The Greatest Show on Earth |publisher=Regan Arts |location=New York |isbn=978-1682450-79-6 |page=33 |edition=1st pbk |date= 2016 }} (Republication of Trump: The Deals and the Downfall (Harper Collins, 1992, {{ISBN|0-06-016704-1}})) When asked during his presidency why he upheld the false narrative about his father being Swedish, Trump said, "My father spent a lot of time [in Sweden]. But it was never really something really discussed very much."{{Cite web |last=Hansler |first=Jennifer |date=November 28, 2017 |title=Trump's family denied German heritage for years |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/28/politics/trump-family-heritage/index.html |access-date=July 31, 2022 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=July 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731224829/https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/28/politics/trump-family-heritage/index.html |url-status=live }} As president, Trump on at least three occasions claimed his father was born in Germany.{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=April 2, 2019 |title=Analysis | Trump wrongly claims his dad was born in Germany – for the third time |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/02/trump-wrongly-claims-his-dad-was-born-germany-third-time/ |access-date=April 4, 2019 |archive-date=April 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404004950/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/02/trump-wrongly-claims-his-dad-was-born-germany-third-time/ |url-status=live }} Trump's father is of German descent but was born in the Bronx. In one case Trump said his father was "born in a very wonderful place in Germany,"{{cite news |last=Hayes |first=Christal |date=April 2, 2019 |title=Trump, again, falsely says his father is from Germany. Fred Trump was born in New York |newspaper=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/02/president-trump-false-claims-father-born-germany/3346343002/ |url-status=live |access-date=May 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403150001/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/02/president-trump-false-claims-father-born-germany/3346343002/ |archive-date=April 3, 2019}} and another time stated, "I was raised by the biggest kraut of them all,"{{Cite book |last1=Leonnig |first1=Carol |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hVo5EAAAQBAJ&pg=PG384 |title=I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year |last2=Rucker |first2=Philip |publisher=Penguin Press |year=2021 |isbn=978-0-593-29894-7 |location=New York |pages=384 |language=en |author-link=Carol D. Leonnig |author-link2=Philip Rucker |access-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309063955/https://books.google.com/books?id=hVo5EAAAQBAJ&pg=PG384#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }} invoking an ethnic slur for a German.{{cite web |title=Kraut Definition & Meaning |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/kraut |work=Dictionary.com |accessdate=June 12, 2022 |archive-date=October 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005123813/https://www.dictionary.com/browse/kraut |url-status=live }} The Guardian pointed out the irony of Trump supporting the "birtherism" conspiracy theory asserting Barack Obama was born in Africa.{{cite web | last=Rickett | first=Oscar | title=Trump keeps saying his father was born in Germany – he wasn't | website=The Guardian | date=July 17, 2018 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/17/trump-keeps-saying-his-father-was-born-in-germany-he-wasnt | access-date=March 20, 2023 | archive-date=March 20, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320062012/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/17/trump-keeps-saying-his-father-was-born-in-germany-he-wasnt | url-status=live }}

{{broader|September 11 attacks|topic=the events}}

On September 11, after at least one of the World Trade Center towers was destroyed, Trump said in an interview with WWOR-TV in New York: "40 Wall Street actually was the second-tallest building in downtown Manhattan, and it was actually, before the World Trade Center, was the tallest—and then, when they built the World Trade Center, it became known as the second tallest, and now it's the tallest."{{cite news |url-status=live |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/09/11/and-now-its-the-tallest-trump-in-otherwise-somber-9-11-interview-couldnt-help-touting-one-of-his-buildings/ |title='And now it's the tallest': Trump, in otherwise somber interview on 9/11, couldn't help touting one of his buildings |last=Bella |first=Timothy |date=September 11, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 3, 2020 |quote='40 Wall Street actually was the second-tallest building in downtown Manhattan, and it was actually, before the World Trade Center, was the tallest—and then, when they built the World Trade Center, it became known as the second tallest,' Trump said in the WWOR interview. 'And now it's the tallest.' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222223941/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/09/11/and-now-its-the-tallest-trump-in-otherwise-somber-9-11-interview-couldnt-help-touting-one-of-his-buildings/ |archive-date=December 22, 2019 }} Once the Twin Towers had collapsed, the 71-story Trump Building at 40 Wall Street became the second-tallest building in Lower Manhattan, {{convert|25|ft}} shorter than the building at 70 Pine Street.{{cite news |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2019/sep/11/fact-checking-mixed-bag-accusations-trump-and-911 |title=Fact-checking a mixed bag of accusations on Trump and 9/11 |last1=Austin |first1=Sophie |last2=Pousoulides |first2=Stefanie |date=September 11, 2019 |website=PolitiFact|access-date=May 3, 2020 |quote=In actuality, once the Twin Towers were decimated, the 71-story Trump Building at 40 Wall Street was the second-tallest building still standing in Lower Manhattan, according to the Washington Post. It was 25 feet shorter than the building at 70 Pine Street. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427153346/https://www.politifact.com/article/2019/sep/11/fact-checking-mixed-bag-accusations-trump-and-911/ |archive-date=April 27, 2020 |url-status=live}} Two days after the attack, Trump stood near Ground Zero and told a television station he was paying two hundred of his employees to come "find and identify victims". No record of such work has ever been found. In 2023, he reposted the claim on Truth Social.{{Cite web |last=Papenfuss |first=Mary |date=February 10, 2023 |title=Preening Trump Revives Questionable Tale About His Role Following 9/11 |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-sept-11-ground-zero_n_63e5bac8e4b0255caaeab4e8 |access-date=February 10, 2023 |website=HuffPost |language=en |archive-date=February 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210140743/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-sept-11-ground-zero_n_63e5bac8e4b0255caaeab4e8 |url-status=live }}

At a rally in Columbus, Ohio, in 2015, Trump said "I have a view—a view in my apartment that was specifically aimed at the World Trade Center." He added "and I watched those people jump and I watched the second plane hit ... I saw the second plane hit the building and I said, 'Wow that's unbelievable.'" At the time of the attack, Trump lived in Trump Tower more than {{convert|4|mi|km|spell=in|0}} away from the World Trade Center towers. His campaign did not respond to inquiries about how it was possible for him to see people jumping from that far away.{{cite news |last=Diamond |first=Jeremy |date=November 27, 2015 |title=Trump: 'Many people jumped and I witnessed it' on 9/11 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/23/politics/donald-trump-9-11-twin-towers/index.html |url-status=live |work=CNN|location=Columbus, Ohio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305065433/https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/23/politics/donald-trump-9-11-twin-towers/index.html |archive-date=March 5, 2020 |access-date=May 3, 2020 }}

In another rally in 2015, Trump claimed seeing "thousands and thousands" of Arab Americans in New Jersey cheering during the collapse of the World Trade Center. News organizations like the Associated Press (AP), The Washington Post, and The Star-Ledger reported rumors of 9/11 celebrations in New Jersey, but they were found to be unfounded, unsourced, or finding that people were memorializing the event. Nobody else was known to remember seeing masses of thousands of people celebrating after 9/11. Furthermore, Trump would not have been able to clearly see people cheering in New Jersey from his residence.{{Cite web |date=November 22, 2015 |last1=Carroll |first1=Lauren |title=Fact-checking Trump's claim that thousands in New Jersey cheered when World Trade Center tumbled |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/nov/22/donald-trump/fact-checking-trumps-claim-thousands-new-jersey-ch/ |access-date=October 31, 2021 |website=PolitiFact |language=en-US |archive-date=February 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209070357/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/22/donald-trump/fact-checking-trumps-claim-thousands-new-jersey-ch/ |url-status=live }}

During his 2016 campaign, Trump falsely claimed to have predicted the attacks in his 2000 book The America We Deserve, that Osama bin Laden was not well known when the book was published and that it called for the U.S. to "take him out".{{Cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-did-donald-trump-predict-the-911-attacks/ |title=Fact check: Did Donald Trump predict the 9/11 attacks? |last=Kaplan |first=Rebecca |website=CBS News |date=November 26, 2015 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |archive-date=April 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414012422/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-did-donald-trump-predict-the-911-attacks/ |url-status=live }}

{{see also|Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories}}

Trump promoted conspiracy theories that have lacked empirical support. These have included "birther" theories that Barack Obama was not born in the US.{{cite news|last=Gass|first=Nick|date=January 12, 2012|title=Trump: I'm still a birther|website=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-birther-obama-119945.html|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822090558/http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-birther-obama-119945.html|archive-date=August 22, 2015}}{{cite news|last=Keneally|first=Meghan|date=September 18, 2015|title=Trump's History of Raising Birther Questions About Obama|work=ABC News|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trumps-history-raising-birther-questions-president-obama/story?id=33861832|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005131135/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trumps-history-raising-birther-questions-president-obama/story?id=33861832|archive-date=October 5, 2018}}{{cite news|last=Epps|first=Garrett|author-link=Garrett Epps|date=February 26, 2016|title=Trump's Birther Libel|website=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/trump-birther-rubio-cruz/471015/|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022043700/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/trump-birther-rubio-cruz/471015/|archive-date=October 22, 2018}} In 2011, Trump took credit for the release of Obama's "long-form" birth certificate, while raising doubt about its legitimacy,{{cite news|last=Madison|first=Lucy|date=April 27, 2011|title=Trump takes credit for Obama birth certificate release, but wonders 'is it real?'|work=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-takes-credit-for-obama-birth-certificate-release-but-wonders-is-it-real/|url-status=live|access-date=May 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150301005408/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-takes-credit-for-obama-birth-certificate-release-but-wonders-is-it-real/|archive-date=March 1, 2015}} and in 2016 admitted that Obama was a natural-born citizen from Hawaii.{{cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|author-link=Maggie Haberman|last2=Rappeport|first2=Alan|date=September 16, 2016|title=Trump Drops False 'Birther' Theory, but Floats a New One: Clinton Started It|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/politics/donald-trump-birther-obama.html|url-status=live|access-date=October 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170127233844/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/politics/donald-trump-birther-obama.html|archive-date=January 27, 2017}} He then falsely stated that Hillary Clinton started the conspiracy theories.{{cite news |last=Farley |first=Robert |date=September 16, 2016 |title=Trump on Birtherism: Wrong, and Wrong |work=FactCheck.org|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2016/09/trump-on-birtherism-wrong-and-wrong/|url-status=live|access-date=March 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401062350/https://www.factcheck.org/2016/09/trump-on-birtherism-wrong-and-wrong/|archive-date=April 1, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=Jon |last2=Qiu |first2=Linda |date=September 16, 2016 |title=Trump's False claim Clinton started Obama birther talk |work=PolitiFact|url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/sep/16/donald-trump/fact-checking-donald-trumps-claim-hillary-clinton-/ |url-status=live |access-date=March 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401063316/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/sep/16/donald-trump/fact-checking-donald-trumps-claim-hillary-clinton-/ |archive-date=April 1, 2018}}

In 2015, Boing Boing reproduced newspaper articles from 1927, which reported Trump's father had been arrested at a Ku Klux Klan march and been discharged.{{cite journal|last=Blum|first=Matt|date=September 9, 2015|title=1927 news report: Donald Trump's dad arrested in KKK brawl with cops|url=https://boingboing.net/2015/09/09/1927-news-report-donald-trump.html|journal=Boing Boing|access-date=January 28, 2018|archive-date=January 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129140706/https://boingboing.net/2015/09/09/1927-news-report-donald-trump.html|url-status=live}} Multiple articles on the incident list Fred Trump's address in Jamaica, Queens,{{cite news|date=June 1, 1927|title=Warren Criticizes 'Class Parades'|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1927/06/01/archives/warren-criticizes-class-parades-police-head-declares-neither.html|access-date=May 15, 2019|quote=Fred Trump of 175-24 Devonshire Road, Jamaica, was discharged.|archive-date=July 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719054603/https://www.nytimes.com/1927/06/01/archives/warren-criticizes-class-parades-police-head-declares-neither.html|url-status=live}} as do the 1930 census{{cite news|last=Bump|first=Philip|date=February 29, 2016|title=In 1927, Donald Trump's Father Was Arrested After a Klan Riot in Queens|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/28/in-1927-donald-trumps-father-was-arrested-after-a-klan-riot-in-queens/|access-date=January 29, 2017|archive-date=June 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606030606/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/28/in-1927-donald-trumps-father-was-arrested-after-a-klan-riot-in-queens/|url-status=live}} and a 1936 wedding announcement.{{cite journal|last=Pearl|first=Mike|date=March 10, 2016|title=All the Evidence We Could Find About Fred Trump's Alleged Involvement with the KKK|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/all-the-evidence-we-could-find-about-fred-trumps-alleged-involvement-with-the-kkk/|journal=Vice|series=The Vice Guide to the 2016 Election|access-date=January 29, 2017|archive-date=July 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714131133/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mvke38/all-the-evidence-we-could-find-about-fred-trumps-alleged-involvement-with-the-kkk|url-status=live}} Trump admitted to The New York Times that the address was "where my grandmother lived and my father, early on." When asked about the 1927 story, he denied his father had ever lived at that address, and said the arrest "never happened", and, "There was nobody charged."{{cite news|last=Horowitz|first=Jason|date=September 22, 2015|title=In Interview, Donald Trump Denies Report of Father's Arrest in 1927|work=The New York Times|department=First Draft|url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/09/22/in-interview-donald-trump-denies-report-of-fathers-arrest-in-1927/|access-date=January 29, 2017|archive-date=January 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131024147/https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/09/22/in-interview-donald-trump-denies-report-of-fathers-arrest-in-1927/|url-status=live}}

Within six months of Trump's announcement of his presidential campaign, FactCheck.org declared Trump the "King of Whoppers", stating, "In the 12 years of FactCheck.org's existence, we've never seen his match. He stands out not only for the sheer number of his factually false claims, but also for his brazen refusals to admit error when proven wrong."{{cite news |first1=Brooks |last1=Jackson |first2=Eugene |last2=Kiely |first3=Lori |last3=Robertson |first4=Robert |last4=Farley |first5=D'Angelo |last5=Gore |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2015/12/the-king-of-whoppers-donald-trump/ |title=The 'King of Whoppers': Donald Trump |date=December 21, 2015 |work=FactCheck.org |access-date=October 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202154349/https://www.factcheck.org/2015/12/the-king-of-whoppers-donald-trump/ |archive-date=February 2, 2019 |url-status=live }} In 2016, Trump suggested that Ted Cruz's father was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=May 29, 2018 |title=8 of the biggest conspiracy theories that Trump has shared |work=The Independent |url=https://www.indy100.com/article/donald-trump-us-president-conspiracy-theories-spygate-barack-obama-ted-cruz-8369426 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144012/https://www.indy100.com/article/donald-trump-us-president-conspiracy-theories-spygate-barack-obama-ted-cruz-8369426 |archive-date=June 12, 2018}} He also accused Cruz of stealing the Iowa caucuses during the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries.{{Cite news |last=Tennery |first=Amy |date=February 3, 2016 |title=Trump accuses Cruz of stealing Iowa caucuses through 'fraud' |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-cruz-idUSKCN0VC1Z6 |access-date=May 15, 2022 |archive-date=February 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203215800/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-cruz-idUSKCN0VC1Z6 |url-status=live }}

Trump claimed that his father had given him "a small loan of a million dollars," which he used to build "a company that's worth more than $10 billion,"{{cite news|last=Glum|first=Julia|date=September 26, 2016|title=How Much Money Did Trump Get From His Dad? The Small Loan Controversy Explained|newspaper=International Business Times|url=https://www.ibtimes.com/how-much-money-did-trump-get-his-dad-small-loan-controversy-explained-2422185|access-date=January 29, 2017|archive-date=August 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818150911/https://www.ibtimes.com/how-much-money-did-trump-get-his-dad-small-loan-controversy-explained-2422185|url-status=live}} denying Marco Rubio's allegation that he had inherited $200 million.{{cite news|last=Kessler|first=Glenn|date=March 3, 2016|title=Trump's false claim he built his empire with a 'small loan' from his father|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/03/03/trumps-false-claim-he-built-his-empire-with-a-small-loan-from-his-father|access-date=September 1, 2020|archive-date=October 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030225446/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/03/03/trumps-false-claim-he-built-his-empire-with-a-small-loan-from-his-father/|url-status=live}} A 2018 New York Times exposé on Fred and Donald Trump's finances concludes that Donald "was a millionaire by age 8," and that he had received $413 million (adjusted for inflation) from his father's business empire over his lifetime, including over $60 million ($140 million in 2018 currency) in loans, which were largely unreimbursed.{{cite news|last1=Barstow|first1=David|last2=Craig|first2=Susanne|last3=Buettner|first3=Russ|date=October 2, 2018|title=Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html|access-date=July 22, 2020|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526034238/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html|url-status=live}}

Trump claimed repeatedly on the campaign trail in 2015 that the actual unemployment rate of around 5% "isn't reflective [of reality]{{nbsp}}... I've seen numbers of 24%, I actually saw a number of 42% unemployment". PolitiFact rated this claim "Pants on Fire," its rating for the most egregious falsehoods.{{cite web|url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/sep/30/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-unemployment-rate-may-be-42-perc/ |date=September 30, 2015 |first=Louis |last=Jacobson |title=Donald Trump says the unemployment rate may be 42 percent |work=PolitiFact |access-date=May 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511042206/https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/sep/30/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-unemployment-rate-may-be-42-perc/|archive-date=May 11, 2019|url-status=live}} Jeremy Adam Smith, writing for the Greater Good Magazine, said Trump's falsehoods may be "blue lies," which are "told on behalf of a group, that can actually strengthen the bonds among the members of that group". As a result, he posited, Trump's dishonesty does not lose the support of his political base, even while it "infuriates and confuses almost everyone else".{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Jeremy Adam |date=March 29, 2017 |title=Can the Science of Lying Explain Trump's Support? |url=https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_the_science_of_lying_explain_trumps_support |website=Greater Good Magazine |access-date=June 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612160631/https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_the_science_of_lying_explain_trumps_support |archive-date=June 12, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last1=Fu |first1=Genyue |last2=Evans |first2=Angela D. |last3=Wang |first3=Lingfeng |last4=Lee |first4=Kang |title=Lying in the name of the collective good: a developmental study |journal=Developmental Science |date=July 2008 |volume=11 |issue=4 |pages=495–503 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00695.x|pmid=18576957 |pmc=2570108 }}

In 2015, BuzzFeed News' Andrew Kaczynski reported that Trump, despite having claimed to have the best memory in the world, had a history of "conveniently forgetting" people or organizations in ways that benefit him. In July 2016, PolitiFact's Linda Qiu pointed out that Trump "seems to suffer bouts of amnesia when it comes to his own statements". Kaczynski and Qiu cited examples of Trump's stating he did not know anything about former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, despite statements showing he clearly knew who Duke was.{{cite web |last1=Kaczynski |first1=Andrew |title=Donald Trump's Convenient Memory Lapses |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/andrewkaczynski/donald-trumps-convenient-memory-lapses |website=BuzzFeed News |access-date=July 31, 2019 |date=November 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731064042/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/andrewkaczynski/donald-trumps-convenient-memory-lapses |archive-date=July 31, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Qiu |first1=Linda |title=17 times Donald Trump said one thing and then denied it |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2016/jul/06/17-things-donald-trump-said-and-then-denied-saying/ |work=PolitiFact |access-date=July 31, 2019 |date=July 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731042633/https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/06/17-things-donald-trump-said-and-then-denied-saying/ |archive-date=July 31, 2019 |url-status=live }} Over three months before the 2016 presidential election, Trump claimed it was going to be "rigged".{{Cite web |last=Diamond |first=Jeremy |date=August 3, 2016 |title=Trump: 'I'm afraid the election's going to be rigged' |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/01/politics/donald-trump-election-2016-rigged/index.html |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=CNN |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313002904/https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/01/politics/donald-trump-election-2016-rigged/index.html |url-status=live }}

In 2016, Trump said repeatedly that he would jail Hillary Clinton. In an interview with Will Cain on Fox & Friends Weekend in June 2024, he denied ever having said so. He blamed his supporters for chanting that message: "I didn't say 'lock her up,' but the people said 'lock her up, lock her up'." He suggested he "could have done it, but I felt it would have been a terrible thing."{{Cite news |last1=Sullivan |first1=Sean |last2=Kranish |first2=Michael |date=April 12, 2023 |title=The crowd yelled 'Lock her up!' Then Trump thanked Clinton for 'service to our country.' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-crowd-yelled-lock-her-up-then-trump-thanked-clinton-for-service-to-our-country/2016/11/09/1bbf4b44-a639-11e6-ba59-a7d93165c6d4_story.html |access-date=June 2, 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328131735/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-crowd-yelled-lock-her-up-then-trump-thanked-clinton-for-service-to-our-country/2016/11/09/1bbf4b44-a639-11e6-ba59-a7d93165c6d4_story.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Alfaro |first=Mariana |date=June 2, 2024 |title=Trump falsely claims he never called for Hillary Clinton to be locked up |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/02/trump-hillary-clinton-lock-her-up/ |access-date=June 2, 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} On June 4, he called into Newsmax, claiming he always believed it would have been "terrible to throw the president's wife and the former secretary of state ... into jail", yet this time adding the threat: "It's very possible that it's going to have to happen to them."{{Cite web |last=Visser |first=Nick |date=June 5, 2024 |title=Trump Floats Jailing Political Enemies, Attacks E. Jean Carroll In Wild Interview |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-newsmax-jailing-enemies_n_665fe4e9e4b0f507c4388b9f |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=HuffPost |language=en |archive-date=June 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240605140200/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-newsmax-jailing-enemies_n_665fe4e9e4b0f507c4388b9f |url-status=live }}

Throughout his campaign and into his presidency, Trump repeatedly claimed the US would "build the wall and make Mexico pay for it". President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto said his country would not pay, and never did.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38740717|title=Trump orders wall to be built on Mexico border|website=BBC News|date=January 26, 2017|access-date=May 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527012725/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38740717|archive-date=May 27, 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2016/03/07/1079292|title=Quien se mueve sí sale en la foto: EPN; el desempeño definirá a aspirantes en 2018, dice|language=es|work=Excelsior|date=March 7, 2016|access-date=May 21, 2019|first=Pascal|last=Beltrán del Río|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411142535/https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2016/03/07/1079292|archive-date=April 11, 2019|url-status=live}} While not unusual for a campaign promise to not pan out, Trump's insistence Mexico would pay was a central element of his campaign and continued for years. At the 2020 Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump reiterated saying, "Mexico is paying for it and it's every bit—it's better than the wall that was projected."{{cite web |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-2020-conservative-political-action-conference-national-harbor-md/ |title=Remarks by President Trump at the 2020 Conservative Political Action Conference – National Harbor, MD |author= |date=February 29, 2020 |access-date=September 20, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200356/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-2020-conservative-political-action-conference-national-harbor-md/ |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |quote=But so now they like to say, "All right, so he's building the wall, but Mexico is not paying for it." Yes, they are, actually. You know what I mean, right? They are paying for it. They're paying for it. Oh, they're going to die when I put in this—what we're going to do. But, no, they're paying for it. And they're okay with it because they understand that's fair. But, no, Mexico is paying for it and it's every bit—it's better than the wall that was projected. We're doing it at a higher level. We have so many gadgets on that wall, you wouldn't even believe it. Sensors. We have things.}}

{{very long section|date=September 2024}}

Trump's statements as president engaged a host of fact-checkers. Tony Burman wrote: "The falsehoods and distortions uttered by Trump and his senior officials have particularly inflamed journalists and have been challenged—resulting in a growing prominence of 'fact-checkers' and investigative reporting."{{cite news |last=Burman |first=Tony |author-link=Tony Burman |date=February 11, 2017 |title=With Trump, the media faces a yuuge challenge |website=Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/02/11/with-trump-the-media-faces-a-yuuge-challenge.html |access-date=February 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211213020/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/02/11/with-trump-the-media-faces-a-yuuge-challenge.html |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |url-status=live }} The situation got worse, as described by Pulitzer Prize-winning Ashley Parker: "President Trump seems to be saying more and more things that aren't true."{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Ashley |author-link=Ashley Parker |title=President Trump seems to be saying more and more things that aren't true |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 19, 2018 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-trump-seems-to-be-saying-more-and-more-things-that-arent-true/2018/06/19/c1bb8af6-73d5-11e8-805c-4b67019fcfe4_story.html |access-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823033443/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-trump-seems-to-be-saying-more-and-more-things-that-arent-true/2018/06/19/c1bb8af6-73d5-11e8-805c-4b67019fcfe4_story.html |archive-date=August 23, 2018 |url-status=live }}

Glenn Kessler said in 2017 as a fact-checker for The Washington Post there was no comparison between Trump and other politicians. Kessler gave his worst rating to other politicians 20% of the time, but gave it to Trump 64% of the time.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-facts-behind-donald-trumps-many-falsehoods/2016/08/01/0571b048-582d-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html|title=The facts behind Donald Trump's many falsehoods|last=Milbank|first=Dana|date=August 1, 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=April 2, 2018|author-link=Dana Milbank|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412151143/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-facts-behind-donald-trumps-many-falsehoods/2016/08/01/0571b048-582d-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html|archive-date=April 12, 2018|url-status=live}} Kessler wrote that Trump was the most fact-challenged politician he had ever encountered and lamented that "the pace and volume of the president's misstatements means that we cannot possibly keep up". Kessler and others have described how Trump's lying has created an alternate reality.{{cite web | last=Schwartz | first=Molly | date=June 24, 2020 | title=Trump Has Made More Than 18,000 False Claims Since Taking Office. Voters May Have Finally Had Enough. | website=Mother Jones | url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/podcast-glenn-kessler-david-corn-lies-washington-post-fact-checker/ | access-date=October 14, 2021 | archive-date=July 3, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703182741/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/podcast-glenn-kessler-david-corn-lies-washington-post-fact-checker/ | url-status=live }}{{cite web | last=Buchanan | first=Larry | display-authors=etal | title=Lie After Lie: Listen to How Trump Built His Alternate Reality | website=The New York Times | date=February 9, 2021 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/02/09/us/trump-voter-fraud-election.html | access-date=October 14, 2021 | quote=The 38-minute video below shows how Donald J. Trump's persistent repetition of lies and calls to action over two months created an alternate reality that he won re-election. | archive-date=October 3, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003164533/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/02/09/us/trump-voter-fraud-election.html | url-status=live }} David Zurawik says we should "just assume Trump's always lying and fact check him backwards"{{cite web | last=Zurawik | first=David | title=Zurawik: Let's just assume Trump's always lying and fact check him backward | website=The Baltimore Sun | date=August 26, 2018 | url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bs-fe-zontv-trump-lying-cnn-reliable-sources-20180826-story.html | access-date=September 14, 2018 | archive-date=November 22, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122143609/https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bs-fe-zontv-trump-lying-cnn-reliable-sources-20180826-story.html | url-status=dead }} because that's "how to cover a habitual liar".{{cite web | last1=Stelter | first1=Brian | last2=Bernstein | first2=Carl | last3=Sullivan | first3=Margaret | last4=Zurawik | first4=David | title=How to cover a habitual liar | website=CNN | date=August 26, 2018 | url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2018/08/26/how-to-cover-a-habitual-liar-rs.cnn | access-date=September 14, 2018 | archive-date=February 16, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216004747/https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2018/08/26/how-to-cover-a-habitual-liar-rs.cnn | url-status=live }}

The Washington Post fact-checker created a new category of falsehoods in 2018, the "Bottomless Pinocchio," for falsehoods repeated at least twenty times (so often "that there can be no question the politician is aware his or her facts are wrong"). Trump was the only politician who met the standard of the category, with 14 statements that immediately qualified. According to The Washington Post, Trump repeated some falsehoods so many times he had effectively engaged in disinformation.

Glenn Kessler wrote:

{{blockquote|The president keeps going long after the facts are clear, in what appears to be a deliberate effort to replace the truth with his own, far more favorable, version of it. He is not merely making gaffes or misstating things, he is purposely injecting false information into the national conversation.}}

Professor Robert Prentice summarized the views of many fact-checkers:

{{blockquote|Here's the problem: As fact checker Glenn Kessler noted in August, whereas [Hillary] Clinton lies as much as the average politician, President Donald Trump's lying is "off the charts." No prominent politician in memory bests Trump for spouting spectacular, egregious, easily disproved lies. The birther claim. The vote fraud claim. The attendance at the inauguration claim. And on and on and on. Every fact checker{{snd}}Kessler, Factcheck.org, Snopes.com, PolitiFact{{snd}}finds a level of mendacity unequaled by any politician ever scrutinized. For instance, 70 percent of his campaign statements checked by PolitiFact were mostly false, totally false, or "pants on fire" false.{{cite news |last=Prentice |first=Robert |date=February 10, 2017 |title=Being a liar doesn't mean you can't be a good president, but this is crazy |website=The Dallas Morning News |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/02/10/being-a-liar-doesnt-mean-you-cant-be-a-good-president-but-this-is-crazy/ |access-date=February 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212183638/http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/02/10/liar-mean-good-president-crazy |archive-date=February 12, 2017 |url-status=live }}}}

At the end of 2018, Kessler provided a run-down summary of Trump's accelerating rate of false statements during the year:

{{blockquote|Trump began 2018 on a similar pace as last year. Through May, he generally averaged about 200 to 250 false claims a month. But his rate suddenly exploded in June, when he topped 500 falsehoods, as he appeared to shift to campaign mode. He uttered almost 500 more in both July and August, almost 600 in September, more than 1,200 in October and almost 900 in November. In December, Trump drifted back to the mid-200s.{{cite news | last=Kessler | first=Glenn | title=A year of unprecedented deception: Trump averaged 15 false claims a day in 2018 | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=December 30, 2018 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/30/year-unprecedented-deception-trump-averaged-false-claims-day/ | access-date=February 20, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219213324/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/30/year-unprecedented-deception-trump-averaged-false-claims-day/ | archive-date=February 19, 2019 | url-status=live }}}}

Several major fact-checking sites regularly fact-checked Trump, including:

• PolitiFact,{{cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/ |title=Donald Trump's file|access-date=March 27, 2019 |work=PolitiFact|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326225706/https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/|archive-date=March 26, 2019|url-status=live}} which awarded Trump its "Lie of the Year" in 2015,{{cite news |first1=Angie Drobnic |last1=Holan |author-link=Angie Drobnic Holan |first2=Linda |last2=Qiu |title=2015 Lie of the Year: Donald Trump's campaign misstatements |work=PolitiFact |date=December 21, 2015 |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2015/dec/21/2015-lie-year-donald-trump-campaign-misstatements/ |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327081358/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/dec/21/2015-lie-year-donald-trump-campaign-misstatements/ |archive-date=March 27, 2016 |url-status=live }} 2017{{cite web |title=2017 Lie of the Year: Russian election action is a hoax |date=December 12, 2017 |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2017/dec/12/2017-lie-year-russian-election-interference-made-s/ |website=PolitiFact |first=Angie Drobnic |last=Holan |access-date=December 20, 2019 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220123956/https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/dec/12/2017-lie-year-russian-election-interference-made-s/ |archive-date=December 20, 2019 |url-status=live }} and 2019.{{cite web |title=Lie of the Year: Trump's claim whistleblower got it wrong |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2019/dec/16/lie-of-the-year-donald-trump-whistleblower-wrong/ |date=December 16, 2019 |first=Katie |last=Sanders |website=PolitiFact |access-date=December 20, 2019 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220081812/https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2019/dec/16/lie-of-the-year-donald-trump-whistleblower-wrong/ |archive-date=December 20, 2019 |url-status=live }}
• FactCheck.org,{{cite news |date=n.d. |title=Donald Trump archive |url=https://www.factcheck.org/person/donald-trump/ |work=FactCheck.org |access-date=February 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126122127/https://www.factcheck.org/person/donald-trump/ |archive-date=January 26, 2017 |url-status=live }} which dubbed Trump the "King of Whoppers" in 2015.{{cite news |last=Jackson |first=Brooks |title=100 Days of Whoppers. |work=FactCheck.org |date=April 29, 2017 |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2017/04/100-days-whoppers/ |access-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903172425/http://www.factcheck.org/2017/04/100-days-whoppers/ |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |url-status=live }}
• The Washington Post said in January 2020 that Trump had made more than 16,241 false or misleading claims as president,{{cite news |author1=Fact Checker |title=In 1,095 days, President Trump has made 16,241 false or misleading claims |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120225527/https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/ |archive-date=January 20, 2020 |url-status=live }} an average of about 15 such statements per day.
• The Toronto Star which said that, as of June 2019, Trump had made 5,276 false statements since his inauguration.{{cite web|last1=Dale|first1=Daniel|author-link=Daniel Dale|date=June 2, 2019|title=Every false claim Donald Trump has made as president|url=https://projects.thestar.com/donald-trump-fact-check/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621180529/https://projects.thestar.com/donald-trump-fact-check/|archive-date=June 21, 2021|access-date=July 19, 2021|work=Toronto Star}}

As late as June 2018, the news media were debating whether to use the word "lie" to describe Trump's falsehoods. That month, however, many news organizations, including CNN, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The New Yorker, and Foreign Policy began describing some of Trump's false statements as lies. The Toronto Star was one of the first outlets to use the word "lie" to describe Trump's statements, and continues to frequently. Some organizations continue to shy away from the term.

On June 5, 2019, Paul Farhi wrote that Glenn Kessler, author of The Washington Post{{'s}} "Fact Checker" column, had used the word lie only once to describe Trump's statements, although he has sometimes used other terminology that implies lying. Since then, The Washington Post{{'}}s fact-checking team has written the 2020 book Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth. The President's Falsehoods, Misleading Claims and Flat-Out Lies.{{cite book |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |author1-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |last2=Rizzo |first2=Salvador |last3=Kelly |first3=Meg |title=Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth. The President's Falsehoods, Misleading Claims and Flat-Out Lies |publisher=Scribner |date=2020 |isbn=978-1982151072 |ref=none |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qdToDwAAQBAJ |access-date=October 1, 2022 |archive-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309064121/https://books.google.com/books?id=qdToDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}{{cite web | last1=Kessler | first1=Glenn | last2=Wittes | first2=Benjamin | title=Glenn Kessler on Donald Trump's Assault on Truth | website=Acast | date=June 23, 2020 | url=https://shows.acast.com/lawfare/episodes/60518a63bd84d92f9a7e562e | access-date=October 14, 2021 | archive-date=October 15, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015150452/https://shows.acast.com/lawfare/episodes/60518a63bd84d92f9a7e562e | url-status=live }}

By October 9, 2019, The Washington Post{{'}}s fact-checking team documented that Trump had "made 13,435 false or misleading claims over 993 days".{{cite news | last1=Kessler | first1=Glenn | last2=Rizzo | first2=Salvador | last3=Kelly | first3=Meg | title=President Trump has made 13,435 false or misleading claims over 993 days | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=October 14, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/14/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/ | access-date=October 14, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014095848/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/14/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/ | archive-date=October 14, 2019 | url-status=live }} On October 18, 2019, the Washington Post Fact Checker newsletter described the situation:

{{blockquote|A thousand days of Trump.
We often hear from readers wondering how President Trump's penchant for falsehoods stacks up in comparison to previous presidents. But there is no comparison: Trump exists in a league of his own. Deception, misdirection, gaslighting, revisionism, absurd boasts, and in some cases, provable lies, are core to his politics.{{cite news | last=Rizzo | first=Salvador | title=Fact Checker Newsletter: A thousand days of Trump | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=October 18, 2019 | url=https://s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?e=aG93aWVqaW1AaG90bWFpbC5jb20%3D&s=5da9efb1fe1ff64b0d27b0e0&linknum=4&linktot=52 | access-date=October 24, 2019 | quote=See Cardownie, October 28, 2020, Edinburgh Evening News for accurate citation of newsletter}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

• {{cite news |first=Steve |last=Cardownie |date=October 28, 2020 |title=In poll position for the end of the Donald Trump nightmare |url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/poll-position-end-donald-trump-nightmare-steve-cardownie-3016492 |newspaper=Edinburgh Evening News |access-date=October 1, 2022 |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101094808/https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/poll-position-end-donald-trump-nightmare-steve-cardownie-3016492 |url-status=live }}}}

After departing the White House, January 20, 2021, Trump gave a farewell address at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland prior to departing on Air Force One for his residence in Palm Beach, Florida.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-leaves-washington-dc-last-time-president/ |url-status=live |title=Trump defends his record and says 'we'll be back' in farewell speech|work=CBS News|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 22, 2021|archive-date=January 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120152821/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-leaves-washington-dc-last-time-president/}} The AP fact-checked his speech, and reported that it included false statements about his presidency and administration's accomplishments. These included statements that he passed the largest tax cuts in history; that the U.S. economy during his tenure was the greatest in U.S. history; that he achieved record job creation; that his administration rebuilt both the U.S. military and the American manufacturing industry; that he destroyed the ISIS caliphate; and a reiteration of his previously repeated falsehood that he, and not former President Barack Obama, had passed the Veterans Choice Act.{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-donald-trump-farewell-remarks-f911b5ea84a2b69291aa6f52b9ef6318 |url-status=live |last1=Yen |first1=Hope |last2=Rugaber |first2=Christopher |last3=Woodward |first3=Calvin |title=AP Fact Check: Trump's fiction in his goodbye to Washington |work=Associated Press|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 22, 2021|archive-date=January 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120161950/https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-donald-trump-farewell-remarks-f911b5ea84a2b69291aa6f52b9ef6318}} These falsehoods added to the 30,573 falsehoods that The Washington Post{{'}}s fact-checker had tallied by the end of Trump's presidency, an average of 21 falsehoods a day.{{cite web |url-status=live |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/trump-lies-false-presidency-b1790285.html |last=Spocchia |first=Gino |title=Final tally of lies: Analysts say Trump told 30,000 mistruths – that's 21 a day – during presidency|newspaper=The Independent|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 22, 2021|archive-date=January 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200327/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/trump-lies-false-presidency-b1790285.html}}

Scholarly analysis of Trump's tweets found "significant evidence" of an intent to deceive:

{{blockquote|

Analyzing Trump's tweets with a regression function designed to predict true and false claims based on their language and composition, it finds significant evidence of intent underlying most of Trump's false claims, and makes the case for calling them lies when that outcome agrees with the results of traditional fact-checking procedures.... We argue, based on our findings here, that intent to deceive is a reasonable inference from most of Trump's false tweets, and that drawing that conclusion when the evidence warrants could help scholars and journalists alike better explain the strategic functions of political falsehoods.{{cite web | last1=Davis | first1=Dorian | last2=Sinnreich | first2=Aram | date=May 14, 2020 | title=Beyond Fact-Checking: Lexical Patterns as Lie Detectors in Donald Trump's Tweets | website=International Journal of Communication | url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/download/15397/3245 | access-date=June 12, 2023 | quote=Analyzing Trump's tweets with a regression function designed to predict true and false claims based on their language and composition, it finds significant evidence of intent underlying most of Trump's false claims, and makes the case for calling them lies when that outcome agrees with the results of traditional fact-checking procedures. | archive-date=November 22, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122154312/https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/download/15397/3245 | url-status=live }}}}

According to a September 2018 CNN-SSRS poll of 1,003 respondents, only 32% percent found Trump honest and trustworthy, the worst read in CNN polling history. The number was 33% on election day, November 8, 2016.{{cite news |last=Cillizza |first=Chris |title=People don't think Donald Trump is honest or trustworthy. And they never really have. |work=CNN |date=September 11, 2018 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/11/politics/trump-honest-and-trustworthy/index.html |access-date=December 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227040919/https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/11/politics/trump-honest-and-trustworthy/index.html |archive-date=December 27, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2018/images/09/10/rel8a.-.trump.pdf |title=Embargoed for Release: Monday, September 10, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. |author=SSRS |date=September 10, 2018 |work=CNN |access-date=September 12, 2020 |archive-date=November 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103185114/http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2018/images/09/10/rel8a.-.trump.pdf |url-status=live }} In June 2020, a Gallup poll of 1,034 adults within the U.S. found that 36% found Trump honest and trustworthy. By comparison, 60% of respondents found President Obama honest and trustworthy in June 2012 during his re-election campaign.{{cite web |first=Megan |last=Brenan |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/312737/americans-views-trump-character-firmly-established.aspx |title=Americans' Views of Trump's Character Firmly Established |date=June 18, 2020 |website=news.gallup.com |publisher=Gallup |access-date=September 12, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820105217/https://news.gallup.com/poll/312737/americans-views-trump-character-firmly-established.aspx |archive-date=August 20, 2020 }}{{cite web |url=https://news.gallup.com/file/poll/312758/200617TrumpQualities.pdf |title=Gallup News Service June Wave 1 |date=June 17, 2020 |website=news.gallup.com |publisher=Gallup |access-date=September 12, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618154711/https://news.gallup.com/file/poll/312758/200617TrumpQualities.pdf |archive-date=June 18, 2020 }}

As president, Trump frequently made false statements in public speeches and remarks.{{cite news |first=Linda |last=Qiu |title=Fact-Checking President Trump Through His First 100 Days |date=April 29, 2017 |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/29/us/politics/fact-checking-president-trump-through-his-first-100-days.html |access-date=October 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622232601/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/29/us/politics/fact-checking-president-trump-through-his-first-100-days.html |archive-date=June 22, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |first1=Glenn |last1=Kessler |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |first2=Michelle Ye Hee |last2=Lee |title=President Trump's first 100 days: The fact check tally |date=May 1, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/05/01/president-trumps-first-100-days-the-fact-check-tally/ |access-date=October 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624044354/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/05/01/president-trumps-first-100-days-the-fact-check-tally/ |archive-date=June 24, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |first=Linda |last=Qiu |title=In One Rally, 12 Inaccurate Claims From Trump |date=June 22, 2017 |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/us/politics/factcheck-donald-trump-iowa-rally.html |access-date=October 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625180734/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/us/politics/factcheck-donald-trump-iowa-rally.html |archive-date=June 25, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |title=Trump has said 1,340,330 words as president. They're getting more dishonest, a Star study shows |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2018/07/14/trump-has-said-1340330-words-as-president-theyre-getting-more-dishonest-a-star-study-shows.html |access-date=July 14, 2018 |work=Toronto Star |date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714070127/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2018/07/14/trump-has-said-1340330-words-as-president-theyre-getting-more-dishonest-a-star-study-shows.html |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |url-status=live }} Trump uttered "at least one false or misleading claim per day on 91 of his first 99 days" in office according to The New York Times, and 1,318 total in his first 263 days in office according to the "Fact Checker" political analysis column of The Washington Post.{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Michelle Ye Hee |last2=Kessler |first2=Glenn |author2-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |last3=Kelly |first3=Meg |title=President Trump has made 1,318 false or misleading claims over 263 days |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/10/10/president-trump-has-made-1318-false-or-misleading-claims-over-263-days |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 10, 2017 |access-date=November 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105003322/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/10/10/president-trump-has-made-1318-false-or-misleading-claims-over-263-days/ |archive-date=November 5, 2017 |url-status=live }} By the Post{{'}}s tally, it took Trump 601 days to reach 5,000 false or misleading statements and another 226 days to reach the 10,000 mark.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/29/president-trump-has-made-more-than-false-or-misleading-claims/ |title=President Trump has made more than 10,000 false or misleading claims |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 29, 2019 |access-date=April 29, 2019 |first1=Glenn |last1=Kessler |author1-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |first2=Salvador |last2=Rizzo |first3=Meg |last3=Kelly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429080528/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/29/president-trump-has-made-more-than-false-or-misleading-claims/ |archive-date=April 29, 2019 |url-status=live }} For the seven weeks leading up to the midterm elections, it rose to an average of 30 per day{{cite news |newspaper=The Washington Post |first1=Glenn |last1=Kessler |author1-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |first2=Salvador |last2=Rizzo |first3=Meg |last3=Kelly |title=President Trump has made 6,420 false or misleading claims over 649 days |date=November 2, 2018 |access-date=November 2, 2018 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/11/02/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102103906/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/11/02/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/ |archive-date=November 2, 2018 |url-status=live }} from 4.9 during his first 100 days in office.{{cite news |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=September 13, 2018 |first1=Glenn |last1=Kessler |author1-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |first2=Salvador |last2=Rizzo |first3=Meg |last3=Kelly |title=President Trump has made more than 5,000 false or misleading claims |access-date=October 16, 2018 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/13/president-trump-has-made-more-than-false-or-misleading-claims/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015162443/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/13/president-trump-has-made-more-than-false-or-misleading-claims/ |archive-date=October 15, 2018 |url-status=live }} The Post found that Trump averaged 15 false statements per day during 2018.

The New York Times editorial board frequently lambasted Trump's dishonesty. In September 2018, the board called him "a president with no clear relation to the truth".{{cite news |author=The Editorial Board |title=Confirmed: Brett Kavanaugh Can't Be Trusted |website=The New York Times |date=September 7, 2018 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/opinion/editorials/brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-hearings.html |access-date=September 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908024624/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/opinion/editorials/brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-hearings.html |archive-date=September 8, 2018 |url-status=live }} The following month, the board published an opinion piece titled, "Donald Trump Is Lyin' Up a Storm".{{cite news |work=The New York Times |date=October 22, 2018 |author=The Editorial Board |title=Donald Trump Is Lyin' Up a Storm |access-date=November 14, 2018 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/22/opinion/editorials/transgender-trump-lies-midterm-election.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114224616/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/22/opinion/editorials/transgender-trump-lies-midterm-election.html |archive-date=November 14, 2018 |url-status=live }}

James Comey had frequent discussions with Trump, and in his first major interview after his firing he described Trump as a serial liar who tells "baffling, unnecessary" falsehoods:{{cite web | last=Perper | first=Rosie | title=Comey brands Trump a serial liar who tells 'baffling, unnecessary' falsehoods | website=Business Insider | date=April 15, 2018 | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/comey-trump-serial-liar-interview-2018-4 | access-date=October 18, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018162011/https://www.businessinsider.com/comey-trump-serial-liar-interview-2018-4 | archive-date=October 18, 2019 | url-status=live }}

{{blockquote|Sometimes he's lying in ways that are obvious, sometimes he's saying things that we may not know are true or false and then there's a spectrum in between{{nbsp}}... he is someone who is—for whom the truth is not a high value.}}

The Washington Post commentator Greg Sargent pointed out eight instances where government officials either repeated falsehoods or came up with misleading information to support falsehoods asserted by Trump, including various false claims about terrorists crossing or attempting to cross the Mexican border, that a 10% middle class tax cut had been passed, and a doctored video justifying Jim Acosta's removal from the White House press room.{{cite news |first=Greg |last=Sargent |date=September 5, 2019|title=Not just Sharpie-gate: 7 other times officials tried to fabricate Trump's 'truth'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/05/not-just-sharpie-gate-other-times-officials-tried-fabricate-trumps-truth/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117001423/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/05/not-just-sharpie-gate-other-times-officials-tried-fabricate-trumps-truth/|archive-date=November 17, 2019|access-date=November 17, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post}}

James P. Pfiffner, writing for The Evolving American Presidency book series, wrote that compared to previous presidents, Trump tells "vastly" more "conventional lies" that politicians usually tell to avoid criticism or improve their image. However, Pfiffner emphasized that "the most significant" lies told by Trump are instead "egregious false statements that are demonstrably contrary to well-known facts," because by causing disagreements about what the facts are, then people cannot properly evaluate their government: "Political power rather than rational discourse then becomes the arbiter."{{cite book |last1=Pfiffner |first1=James |title=Presidential Leadership and the Trump Presidency |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-3-030-18979-2 |pages=17–40 |chapter=The Lies of Donald Trump: A Taxonomy |year=2020 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-18979-2_2 |s2cid=235085363 |url=https://pfiffner.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Pfiffner-The-Lies-of-Donald-Trump-A-Taxonomy.pdf |access-date=May 29, 2020 |quote=This chapter will document some of President Trump's "conventional" lies similar to those that politicians often tell in order to look good or escape blame; the number of these types of lies by Trump vastly exceeds those of previous presidents. But the most significant Trump lies are egregious false statements that are demonstrably contrary to well-known facts. If there are no agreed upon facts, then it becomes impossible for people to make judgments about their government. Political power rather than rational discourse then becomes the arbiter. Agreement on facts, of course, does not imply agreement on policies or politics. |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227080444/https://pfiffner.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Pfiffner-The-Lies-of-Donald-Trump-A-Taxonomy.pdf |url-status=live }}

Selman Özdan, writing in the journal Postdigital Science and Education, describes that "many" of Trump's statements in interviews or on Twitter "may now be classed as bullshit," with their utter disregard for the truth, and their focus on telling "a version of reality that suits Trump's aims". She added that these statements are "often" written in a way which criticizes or mocks others, while offering a misleading version of Trump's accomplishments to improve his image.{{cite journal |last1=Özdan |first1=Selman |title=Subverting the Art of Diplomacy: Bullshit, Lies and Trump |journal=Postdigital Science and Education |date=October 1, 2019 |volume=2 |pages=95–112 |doi=10.1007/s42438-019-00075-6 |quote=Many of Trump's tweets or statements delivered via interviews may now be classed as bullshit since they are not knowledgeable, are ignorant and deceptive: they show no concern for the facts or the truth, only for a version of reality that suits Trump's aims. They are often, in addition, designed to defame and offend 'while simultaneously inflating or fabricating the president's accomplishments in order to make him look competent'|doi-access=free }}

Daniel Dale, writing for The Washington Post, described fact-checking Trump as being "like fact-checking one of those talking dolls programmed to say the same phrases for eternity, except if none of those phrases were true", noting that Trump had repeatedly and falsely claimed that he had passed the Veterans Choice Act and that U.S. Steel was building six, seven, eight or nine plants (the company had invested in two existing plants). Dale added: "Many of Trump's false claims are so transparently wrong that I can fact-check them with a Google search."{{Cite news|last=Dale|first=Daniel|date=November 16, 2018|title=Perspective {{!}} It's easy to fact check Trump's lies. He tells the same ones all the time.|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/its-easy-to-fact-check-trumps-lies-he-tells-the-same-ones-all-the-time/2018/11/15/5effb25c-e874-11e8-a939-9469f1166f9d_story.html|access-date=May 2, 2021|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=February 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213053238/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/its-easy-to-fact-check-trumps-lies-he-tells-the-same-ones-all-the-time/2018/11/15/5effb25c-e874-11e8-a939-9469f1166f9d_story.html|url-status=live}} In 2019, Dale noted that Trump had a tendency to use large inaccurate numbers instead of smaller accurate ones.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/28/politics/trump-exaggerates-unemployment-accomplishments|title=Trump keeps exaggerating even his legitimate accomplishments|date=July 28, 2019|website=CNN|last=Dale|first=Daniel}}

Susan Glasser wrote that falsehoods are "part of his political identity" and quoted Glenn Kessler's description of them as "Trump's political 'secret sauce'". She described how "The White House assault on the truth is not an accident—it is intentional." When comparing Trump to Nixon, she quoted Barry Goldwater, who described Nixon as "the most dishonest individual I ever met in my life", but she did not stop there. She spoke to Morton Halperin "who oversaw the writing of the Pentagon Papers and then served on Nixon's National Security Council staff... Halperin insisted, strongly, that Nixon wasn't nearly as damaging to the institution of the Presidency as Trump has been. 'He's far worse than Nixon,' Halperin told me, 'certainly as a threat to the country'."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-escalating-war-on-the-truth-is-on-purpose|title=It's True: Trump Is Lying More, and He's Doing It on Purpose|magazine=The New Yorker|date=August 3, 2018|first=Susan B.|last=Glasser|access-date=October 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023195836/https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-escalating-war-on-the-truth-is-on-purpose|archive-date=October 23, 2018|url-status=live}}

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| image2= 20241116 "Gaslighting" (topic) on Google Trends.svg |caption2= Google Trends topic searches for "Gaslighting" began a substantial increase in 2016, at the time of the campaign for the U.S. presidential election.{{cite web |title=Gaslighting / topic |url=https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F07h4c7&hl=en |website=Google Trends |date=16 November 2024 |quote=Worldwide / 2004 - present / All categories / Web Search |url-status=live |access-date=November 17, 2024 |archive-date=December 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213180704/https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=%2Fm%2F07h4c7&hl=en&date=all }}

| image3= 20241116 "Fake news" (topic) on Google Trends.svg |caption3= Google Trends topic searches for "Fake news" began a substantial increase in late 2016, about the time of the U.S. presidential election.{{cite web |title=Fake news / topic |url=https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fg%2F1210rwkh&hl=en |website=Google Trends |date=16 November 2024 |quote=Worldwide / 2004 - present / All categories / Web Search }}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

}}

A few days after Trump's January 20, 2017, inauguration, some experts expressed serious concerns about how Trump and his staff showed "arrogance" and "lack of respect...for the American people" by making "easily contradicted" false statements that rose to a "new level" above the "general stereotype that politicians lie". They considered the "degree of fabrication" as "simply breathtaking", egregious, and creating an "extraordinarily dangerous situation" for the country.

They elaborated on why they thought Trump and his team were so deceptive: he was using classic gaslighting in a "systematic, sophisticated attempt" as a "political weapon"; he was undermining trust and creating doubt and hatred of the media and all it reports; owning his supporters and implanting "his own version of reality" in their minds; creating confusion so people are vulnerable, don't know what to do, and thus "gain more power over them"; inflating a "sense of his own popularity"; and making people "give up trying to discern the truth".

{{blockquote|If Donald Trump can undercut America's trust in all media, he then starts to own them and can start to literally implant his own version of reality.{{cite web | last=Fox | first=Maggie | title=Tall tales about Trump's crowd size are 'gaslighting', some experts say | website=NBC News | date=January 24, 2017 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/better/wellness/some-experts-say-trump-team-s-falsehoods-are-classic-gaslighting-n711021 | access-date=January 2, 2023 | archive-date=December 3, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203175224/https://www.nbcnews.com/better/wellness/some-experts-say-trump-team-s-falsehoods-are-classic-gaslighting-n711021 | url-status=live }}}}

{{See also|List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump}}

Trump's presidency began with falsehoods originating from Trump. On the day after his inauguration, he falsely accused the media of lying about the size of the crowd. He then exaggerated the size, and White House press secretary Sean Spicer backed up his claims.{{cite news |title=Donald Trump had biggest inaugural crowd ever? Metrics don't show it |publisher=PolitiFact |date=January 21, 2017 |first=Linda |last=Qiu |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2017/jan/21/sean-spicer/trump-had-biggest-inaugural-crowd-ever-metrics-don/ |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205200625/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/21/sean-spicer/trump-had-biggest-inaugural-crowd-ever-metrics-don/ |archive-date=February 5, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Was Donald Trump's Inauguration the Most Viewed in History? |publisher=Snopes.com |date=January 22, 2017 |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-inauguration-viewership/ |first=Dan |last=Evon |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-date=February 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216205730/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-inauguration-viewership/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=The Facts on Crowd Size |publisher=FactCheck.org |date=January 23, 2017 |first1=Lori |last1=Robertson |first2=Robert |last2=Farley |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2017/01/the-facts-on-crowd-size/ |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401062228/https://www.factcheck.org/2017/01/the-facts-on-crowd-size/ |archive-date=April 1, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Rein |first=Lisa |title=Here are the photos that show Obama's inauguration crowd was bigger than Trump's |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 6, 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/06/here-are-the-photos-that-show-obamas-inauguration-crowd-was-bigger-than-trumps/ |access-date=March 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307222653/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/06/here-are-the-photos-that-show-obamas-inauguration-crowd-was-bigger-than-trumps/ |archive-date=March 7, 2017 |url-status=live }} When Spicer was accused of intentionally misstating the figures,{{cite news |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |last1=Davis |first2=Matthew |last2=Rosenberg |author-link2=Matthew Rosenberg |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/trump-white-house-briefing-inauguration-crowd-size.html |title=With False Claims, Trump Attacks Media on Turnout and Intelligence Rift |work=The New York Times |date=January 21, 2017 |access-date=March 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314181933/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/trump-white-house-briefing-inauguration-crowd-size.html |archive-date=March 14, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/01/sean-spicer-inauguration-statement-lies |last=Makarechi |first=Kia |title=Trump Spokesman Sean Spicer's Lecture on Media Accuracy Is Peppered With Lies |work=Vanity Fair |date=January 2, 2014 |access-date=January 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122055956/http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/01/sean-spicer-inauguration-statement-lies |archive-date=January 22, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=January 22, 2017 |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/01/22/spicer-earns-four-pinocchios-for-a-series-of-false-claims-on-inauguration-crowd-size/ |title=Spicer earns Four Pinocchios for false claims on inauguration crowd size |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=January 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122170413/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/01/22/spicer-earns-four-pinocchios-for-a-series-of-false-claims-on-inauguration-crowd-size/ |archive-date=January 22, 2017 |url-status=live }} Kellyanne Conway, in an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd, defended Spicer by saying he merely presented alternative facts.{{cite news |date=January 22, 2017 |last=Jaffe |first=Alexandra |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/wh-spokesman-gave-alternative-facts-inauguration-crowd-n710466 |title=Kellyanne Conway: WH Spokesman Gave 'Alternative Facts' on Inauguration Crowd |work=NBC News |access-date=January 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122161236/http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/wh-spokesman-gave-alternative-facts-inauguration-crowd-n710466 |archive-date=January 22, 2017 |url-status=live }} Todd responded by saying, "Alternative facts are not facts; they're falsehoods."{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/22/kellyanne-conway-says-donald-trumps-team-has-alternate-facts-which-pretty-much-says-it-all/ |title=Kellyanne Conway says Donald Trump's team has 'alternative facts'. Which pretty much says it all. |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 22, 2017 |access-date=March 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202053741/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/22/kellyanne-conway-says-donald-trumps-team-has-alternate-facts-which-pretty-much-says-it-all/ |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |url-status=live }}

In September 2018, a government photographer admitted he, at Trump's request, edited pictures of the inauguration to make the crowd appear larger: "The photographer cropped out empty space 'where the crowd ended' for a new set of pictures requested by Trump on the first morning of his presidency, after he was angered by images showing his audience was smaller than Barack Obama's in 2009."{{cite news |last1=Swaine |first1=Jon |title=Trump inauguration crowd photos were edited after he intervened |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/06/donald-trump-inauguration-crowd-size-photos-edited |work=The Guardian |date=September 6, 2018 |language=en |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906224633/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/06/donald-trump-inauguration-crowd-size-photos-edited |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Wallace |first1=Gregory |title=National Park Service edited inauguration photos after Trump, Spicer calls |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/07/politics/trump-inauguration-photos/index.html |date=September 7, 2018 |work=CNN |access-date=September 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908012915/https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/07/politics/trump-inauguration-photos/index.html |archive-date=September 8, 2018 |url-status=live }}

{{further|United States presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote}}

Trump went on to claim his victory in 2016 was a landslide;{{cite news |title=Trump's electoral college victory not a 'massive landslide' |publisher=PolitiFact |date=December 11, 2016 |first=Louis |last=Jacobson |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/dec/12/donald-trump/donald-trumps-electoral-college-victory-was-not-ma/ |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401062446/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/dec/12/donald-trump/donald-trumps-electoral-college-victory-was-not-ma/ |archive-date=April 1, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Trump Landslide? Nope |publisher=FactCheck.org |date=November 29, 2016 |first=Robert |last=Farley |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/trump-landslide-nope/ |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215043027/http://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/trump-landslide-nope/ |archive-date=December 15, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Seipel |first=Arnie |title=Trump Falsely Claims A 'Massive Landslide Victory' |publisher=NPR |date=December 11, 2016 |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/12/11/505182622/fact-check-trump-claims-a-massive-landslide-victory-but-history-differs |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412145708/https://www.npr.org/2016/12/11/505182622/fact-check-trump-claims-a-massive-landslide-victory-but-history-differs |archive-date=April 12, 2018 |url-status=live }} that three of the states he did not win in the 2016 election had "serious voter fraud";{{cite news |url=https://www.politifact.com/virginia/statements/2016/nov/29/donald-trump/trumps-pants-fire-serious-voter-fraud-claim-virgin/ |title=Pants on Fire to Trump's claim of Virginia voter fraud |publisher=PolitiFact |access-date=October 26, 2018 |date=November 29, 2016 |first=Sean |last=Gorman |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026222445/https://www.politifact.com/virginia/statements/2016/nov/29/donald-trump/trumps-pants-fire-serious-voter-fraud-claim-virgin/ |archive-date=October 26, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.politifact.com/new-hampshire/statements/2016/nov/28/donald-trump/trump-claims-serious-voter-fraud-new-hampshire/ |title=Trump claims 'serious voter fraud' in New Hampshire |publisher=PolitiFact |access-date=October 26, 2018 |date=November 28, 2016 |first=Ella |last=Nilsen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026222435/https://www.politifact.com/new-hampshire/statements/2016/nov/28/donald-trump/trump-claims-serious-voter-fraud-new-hampshire/ |archive-date=October 26, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.politifact.com/california/statements/2016/nov/28/donald-trump/pants-fire-trumps-claim-about-california-voter-fra/ |title=Pants On Fire for Trump's claim about California voter fraud |publisher=PolitiFact |access-date=October 26, 2018 |date=November 28, 2016 |first=Chris |last=Nichols |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026222640/https://www.politifact.com/california/statements/2016/nov/28/donald-trump/pants-fire-trumps-claim-about-california-voter-fra/ |archive-date=October 26, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-voter-fraud-virginia-new-hampshire-california-2016-11 |title=States where Trump claims 'serious voter fraud' took place deny 'unfounded' allegation |work=Business Insider |access-date=October 26, 2018 |date=November 28, 2016 |first=Allan |last=Smith |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026222541/https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-voter-fraud-virginia-new-hampshire-california-2016-11 |archive-date=October 26, 2018 |url-status=live }} and that he didn't win the popular vote because Clinton received 3–5 million illegal votes.{{cite news |title=Donald Trump's Pants on Fire claim that millions of illegal votes cost him popular vote victory |publisher=PolitiFact |date=November 28, 2016 |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/nov/28/donald-trump/donald-trumps-pants-fire-claim-millions-illegal-vo/ |access-date=March 30, 2018 |first=Louis |last=Jacobson |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402111035/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/nov/28/donald-trump/donald-trumps-pants-fire-claim-millions-illegal-vo/ |archive-date=April 2, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=January 25, 2017 |title=Trump Claims Without Evidence that 3 to 5 Million Voted Illegally, Vows Investigation |work=Snopes.com |url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2017/01/25/trump-claims-3-to-5-million-illegal-votes/ |first=David |last=Emery |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-date=February 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216205701/https://www.snopes.com/news/2017/01/25/trump-claims-3-to-5-million-illegal-votes/ |url-status=live }} Trump made his Trump Tower wiretapping allegations in March 2017, which the Department of Justice twice refuted.{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/02/politics/justice-department-trump-tower-wiretap/index.html |date=September 2, 2017 |title=Justice Department: No evidence Trump Tower was wiretapped |first=Deirdre |last=Walsh |access-date=November 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111175349/https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/02/politics/justice-department-trump-tower-wiretap/index.html |archive-date=November 11, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news|url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/trump-admin-says-there-is-no-evidence-obama-wiretapped-trump/ |date=October 20, 2018 |first=Colin |last=Kalmbacher |title=Trump Admin Says There is No Evidence Obama Wiretapped Trump|website=lawandcrime.com|access-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121232048/https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/trump-admin-says-there-is-no-evidence-obama-wiretapped-trump/|archive-date=November 21, 2018|url-status=live}} In January 2018, Trump claimed texts between FBI employees Peter Strzok and Lisa Page were tantamount to "treason," but The Wall Street Journal reviewed them and concluded they "show no evidence of a conspiracy against" Trump.{{cite news |date=June 7, 2018 |last=Boot |first=Max |author-link=Max Boot |title=Trump just keeps on lying – because it works |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/06/07/trump-just-keeps-on-lying-because-it-works/|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=June 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180609012418/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/06/07/trump-just-keeps-on-lying-because-it-works/ |archive-date=June 9, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=February 2, 2018 |last=Wilber |first=Del Quentin |author-link=Del Quentin Wilber |title=Inside the FBI Life of Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, as Told in Their Text Messages |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/inside-the-fbi-life-of-peter-strzok-and-lisa-page-as-told-in-their-text-messages-1517589380 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=June 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180611163826/https://www.wsj.com/articles/inside-the-fbi-life-of-peter-strzok-and-lisa-page-as-told-in-their-text-messages-1517589380 |archive-date=June 11, 2018 |url-status=live}}

{{main|Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections}}

Trump frequently denied or sowed doubt that Russian intelligence hacked the DNC and interfered in the 2016 election. He made many different claims, such as that there was no hacking, other countries than Russia did it, or the DNC hacked itself and that Seth Rich was involved. He has said Russia did not try to get him elected and often called allegations of Russian meddling "a hoax". "Trump is fond of tossing out conspiracy theories, even if just to add a sliver of doubt. His supporters have embraced his conspiracy theories, especially when it comes to Mueller's investigation." The Russia investigation conclusively proved Russian intelligence was behind the hackings.{{cite news | last=Blake | first=Aaron | title=Analysis – Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller officially repudiate a major Trump conspiracy theory | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=July 13, 2018 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/07/13/rod-j-rosenstein-and-robert-s-mueller-iii-officially-rebuke-a-major-trump-conspiracy-theory/ | access-date=March 20, 2023 | archive-date=November 8, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108213330/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/07/13/rod-j-rosenstein-and-robert-s-mueller-iii-officially-rebuke-a-major-trump-conspiracy-theory/ | url-status=live }}{{cite web | last1=Wayne | first1=Alex | last2=Talev | first2=Margaret | title=Mueller Deflates Trump's Claim That Russia Meddling Was Hoax | website=Bloomberg News | date=February 17, 2018 | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-17/mueller-deflates-trump-s-claim-that-russia-meddling-was-a-hoax | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217132135/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-17/mueller-deflates-trump-s-claim-that-russia-meddling-was-a-hoax | access-date=March 20, 2023| archive-date=February 17, 2018 }}

Robert Mueller, who led a Special Counsel investigation, concluded Russian interference was "sweeping and systematic" and "violated U.S. criminal law", and he indicted 26 Russian citizens and 3 Russian organizations. The investigation led to indictments and convictions of Trump campaign officials and associated Americans. The Mueller report, made public in April 2019, examined contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials but concluded that, though the Trump campaign welcomed the Russian activities and expected to benefit from them, there was insufficient evidence to bring any conspiracy or coordination charges against Trump or associates.Multiple sources:

• {{cite web | last=Geller | first=Eric | title=Collusion aside, Mueller found abundant evidence of Russian election plot | website=Politico | date=April 18, 2019 | url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/18/mueller-report-russian-election-plot-1365568 | access-date=March 20, 2023 | archive-date=March 8, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308225610/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/18/mueller-report-russian-election-plot-1365568 | url-status=live }}
• {{cite web |last1=Inskeep |first1=Steve |last2=Detrow |first2=Scott |last3=Johnson |first3=Carrie |last4=Davis |first4=Susan |last5=Greene |first5=David |title=Redacted Mueller Report Released: Congress, Trump React |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/714667960/redacted-mueller-report-is-released |date=April 18, 2019 |website=NPR |access-date=April 22, 2019 |archive-date=May 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517112022/https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/714667960/redacted-mueller-report-is-released |url-status=live }}
• {{cite web |title=The Mueller Report |url=https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/mueller-report |work=YaleGlobal Online |date=May 19, 2021 |publisher=MacMillan Center |access-date=March 20, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422030201/https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/mueller-report |url-status=live }}

{{see also|Links between Trump associates and Russian officials|Mueller report#Conspiracy or coordination vs collusion|Mueller report#False "no collusion" claims}}

Trump repeatedly claimed he and his campaign did not collude with Russia, and Republicans and many otherwise reliable sources have repeated that false claim even though Mueller explained that he did not investigate "collusion", only "conspiracy" and "coordination". The claim that there was no collusion has been described as a myth.{{cite news | last=Blake | first=Aaron | title=5 persistent myths about the Mueller report | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=April 27, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/27/persistent-falsehoods-about-mueller-report/ | access-date=July 6, 2023 | archive-date=November 8, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108214015/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/27/persistent-falsehoods-about-mueller-report/ | url-status=live }}

In a January 2019 interview, Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani undermined Trump's claim when he "claimed Wednesday night that he 'never said there was no collusion' between President Trump's campaign and Russia leading up to the 2016 presidential election."{{cite news | last1=Chiu | first1=Allyson | last2=Bever | first2=Lindsey | title=Rudy Giuliani: 'I never said there was no collusion' between Trump campaign and Russia | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=January 17, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/17/rudy-giuliani-says-i-never-said-there-was-no-collusion-between-trump-campaign-russia/ | access-date=October 24, 2021 | archive-date=August 17, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817001111/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/17/rudy-giuliani-says-i-never-said-there-was-no-collusion-between-trump-campaign-russia/ | url-status=live }}

{{quote box|

Giuliani: [complained about] 'false reporting' on the Russia investigation.
Cuomo: 'Mr. Mayor, false reporting is saying that nobody in the campaign had any contacts with Russia. False reporting is saying that there has been no suggestion of any kind of collusion between the campaign and any Russians.'
Giuliani: 'You just misstated my position. I never said there was no collusion between the campaign, or between people in the campaign.'
Cuomo: 'Yes, you have.'}}{{clear}}

After his comments, Giuliani made statements that NPR described as an "apparent reversal" from his TV interview: He said "'there was no collusion by President Trump in any way, shape or form' and that he had 'no knowledge of any collusion by any of the thousands of people who worked on the campaign'."{{cite web |title='I never said there was no collusion,' Trump lawyer Giuliani says |website=PBS NewsHour |date=January 17, 2019 |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/i-never-said-there-was-no-collusion-trump-lawyer-giuliani-says |access-date=October 25, 2021 |archive-date=October 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025235925/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/i-never-said-there-was-no-collusion-trump-lawyer-giuliani-says |agency=Associated Press |url-status=live }}

The investigation found there were at least 140 contacts between Trump or 18 of his associates with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks or their intermediaries, though the contacts were insufficient to show an illegal "conspiracy".{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/26/us/politics/trump-contacts-russians-wikileaks.html|title=Mueller Report Shows Depth of Connections Between Trump Campaign and Russians|first1=Karen|last1=Yourish|first2=Larry|last2=Buchanan|date=January 26, 2019|website=The New York Times|access-date=July 6, 2023|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209194131/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/26/us/politics/trump-contacts-russians-wikileaks.html|url-status=live}}

On May 9, 2017, Trump dismissed James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, saying he had accepted the recommendations of U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein to dismiss Comey. In their respective letters, neither Trump, Sessions nor Rosenstein mentioned the issue of an FBI investigation into the many suspicious links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies, with Rosenstein writing that Comey should be dismissed for his handling of the conclusion of the FBI investigation into the Hillary Clinton email controversy, a rationale seconded by Sessions.{{cite news |title=FBI Director James B. Comey's termination: Letters from the White House, Attorney General |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/politics/fbi-director-james-b-comeys-termination-letters-from-the-white-house-attorney-general/2430/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216072153/https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/politics/fbi-director-james-b-comeys-termination-letters-from-the-white-house-attorney-general/2430/ |archive-date=February 16, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Gambacorta |first1=David |title=Rod Rosenstein: The one man standing in Trump's way is the president's polar opposite |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/politics/presidential/rod-rosenstein-trump-russia-investigation-robert-mueller-20170727.html |date=July 27, 2017 |website=philly.com |access-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220235957/https://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/presidential/rod-rosenstein-trump-russia-investigation-robert-mueller-20180924.html |archive-date=February 20, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title=9 times the Trump team denied something – and then confirmed it |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/08/02/7-things-the-trump-team-denied-and-then-later-confirmed/ |date=August 3, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430113010/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/08/02/7-things-the-trump-team-denied-and-then-later-confirmed/ |archive-date=April 30, 2019 |url-status=live }} On May 11, Trump said in an NBC News interview: "Regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey{{nbsp}}... in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story".{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Marshall |last2=Fossum |first2=Sam |last3=Steck |first3=Em |last4=Yellin |first4=Tal |title=How Team Trump keeps changing its story in the Russia investigation |url=https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2019/politics/trump-team-russia-then-now/index.html |work=CNN |access-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220122756/https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2019/politics/trump-team-russia-then-now/index.html |archive-date=February 20, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Graham |first1=David |title=Trump: 'Regardless of Recommendation, I Was Going to Fire Comey' |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/trump-regardless-of-recommendation-i-was-going-to-fire-comey/526362/ |work=The Atlantic |access-date=February 20, 2019 |date=May 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220120626/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/trump-regardless-of-recommendation-i-was-going-to-fire-comey/526362/ |archive-date=February 20, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Shabad |first1=Rebecca |date=May 11, 2017 |title=Trump says he planned to fire James Comey regardless of DOJ recommendation |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-he-planned-to-fire-james-comey-regardless-of-doj-recommendation/ |work=CBS News |access-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220181516/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-he-planned-to-fire-james-comey-regardless-of-doj-recommendation/ |archive-date=February 20, 2019 |url-status=live }} On May 31, Trump tweeted, "I never fired James Comey because of Russia!"

In 2017 and in the first half of 2018, Trump repeatedly praised his attorney Michael Cohen as "a great lawyer," "a loyal, wonderful person," "a good man" and someone Trump "always liked" and "respected". In the second half of 2018, with Cohen testifying to federal investigations, Trump attacked Cohen as a "rat," "a weak person, and not a very smart person" and described Cohen as "a PR person who did small legal work, very small legal work{{nbsp}}... He represented me very little".{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title=Trump's fanciful, falsehood-filled AP interview, annotated |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/17/trumps-fanciful-falsehood-filled-ap-interview-annotated/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=February 20, 2019 |date=October 17, 2018 |archive-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020144739/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/17/trumps-fanciful-falsehood-filled-ap-interview-annotated/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Boyer |first1=Dave |title=Trump: Cohen a 'liar' and 'weak person,' asserts he could do business as a candidate |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/29/donald-trump-says-cohen-weak-person-asserts-he-was/ |date=November 29, 2018 |work=The Washington Times |access-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221000112/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/29/donald-trump-says-cohen-weak-person-asserts-he-was/ |archive-date=February 21, 2019 |url-status=live }}

In 2018, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he did not know about a payment of $130,000 that Cohen made to porn actress Stormy Daniels or where Cohen had obtained the money from. Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post described this statement as a lie,{{Cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |date=August 22, 2018 |title=Analysis {{!}} Not just misleading. Not merely false. A lie. |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/08/23/not-just-misleading-not-merely-false-lie/ |access-date=October 17, 2021 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609054331/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/08/23/not-just-misleading-not-merely-false-lie/ |url-status=live }} as Trump had personally reimbursed Cohen.{{Cite web |last=Liptak |first=Kevin |date=May 16, 2018 |title=Trump discloses payment to Cohen in financial form |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/16/politics/trump-financial-disclosure-report/index.html |access-date=October 17, 2021 |website=CNN |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019215159/https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/16/politics/trump-financial-disclosure-report/index.html |url-status=live }} On May 30, 2024, a New York City jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal these reimbursement payments.

In 2021, several lawyers who had previously worked with Trump, reportedly declined to assist him in asserting executive privilege over the subpoenas served by the House Select Committee on January 6. One of these was William Burck, who had represented 11 Trump associates regarding the Mueller investigation. When Trump was asked about the refusal of his former lawyers to involve themselves in his legal battle, he said: "I don't even know who they are... I am using lawyers who have been with us from the beginning."{{Cite news |last=Polantz |first=Katelyn |date=October 13, 2021 |title=Top conservative lawyers steer clear of Trump's latest legal fight |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/13/politics/conservative-lawyers-steer-clear-of-trump/index.html |access-date=October 13, 2021 |website=CNN |archive-date=October 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014061225/https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/13/politics/conservative-lawyers-steer-clear-of-trump/index.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |last2=Schmidt |first2=Michael S. |date=September 3, 2018 |title=A Coveted Lawyer's Juggling Act May Be Good, and Bad, for Trump |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/02/us/politics/william-burck.html |access-date=October 13, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424130148/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/02/us/politics/william-burck.html |url-status=live }}

In May 2018, Trump developed and promoted the false{{cite news |date=May 23, 2018 |last=Bump |first=Philip |title=There is no evidence for 'Spygate' – but there is a reason Trump invented it |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/05/23/there-is-no-evidence-for-spygate-but-there-is-a-reason-that-trump-invented-it/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180531123003/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/05/23/there-is-no-evidence-for-spygate-but-there-is-a-reason-that-trump-invented-it/ |archive-date=May 31, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Megerian |first1=Chris |last2=Stokols |first2=Eli |date=May 30, 2018 |title=Republicans distance themselves from Trump's 'Spygate' conspiracy theory |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-spygate-20180530-story.html |access-date=July 1, 2019 |website=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=January 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105163018/https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-spygate-20180530-story.html |url-status=live }} Spygate conspiracy theory{{cite news |title=With 'Spygate', Trump Shows How He Uses Conspiracy Theories to Erode Trust |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/28/us/politics/trump-conspiracy-theories-spygate.html |last1=Davis |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author2-link=Maggie Haberman |work=The New York Times |date=May 28, 2018 |access-date=May 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327100520/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/28/us/politics/trump-conspiracy-theories-spygate.html |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=May 23, 2018 |title=The No. 1 reason Trump's 'spygate' conspiracy theory doesn't make sense |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/05/23/the-no-1-reason-trumps-spygate-conspiracy-theory-doesnt-make-sense/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530145725/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/05/23/the-no-1-reason-trumps-spygate-conspiracy-theory-doesnt-make-sense/ |archive-date=May 30, 2018}} alleging the Obama administration planted a spy inside Trump's campaign to help Clinton win the 2016 election.{{cite news |date=May 25, 2018 |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |title='Spygate', the false allegation that the FBI had a spy in the Trump campaign, explained |url=https://www.vox.com/2018/5/25/17380212/spygate-trump-russia-spy-stefan-halper-fbi-explained |work=Vox |access-date=June 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528041047/https://www.vox.com/2018/5/25/17380212/spygate-trump-russia-spy-stefan-halper-fbi-explained |archive-date=May 28, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=May 23, 2018 |last=Tatum |first=Sophie |title=Carter Page: I 'never found anything unusual' in conversations with FBI source |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/22/politics/carter-page-fbi-informant-cnn-tv/index.html |work=CNN|access-date=June 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523170622/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/22/politics/carter-page-fbi-informant-cnn-tv/index.html |archive-date=May 23, 2018 |url-status=live }}

Political commentators and high-ranking politicians from both main parties dismissed Trump's allegations as lacking evidence and maintained that the FBI's use of Halper as a covert informant was in no way improper. Trump's claims about when the counterintelligence investigation was initiated have been shown to be false.{{cite web |last1=Jacobson |first1=Lewis |title=Was Donald Trump the target of a coup? No |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/apr/29/donald-trump/was-donald-trump-target-coup-no/ |date=April 29, 2019 |work=Politifact |access-date=July 3, 2019 |archive-date=July 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702143645/https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/apr/29/donald-trump/was-donald-trump-target-coup-no/ |url-status=live }} A December 2019 Justice Department Inspector General report "found no evidence that the FBI attempted to place any [Confidential Human Sources] within the Trump campaign, recruit members of the Trump campaign as CHSs, or task CHSs to report on the Trump campaign."{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |title=Analysis – 4 takeaways from the Horowitz report on the Russia investigation |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 9, 2019 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/09/takeaways-horowitz-report-russia-investigation/ |access-date=March 20, 2023 |archive-date=April 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429213510/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/09/takeaways-horowitz-report-russia-investigation/ |url-status=live }}

{{main|2018 California wildfires}}

During the 2018 California wildfires which ultimately caused $3.5 billion (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=3500000000|start_year=2018}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) in damages and killed 103 people, Trump misrepresented a method that Finland uses to control wildfires. After speaking with President of Finland Sauli Niinistö, Trump reported in November 2018, that Niinistö had called Finland a "forest nation" and "they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don't have any problem." Trump's comments sparked online memes about raking leaves. Niinistö clarified there is "a good surveillance system and network" for forest management in Finland and he did not recall having mentioned raking.{{cite news |last=Belam |first=Martin |date=November 19, 2018 |title=Make America Rake Again: Finland baffled by Trump's forest fire raking claim |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/19/make-america-rake-again-finland-trump-forest-fire |url-status=live |work=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702111149/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/19/make-america-rake-again-finland-trump-forest-fire |archive-date=July 2, 2020 |access-date=July 19, 2020 }}

In March 2019, Trump asserted that the Mueller special counsel investigation was "illegal". Previously in June 2018, Trump argued that "the appointment of the Special Counsel is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL!" However, in August 2018, Dabney Friedrich, a Trump-appointed judge on the DC District Court ruled the appointment was constitutional, as did a unanimous three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in February 2019.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/21/politics/fact-check-trump-says-mueller-investigation-is-illegal/index.html |date=March 21, 2019 |title=Fact-check: Trump claims Mueller investigation 'illegal', ignoring multiple court rulings |first1=Holmes |last1=Lybrand |first2=Marshall |last2=Cohen |work=CNN |access-date=March 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322211918/https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/21/politics/fact-check-trump-says-mueller-investigation-is-illegal/index.html |archive-date=March 22, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Dukakis |first1=Ali |title=Appeals court says special counsel Robert Mueller 'properly appointed'; orders ex-Stone aide to testify |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/appeals-court-mueller-properly-appointed-orders-stone-aide/story?id=61327058 |date=February 26, 2019 |work=ABC News |access-date=March 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085953/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/appeals-court-mueller-properly-appointed-orders-stone-aide/story?id=61327058 |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |url-status=live }}

The Mueller Report asserted that Trump's family members, campaign staff, Republican backers, administration officials, and his associates lied or made false assertions, with the plurality of falsehoods from Trump himself, whether unintentional or not, to the public, Congress, or authorities, per a CNN analysis.{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/politics/mueller-report-trump-team-lies-falsehoods/index.html |title=The Mueller report: A catalog of 77 Trump team lies and falsehoods |first1=Katelyn |last1=Polantz |first2=Marshall |last2=Cohen |date=April 30, 2019 |website=CNN |access-date=May 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509164606/https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/politics/mueller-report-trump-team-lies-falsehoods/index.html |archive-date=May 9, 2019 |url-status=live }}

Also in March 2019, following the release of Attorney General William Barr's summary of the findings of the completed special counsel investigation, Trump tweeted: "No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION". However, Barr had quoted special counsel Mueller as writing that "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him" on whether he had committed obstruction of justice. Barr declined to bring an obstruction-of-justice charge against the President. In testimony to Congress in May 2019, Barr said he "didn't exonerate" Trump on obstruction as that was not the role of the Justice Department.{{cite web |last1=Hernandez |first1=Laura |title=Trump sees a 'complete and total exoneration' |url=https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/trump-mueller-investigation-m36073 |date=March 25, 2019 |work=Newsday |access-date=March 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325100632/https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/trump-mueller-investigation-1.28918759 |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=March 24, 2019 |last1=Smith |first1=Allan |title=Justice Department's findings a 'complete and total exoneration', Trump responds |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/justice-department-s-findings-total-complete-exoneration-white-house-responds-n986756 |work=NBC News |access-date=March 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325052843/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/justice-department-s-findings-total-complete-exoneration-white-house-responds-n986756 |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Day |first1=Chad |title=Key takeaways from AG Barr's testimony, Mueller's letter |url=https://apnews.com/ec455a7ba1c846deaf8a2616f7754698 |date=May 2, 2019 |website=Associated Press |access-date=May 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501235425/https://apnews.com/ec455a7ba1c846deaf8a2616f7754698 |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}

Trump, Republicans, and many otherwise reliable sources have repeatedly and falsely claimed that Mueller found "no collusion", even though Mueller explained that he did not investigate "collusion", only "conspiracy" and "coordination". The claim has been described as a myth.

{{See also|Economic policy of Donald Trump}}

Through his first 28 months in office, Trump repeatedly and falsely characterized the economy during his presidency as the best in American history.

• {{cite news |work=Associated Press |date=June 4, 2018 |first1=Josh |last1=Boak |first2=Christopher |last2=Rugaber |title=AP fact check: Trump says economy best 'EVER'. It's not. |access-date=May 25, 2019 |url=https://apnews.com/c246ed8d88f44687a23e4460f458d77e |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526013145/https://apnews.com/c246ed8d88f44687a23e4460f458d77e |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |url-status=live |ref=none}}
• {{cite news |work=Associated Press |date=July 27, 2018 |first1=Josh |last1=Boak |first2=Christopher |last2=Rugaber |title=AP fact check: Trump falsely claims historic turnaround |access-date=May 25, 2019 |url=https://www.apnews.com/a7e135215ebc4993a99a85f7eb6963f3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526013144/https://www.apnews.com/a7e135215ebc4993a99a85f7eb6963f3 |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |url-status=live |ref=none}}
• {{cite news |work=Associated Press |date=August 12, 2018 |first1=Hope |last1=Yen |first2=Christopher |last2=Rugaber |title=AP fact check: Trump's economic fiction: 'record' GDP, jobs |access-date=May 25, 2019 |url=https://www.apnews.com/1759c19598e9431db20b604232725871 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526013146/https://www.apnews.com/1759c19598e9431db20b604232725871 |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |url-status=live |ref=none}}
• {{cite news |work=Associated Press |date=August 6, 2018 |first=Christopher |last=Rugaber |title=AP fact check: Trump falsely claims economy, jobs best ever |access-date=May 25, 2019 |url=https://www.apnews.com/1f21cb47ab6d47bfb283c3bfc29afeee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526013146/https://www.apnews.com/1f21cb47ab6d47bfb283c3bfc29afeee |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |url-status=live |ref=none}}
• {{cite news |work=Associated Press |date=February 9, 2019 |first1=Calvin |last1=Woodward |first2=Hope |last2=Yen |first3=Christopher |last3=Rugaber |title=AP fact check: Trump swipes progress from Obama era |access-date=May 25, 2019 |url=https://www.apnews.com/3e265c4138d04e22886e6e1818789734 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526013145/https://www.apnews.com/3e265c4138d04e22886e6e1818789734 |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |url-status=live |ref=none}}
• {{cite news |work=Associated Press |date=April 23, 2019 |first1=Christopher |last1=Rugaber |first2=Hope |last2=Yen |title=AP fact check: Trump's mythical view of presidents past |access-date=May 25, 2019 |url=https://www.apnews.com/1ec86f2c5ae24a70966da807195b1723 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526013147/https://www.apnews.com/1ec86f2c5ae24a70966da807195b1723 |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |url-status=live |ref=none}}
• {{cite news |work=Associated Press |date=May 5, 2019 |first1=Hope |last1=Yen |first2=Calvin |last2=Woodward |title=AP fact check: Trump, Putin on 'no collusion'; economy myths |access-date=May 25, 2019 |url=https://www.apnews.com/3cb2619a3e80464c83fc943e953b0616 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526013144/https://www.apnews.com/3cb2619a3e80464c83fc943e953b0616 |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |url-status=live |ref=none}}
• {{cite news |work=Associated Press |date=May 25, 2019 |first1=Hope |last1=Yen |first2=Calvin |last2=Woodward |title=AP fact check: Trump and a tale of 2 sheets of paper |access-date=May 25, 2019 |url=https://www.apnews.com/f24bb90fe0e44009917744fb3196eca3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525151950/https://apnews.com/f24bb90fe0e44009917744fb3196eca3 |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |url-status=live |ref=none}}

As of March 2019, Trump's most repeated falsehoods, each repeated during his presidency more than a hundred times, were that a U.S. trade deficit would be a "loss" for the country, that his tax cuts were the largest in American history, that the economy was the strongest ever during his administration, and that the wall was being built. By August, he had made this last claim at least 190 times. He also made 100 false claims about NATO spending, whether on the part of the U.S. or other NATO members.{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |last2=Fox |first2=Joe |title=The false claims that Trump keeps repeating |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/fact-checker-most-repeated-disinformation |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=September 10, 2019 |quote=updated 5 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219130403/https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/fact-checker-most-repeated-disinformation/ |archive-date=February 19, 2019 |date=February 4, 2019 |url-status=dead }}

Trump claimed during the campaign GDP could grow at "5 or even 6" percent under his policies. During 2018, the economy grew at 3%, the same rate as 2015 under Obama. Obama's advisers explained growth limits as "sluggish worker productivity and shrinking labor supply as baby boomers retire".{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/28/trumps-economic-policies-failed-to-deliver-promised-3percent-growth-in-2018.html |title=Trump and GOP promised economic growth much better than Obama's. That's not what happened |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508211728/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/28/trumps-economic-policies-failed-to-deliver-promised-3percent-growth-in-2018.html |archive-date=May 8, 2019 |work=CNBC|date=February 28, 2019 |first=John |last=Harwood }}

Trump claimed in October 2017 he would eliminate the federal debt over eight years, even though it was $19 (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=19|start_year=2017}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) trillion at the time.{{cite web |first=Louis |last=Jacobson |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1418/eliminate-federal-debt-8-years/ |title=Eliminate the federal debt in 8 years |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512214648/https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1418/eliminate-federal-debt-8-years/ |url-status=live |archive-date=May 12, 2019 |work=PolitiFact|date=October 20, 2017 }} However, the annual deficit (debt addition) in 2018 was nearly $800 billion, about 60% higher than the CBO forecast of $500 billion when Trump took office. The CBO January 2019 forecast for the 2018–2027 debt addition was 40% higher, at $13 trillion, rather than $9.4 trillion when Trump was inaugurated.{{cite report |url=https://www.cbo.gov/publication/54918 |url-status=live |title=Budget and Economic Outlook 2019 to 2029 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504032538/https://www.cbo.gov/publication/54918 |archive-date=May 4, 2019 |work=Congressional Budget Office |date=January 28, 2019 }} Other forecasts place the debt addition over a decade at $16 trillion, bringing the total to around $35 trillion. Rather than a debt to GDP ratio in 2028 of 89% had Obama's policies continued, CBO estimated it at 107%, assuming Trump's tax cuts for individuals are extended past 2025.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/31/opinion/trump-2018-charts.html |first=Steven |last=Rattner |author-link=Steven Rattner |title=2018 The Year in Charts |date=December 31, 2018 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=May 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512023134/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/31/opinion/trump-2018-charts.html |archive-date=May 12, 2019 |url-status=live }}

Trump sought to present his economic policies as successful in encouraging businesses to invest in new facilities and create jobs. In this effort, he took credit on several occasions for business investments that began before he became president.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/30/trump-keeps-taking-credit-for-deals-struck-while-obama-was-president.html|title=Trump keeps taking credit for deals struck while Obama was president|first=David|last=Mack|date=March 30, 2017|website=CNBC|access-date=August 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816002832/https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/30/trump-keeps-taking-credit-for-deals-struck-while-obama-was-president.html|archive-date=August 16, 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/15/politics/fact-check-trump-takes-credit-for-another-factory-approved-under-obama/index.html|title=Fact check: Trump takes credit for another factory approved under Obama|first=Daniel|last=Dale|website=CNN|access-date=August 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816033053/https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/15/politics/fact-check-trump-takes-credit-for-another-factory-approved-under-obama/index.html|archive-date=August 16, 2019|url-status=live}}

Trump repeatedly claimed that China or Chinese exporters were bearing the burden of his tariffs, not Americans, a claim PolitiFact rated as "false".{{cite news |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/may/14/donald-trump/does-china-mostly-pay-us-tariffs-rather-us-consume/ |title=Who pays for US tariffs on Chinese goods? You do. |date=May 9, 2019 |work=PolitiFact |access-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114075505/https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/may/14/donald-trump/does-china-mostly-pay-us-tariffs-rather-us-consume/ |url-status=live }} Studies indicate U.S. consumers and purchasers of imports are bearing the cost and that tariffs are essentially a regressive tax. For example, CBO reported in January 2020 that: "Tariffs are expected to reduce the level of [U.S.] real GDP by roughly 0.5 percent and raise consumer prices by 0.5 percent in 2020. As a result, tariffs are also projected to reduce average real household income by $1,277 (in 2019 dollars) in 2020."{{cite news |url=https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56020 |title=The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2020 to 2030 |date=January 28, 2020 |work=cbo.gov |access-date=March 20, 2020 |archive-date=December 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201143340/https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56020 |url-status=live }} While Trump has argued that tariffs would reduce the trade deficit, it expanded to a record dollar level in 2018.{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-trump-trade-deficit-20190306-story.html |first=David |last=Lynch |title=Trump promised to shrink the U.S. trade deficit. Instead, it exploded to a record level |date=March 6, 2019 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511045844/https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-trump-trade-deficit-20190306-story.html |archive-date=May 11, 2019 |url-status=live }}

Trump repeatedly claimed that the U.S. had a $500 billion annual trade deficit with China before his presidency; the actual deficit never reached $400 billion prior to his presidency.{{Cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Dale |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Analysis: The 15 most notable lies of Donald Trump's presidency |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/16/politics/fact-check-dale-top-15-donald-trump-lies/index.html |access-date=September 19, 2021 |website=CNN |archive-date=August 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810155803/https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/16/politics/fact-check-dale-top-15-donald-trump-lies/index.html |url-status=live }}

The following table illustrates some of the key economic variables in the last three years of the Obama Administration (2014–2016) and the first three years of the Trump Administration (2017–2019). Trump often claimed the economy was doing better than it was, after he was elected.

{{broader|Trump administration family separation policy|topic=the policy}}

President Trump repeatedly and falsely said he inherited his administration's family separation policy from Obama, his predecessor. In November 2018, Trump said, "President Obama separated children from families, and all I did was take the same law, and then I softened the law." In April 2019, Trump said, "President Obama separated children. They had child separation; I was the one that changed it." In June 2019, Trump said, "President Obama had a separation policy. I didn't have it. He had it. I brought the families together. I'm the one that put them together... I inherited separation, and I changed the plan". Trump's assertion was false because the Obama administration had no policy systematically separating migrant families, while "zero tolerance" was not instituted until April 2018. PolitiFact quoted immigration experts saying that under the Obama administration families were detained and released together and separations rarely happened.{{cite web |last1=Flaherty |first1=Anne |title=Trump falsely blames Obama for family separations at border |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-falsely-blames-obama-family-separations-border/story?id=58908866 |website=ABC News |access-date=July 2, 2019 |date=November 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727145345/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-falsely-blames-obama-family-separations-border/story?id=58908866 |archive-date=July 27, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Montoya-Galvez |first1=Camilo |title=In misleading claim, Trump accuses Obama of separating migrant children |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-blames-obama-for-child-separation-policy-claim-review/ |website=CBS News |access-date=July 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801023437/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-blames-obama-for-child-separation-policy-claim-review/ |date=April 9, 2019 |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Valverde |first1=Miriam |title=Donald Trump, again, falsely says Obama had family separation policy |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/jun/21/donald-trump/donald-trump-again-falsely-says-obama-had-family-s/ |website=Politifact |access-date=July 2, 2019 |date=July 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703191944/https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/jun/21/donald-trump/donald-trump-again-falsely-says-obama-had-family-s/ |archive-date=July 3, 2019 |url-status=live }}

{{further|E. Jean Carroll litigation against Donald Trump|Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations}}

In June 2019, writer E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a department store in the mid-1990s. In an official statement, Trump said that (1) he had "never met [Carroll] in my life" although she provided a photograph of them socializing in 1987, and (2) the store shared security footage debunking the claim though in his 2022 deposition for the case, he denied having reached out to the company.{{Cite web |last=Trump |first=Donald J. |date=June 21, 2019 |title=Statement on the Assault Allegation by E. Jean Carroll |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-the-assault-allegation-e-jean-carroll |access-date=February 23, 2023 |website=The American Presidency Project |via=University of California, Santa Barbara |archive-date=February 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223040859/https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-the-assault-allegation-e-jean-carroll |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Trump |first=Donald J. |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Videotaped Deposition (excerpts) |url=https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.135.3.pdf |access-date=February 22, 2023 |website=Court Listener |via=Free Law Project |pages=59, 78, 88 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225104933/https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.135.3.pdf |url-status=live }} Trump was also criticized for saying in 2019 that Carroll was "not [his] type" but in his deposition confusing her in the aforementioned photograph for his {{nowrap|ex-wife}} Marla Maples.{{Cite web |last1=Snodgrass |first1=Erin |last2=Mitchell |first2=Taiyler Simone |last3=Teh |first3=Cheryl |date=January 18, 2023 |title=Trump thought an old picture of E. Jean Carroll was his ex-wife Marla Maples, despite saying the columnist suing him for sexual assault and defamation was 'not his type' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-mistook-photo-accuser-e-jean-carroll-ex-marla-maples-2023-1 |access-date=January 19, 2023 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131150737/https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-mistook-photo-accuser-e-jean-carroll-ex-marla-maples-2023-1 |url-status=live }}

In July 2019, during a speech addressing youth at Turning Point USA Teen Student Action Summit in Washington, The Washington Post reported that, while criticizing the Mueller investigation, Trump falsely claimed Article Two of the U.S. Constitution ensures, "I have the right to do whatever I want as president." The Post clarified that "Article II grants the president 'executive power'. It does not indicate the president has total power".{{cite news|last1=Brice-Saddler|first1=Michael|date=July 23, 2019|title=While bemoaning Mueller probe, Trump falsely says the Constitution gives him 'the right to do whatever I want'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/23/trump-falsely-tells-auditorium-full-teens-constitution-gives-him-right-do-whatever-i-want/|url-access=limited|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723232645/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/23/trump-falsely-tells-auditorium-full-teens-constitution-gives-him-right-do-whatever-i-want/|archive-date=July 23, 2019|access-date=July 24, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post}}

{{further|Hurricane Dorian–Alabama controversy}}

File:Donald Trump with Hurricane Dorian map, "Thursday August 29, 2019 11 AM AST Advisory 21 NWS National Hurricane Center" "Potential track area" "Day 1-3" and "Day 4-5" from- Hurricane Dorian Briefing (48648405897) (cropped).jpg on August 29, 2019. This map was later altered to show the hurricane impacting Alabama.]]

File:President Trump Receives a Hurricane Dorian Update.webm

As Hurricane Dorian approached the Atlantic coast in August 2019, Trump presented himself as closely monitoring the situation, tweeting extensively as The New York Times reported he was "assuming the role of meteorologist in chief".{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/02/us/politics/trump-dorian.html|title=President Trump, Weatherman: Dorian Updates and at Least 122 Tweets|first=Katie|last=Rogers|date=September 2, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905210226/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/02/us/politics/trump-dorian.html|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=live}} On September 1, Trump tweeted that Alabama, among other states, "will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated".{{cite tweet|url=https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1168174613827899393 |title=In addition to Florida – South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated. Looking like one of the largest hurricanes ever. Already category 5. BE CAREFUL! GOD BLESS EVERYONE!|user=realDonaldTrump|date=September 1, 2019|number=1168174613827899393 |access-date=September 8, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225093629/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1168174613827899393|archive-date=December 25, 2020}} By that time, no forecaster was predicting Dorian would impact Alabama and the eight National Hurricane Center forecast updates over the preceding 24 hours showed Dorian steering well away from Alabama and moving up the coast.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-map-hurricane-dorian-sharpie-fake-doctored-alabama-noaa-storm-a9092521.html|title=Trump forced to deny personally doctoring hurricane map after sharpie spotted on his desk|last1=Embury-Dennis|first1=Tom|date=September 5, 2019|website=The Independent|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905110924/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-map-hurricane-dorian-sharpie-fake-doctored-alabama-noaa-storm-a9092521.html|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2019/DORIAN_graphics.php?product=5day_cone_with_line|title=Dorian Graphics Archive: 5-day Forecast Track and Watch/Warning Graphic|website=nhc.noaa.gov|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905012533/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2019/DORIAN_graphics.php?product=5day_cone_with_line|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=live}} The Birmingham, Alabama office of the National Weather Service (NWS) contradicted Trump 20 minutes later, tweeting that Alabama "will NOT see any impacts from Dorian."{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/01/nws-appears-correct-trump-hurricane-dorians-path-alabama/2187382001/ |date=September 1, 2019 |title=National Weather Service appears to correct Trump on Hurricane Dorian hitting Alabama|last=Wu|first=Nicholas|website=USA Today|access-date=September 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904035228/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/01/nws-appears-correct-trump-hurricane-dorians-path-alabama/2187382001/|archive-date=September 4, 2019|url-status=live}} After ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl reported the correction, Trump tweeted it was "Such a phony hurricane report by lightweight reporter @jonkarl".{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/459862-kentucky-pastor-says-hes-victim-of-a-drive-by-tweet-after-trump |title=Kentucky pastor says he's 'victim of a drive-by tweet' after Trump mistakenly goes after him |first=Morgan |last=Gstalter |date=September 4, 2019 |website=The Hill |access-date=September 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905190120/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/459862-kentucky-pastor-says-hes-victim-of-a-drive-by-tweet-after-trump|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=live}}

On September 4, in the Oval Office, Trump displayed a modified version of an August 29 diagram by the National Hurricane Center of the projected track of Dorian. The modification was done with a black marker and extended the cone of uncertainty of the hurricane's possible path into southern Alabama. Modifying government weather forecasts is illegal in the U.S.{{cite web |first=Allan |last=Smith |date=September 4, 2019 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/why-does-trump-s-hurricane-map-look-different-others-n1049711|title=Why does Trump's hurricane map look different than others?|website=NBC News|access-date=September 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905012606/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/why-does-trump-s-hurricane-map-look-different-others-n1049711|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/04/trump-hurricane-dorian-alabama-sharpie-map|title=Trump shows fake hurricane map in apparent bid to validate incorrect tweet|last1=Smith|first1=David|date=September 4, 2019|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=September 5, 2019|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905042857/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/04/trump-hurricane-dorian-alabama-sharpie-map|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/09/04/president-trump-shows-doctored-hurricane-chart-was-it-cover-up-alabama-twitter-flub|title=President Trump showed a doctored hurricane chart. Was it to cover up for 'Alabama' Twitter flub?|last1=Cappucci|first1=Matthew|last2=Freedman|first2=Andrew|date=September 4, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905001427/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/09/04/president-trump-shows-doctored-hurricane-chart-was-it-cover-up-alabama-twitter-flub/|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=live}} Trump was known to use a Sharpie to write on documents, as well as speech notes and on the campaign trail.{{cite web |last=Frias |first=Lauren |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/notable-times-donald-trump-wielded-infamous-sharpie-sharpiegate-signatures-2022-11 |title=6 memorable times Trump wielded his trademark Sharpie |website=Business Insider |date=November 12, 2022 |access-date=March 24, 2023 |language=en |archive-date=March 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325022624/https://www.businessinsider.com/notable-times-donald-trump-wielded-infamous-sharpie-sharpiegate-signatures-2022-11 |url-status=live }} A White House official told The Washington Post Trump had altered the diagram with a Sharpie marker.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/06/politics/trump-sharpie-hurricane-dorian-alabama/index.html |title=Washington Post: Trump was the one who altered Dorian trajectory map with Sharpie |date=September 6, 2019 |first=Veronica |last=Stracqualursi |website=CNN|access-date=September 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906191901/https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/06/politics/trump-sharpie-hurricane-dorian-alabama/index.html |archive-date=September 6, 2019 |url-status=live }} Trump said he did not know how the map came to be modified and defended his claims, saying he had "a better map" with models that "in all cases [showed] Alabama was hit". Later on September 4, Trump tweeted a map by the South Florida Water Management District dated August 28 showing numerous projected paths of Dorian; Trump falsely asserted "almost all models" showed Dorian approaching Alabama.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1169375550806351872|title=This was the originally projected path of the Hurricane in its early stages. As you can see, almost all models predicted it to go through Florida also hitting Georgia and Alabama. I accept the Fake News apologies!pic.twitter.com/0uCT0Qvyo6|first=Donald J.|last=Trump|date=September 4, 2019|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905204215/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1169375550806351872|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=dead}} A note on the map stated it was "superseded" by National Hurricane Center publications and that it was to be discarded if there were any discrepancies.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757586936/trump-displays-altered-map-of-hurricane-dorians-path-to-include-alabama|title=Trump Displays Altered Map Of Hurricane Dorian's Path To Include Alabama|last1=Naylor|first1=Brian|date=September 4, 2019|website=NPR|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905020858/https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757586936/trump-displays-altered-map-of-hurricane-dorians-path-to-include-alabama|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=live}}

On September 5, after Fox News correspondent John Roberts reported about the story, Trump summoned him to the Oval Office. Roberts later characterized Trump as "just looking for acknowledgment that he was not wrong for saying that at some point, Alabama was at risk—even if the situation had changed by the time he issued the tweet".{{cite web |last=Tapper |first=Jake |title=Trump called Fox News correspondent into Oval Office to argue he wasn't wrong about Alabama |website=CNN Politics |date=September 5, 2019 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/05/politics/donald-trump-alabama-fox-news-white-house/index.html |access-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-date=September 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906001524/https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/05/politics/donald-trump-alabama-fox-news-white-house/index.html |url-status=live }} Trump's Homeland Security Advisor Peter Brown issued a statement asserting Trump had been provided a graphic on September 1 showing tropical storm force winds touching the southeastern corner of Alabama; a White House source told CNN that Trump had personally instructed Brown to issue the statement.

On September 6, at Trump's direction, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross to order acting NOAA administrator Neil Jacobs to fix the contradiction by Birmingham NWS, and Ross threatened to fire top NOAA officials if he did not.{{cite news|last1=Freedman|first1=Andrew|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|last3=Eilperin|first3=Juliet|last4=Samenow|first4=Jason|date=September 11, 2019|title=President Trump pushed staff to deal with NOAA tweet that contradicted his inaccurate Alabama hurricane claim|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/09/11/lawmakers-commerce-department-launch-investigations-into-noaas-decision-back-presidents-trump-over-forecasters|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911194008/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/09/11/lawmakers-commerce-department-launch-investigations-into-noaas-decision-back-presidents-trump-over-forecasters/|archive-date=September 11, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/us/politics/trump-alabama-noaa.html|title=White House Pressed Agency to Repudiate Weather Forecasters Who Contradicted Trump|first1=Peter|last1=Baker|author-link=Peter Baker (journalist)|first2=Lisa|last2=Friedman|first3=Christopher|last3=Flavelle|date=September 11, 2019|website=The New York Times|access-date=September 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911165812/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/us/politics/trump-alabama-noaa.html|archive-date=September 11, 2019|url-status=live}} NOAA then tweeted a statement by an unnamed spokesman disavowing the Birmingham NWS tweet, asserting "the information provided by NOAA and the National Hurricane Center to President Trump and the wider public demonstrated that tropical-storm-force winds from Hurricane Dorian could impact Alabama," adding that the Birmingham tweet "spoke in absolute terms that were inconsistent with probabilities from the best forecast products available at the time".{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/climate/hurricane-dorian-trump-tweet.html|title=Commerce Chief Threatened Firings at NOAA After Trump's Dorian Tweets, Sources Say|first1=Christopher|last1=Flavelle|first2=Lisa|last2=Friedman|first3=Peter|last3=Baker|date=September 9, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910042327/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/climate/hurricane-dorian-trump-tweet.html|archive-date=September 10, 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/06/politics/noaa-tweet-nws-trump-alabama/index.html |date=September 6, 2019 |title=NOAA slams weather service tweet that refuted Trump's Alabama claim |first=Kyle |last=Feldscher |website=CNN|access-date=September 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907023125/https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/06/politics/noaa-tweet-nws-trump-alabama/index.html |archive-date=September 7, 2019 |url-status=live }} The president of the NWS Employees Organization responded, "the hard-working employees of the NWS had nothing to do with the utterly disgusting and disingenuous tweet sent out by NOAA management tonight".{{cite news |date=September 7, 2019 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/noaa-backs-up-president-trump-claim-that-alabama-could-be-affected-by-hurricane-2019-09-07/ |title=NOAA backs up Trump's claim that Alabama could be affected by hurricane |website=CBS News |access-date=September 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907090449/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/noaa-backs-up-trumps-claim-that-alabama-could-be-affected-by-hurricane/ |archive-date=September 7, 2019 |url-status=live}} Former senior NOAA executives were sharply critical.{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/460371-noaa-gets-backlash-after-disavowing-weather-service-tweet-that/ |first=Zack |last=Budryk |title=NOAA draws backlash after disavowing Weather Service tweet that refuted Trump |work=The Hill |date=September 7, 2019|access-date=September 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907210343/https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/460371-noaa-gets-backlash-after-disavowing-weather-service-tweet-that|archive-date=September 7, 2019|url-status=live}} That evening, Trump tweeted a video of a CNN hurricane forecast from the Wednesday before his Sunday tweet in which the forecaster mentioned Alabama could be affected by Dorian—with the video altered to show "Alabama" being repeated several times; the video ended with a CNN logo careening off a road and bursting into flames.{{cite tweet |user=realDonaldTrump |number=1170089069105340416 |title=pic.twitter.com/J3aTzBG7ao|first=Donald J.|last=Trump|date=September 6, 2019|access-date=September 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907034512/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1170089069105340416|archive-date=September 7, 2019|url-status=dead}} Trump continued to insist he was correct through September 7,{{cite web |first=Connor |last=Mannion |url=https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-attacks-nytimes-reporter-as-obama-flunky-as-he-drags-false-hurricane-forecast-story-into-day-seven/|title=Trump Attacks Peter Baker as He Drags False Hurricane Forecast Story Into Day Seven|date=September 7, 2019|website=Mediaite|access-date=September 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908082110/https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-attacks-nytimes-reporter-as-obama-flunky-as-he-drags-false-hurricane-forecast-story-into-day-seven/|archive-date=September 8, 2019|url-status=live}} asserting "The Fake News Media was fixated" and tweeting forecast maps from at least two days before his original Sunday tweet, as the media dubbed the episode "Sharpiegate".{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1169981017794535432|title=The Fake News Media was fixated on the fact that I properly said, at the beginnings of Hurricane Dorian, that in addition to Florida & other states, Alabama may also be grazed or hit. They went Crazy, hoping against hope that I made a mistake (which I didn't). Check out maps{{nbsp}}...|first=Donald J.|last=Trump|date=September 6, 2019|access-date=September 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906202823/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1169981017794535432|archive-date=September 6, 2019|url-status=dead}}{{cite tweet |user=realDonaldTrump |number=1169705282123046913 |title=Just as I said, Alabama was originally projected to be hit. The Fake News denies it! |first=Donald J. |last=Trump|date=September 5, 2019|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905210314/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1169705282123046913|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last=Ecarma|first=Caleb|date=September 5, 2019|title=Fox News' John Roberts Breaks Down Trump's Sharpiegate|url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/fox-news-john-roberts-provides-brutal-explainer-breaking-down-trumps-sharpiegate/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905181440/https://www.mediaite.com/tv/fox-news-john-roberts-provides-brutal-explainer-breaking-down-trumps-sharpiegate/|archive-date=September 5, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=Mediaite}} Commentators expressed bafflement that Trump chose to insist he was correct about what might otherwise have passed as a minor gaffe.{{refn|{{cite web|last=Graham|first=David A.|date=September 5, 2019|title=Trump's Most Pointless Lie|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/trumps-pointless-lie-hurricane-dorian-and-alabama/597469/|url-access=limited|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905184703/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/trumps-pointless-lie-hurricane-dorian-and-alabama/597469/|archive-date=September 5, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=The Atlantic}}{{cite web|last=Mannion|first=Connor|date=September 5, 2019|title=Shepard Smith Destroys Trump's Fake Sharpie Map By Listing Off His Biggest Whoppers|url=https://www.mediaite.com/trump/fake-news-defined-shepard-smith-destroys-trumps-fake-sharpie-map-by-listing-off-his-biggest-whoppers/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905211531/https://www.mediaite.com/trump/fake-news-defined-shepard-smith-destroys-trumps-fake-sharpie-map-by-listing-off-his-biggest-whoppers/|archive-date=September 5, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=Mediaite}}{{cite web|last=Stieb|first=Matt|date=September 5, 2019|title=Trump Insists Sharpie-Doctored Map Shows Alabama Was in Hurricane's Path|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/09/trump-draws-alabama-into-dorian-path-rather-than-admit-error.html |url-access=limited|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905000155/http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/09/trump-draws-alabama-into-dorian-path-rather-than-admit-error.html|archive-date=September 5, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=Intelligencer}}{{cite web|last=Li|first=David K.|date=September 5, 2019|title=The Sharpie is mightier: Trump mocked after that map of Dorian's path|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/sharpie-mightier-trump-mocked-after-map-dorian-s-path-n1049966|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910045759/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/sharpie-mightier-trump-mocked-after-map-dorian-s-path-n1049966|archive-date=September 10, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=NBC News}}{{cite news|last=Rubin|first=Jennifer|author-link=Jennifer Rubin (columnist)|date=September 5, 2019|title=Opinion | Trump isn't even good at lying anymore|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/05/trump-isnt-even-good-lying-any-more/|url-access=limited|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905184815/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/05/trump-isnt-even-good-lying-any-more/|archive-date=September 5, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news|last=Chiu|first=Allyson|date=September 5, 2019|title='Mr. President, you're going to weather jail': Trump roasted for altered Hurricane Dorian map|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/05/stephen-colbert-donald-trump-hurricane-dorian-map-sharpie/|url-access=limited|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905140132/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/05/stephen-colbert-donald-trump-hurricane-dorian-map-sharpie/|archive-date=September 5, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}}}}

On September 9, NWS director Louis Uccellini said the Birmingham NWS had not tweeted in response to Trump's tweet, but in response to phone calls and social media contacts they had received in response to Trump's tweet. "Only later, when the retweets and politically based comments started coming to their office, did they learn the sources of this information," he said.{{cite web|last=Klar|first=Rebecca|date=September 9, 2019|title=National Weather Service chief: Forecasters did the right thing in contradicting Trump's Dorian claim|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/460541-national-weather-service-chief-forecasters-did-the-right-thing-in-contradicting|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911190052/https://thehill.com/homenews/news/460541-national-weather-service-chief-forecasters-did-the-right-thing-in-contradicting|archive-date=September 11, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=The Hill}}

On September 16, 2019, Trump tweeted that "the fake news" was incorrectly reporting that he was willing to meet with Iran with no pre-conditions. Trump had said in July 2018 and June 2019 that he was willing to meet with Iran with no pre-conditions, and secretary of state Mike Pompeo and treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin confirmed this to be Trump's position during a White House press briefing five days before Trump's tweet.{{cite news|last=Wagner|first=John|date=September 16, 2019|title=Trump lashed out at the media for reporting he would meet with Iran with 'no conditions'. He's said as much on camera twice.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-lashed-out-at-the-media-for-reporting-he-would-meet-with-iran-with-no-conditions-hes-said-as-much-on-camera-twice/2019/09/16/f71a98e2-d86d-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html|url-access=limited|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190918054611/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-lashed-out-at-the-media-for-reporting-he-would-meet-with-iran-with-no-conditions-hes-said-as-much-on-camera-twice/2019/09/16/f71a98e2-d86d-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html|archive-date=September 18, 2019|access-date=September 16, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post}}

After Trump ordered the pullout of U.S soldiers from Kurdistan in October 2019 ahead of an expected Turkish military assault, Trump said the Kurds "didn't help us in the Second World War", which was false as Kurdish soldiers fought for allied forces, notably Britain and the Soviet Union.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/10/10/actually-president-trump-some-kurds-did-fight-world-war-ii/ |last=O'Grady |first=Siobhán |title=Actually, President Trump, some Kurds did fight in World War II |date=October 10, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=February 2, 2024 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119051005/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/10/10/actually-president-trump-some-kurds-did-fight-world-war-ii/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/syria-withdrawal-lindsey-graham-blasts-us-withdrawing-troops-northern-syria-posts-2019-10-07/ |title=U.S. pulling troops from northern Syria posts, leaving Kurdish allies to face Turkey |date=October 7, 2019 |work=CBS |access-date=February 2, 2024 |archive-date=February 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240202212828/https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/syria-withdrawal-lindsey-graham-blasts-us-withdrawing-troops-northern-syria-posts-2019-10-07/ |url-status=live }}

{{main|Allegations of Obama spying on Trump}}

Trump and some of his supporters allege that Obama and his administration conspired to politically surveil Trump's presidential campaign and presidential transition through inappropriate investigations by the Department of Justice, the U.S. Intelligence Community, and the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Trump nicknamed the series of events, which he called a major scandal, "Obamagate". Trump's critics called it an unfounded conspiracy theory.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/blog/first-presidential-debate-trump-biden-n1241282 |date=October 2, 2020 |title=Fact-check: Trump falsely accuses Obama of 'spying' on his 2016 campaign |first=Adam |last=Edelman |website=NBC News |access-date=October 13, 2020 |archive-date=January 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130090235/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/blog/first-presidential-debate-trump-biden-n1241282 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/obama-spying-trump-campaign/ |first=Jessica |last=Lee |date=September 29, 2020 |title=Did Obama Get Caught 'Spying' on Trump's 2016 Campaign? |website=Snopes |access-date=October 8, 2020 |archive-date=January 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114131349/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/obama-spying-trump-campaign/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=May 21, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/14/what-is-obamagate-how-does-it-involve-michael-flynn/ |title=Analysis: What is 'Obamagate,' anyway? And how does it involve Michael Flynn? |first=Amber |last=Phillips |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=October 8, 2020 |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120174318/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/14/what-is-obamagate-how-does-it-involve-michael-flynn/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/us/politics/trump-obama-conspiracy-theory.html|title=New Conspiracy Theory, Familiar Path|first=Nick|last=Corasaniti|date=May 19, 2020|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=October 8, 2020|archive-date=November 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123005538/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/us/politics/trump-obama-conspiracy-theory.html|url-status=live}}

On May 10, 2020—one day after former president Barack Obama criticized the Trump administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/obamagate-birtherism-all-over-again/611692/|title=How to Understand 'Obamagate'|last=Graham|first=David A.|date=May 15, 2020|work=The Atlantic|access-date=May 18, 2020|archive-date=May 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521104732/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/obamagate-birtherism-all-over-again/611692/|url-status=live}}—Trump posted a one-word tweet: "OBAMAGATE!"{{cite news |last1=Pengelly |first1=Martin |title=Trump claims Obama committed 'biggest political crime in American history' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/10/trump-obama-biggest-political-american-history-russia-michael-flynn |access-date=May 29, 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=May 10, 2020 |archive-date=January 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131095036/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/10/trump-obama-biggest-political-american-history-russia-michael-flynn |url-status=live }} On May 11, Philip Rucker of The Washington Post asked Trump what crime former president Barack Obama committed. Trump's reply was: "Obamagate. It's been going on for a long time ... from before I even got elected and it's a disgrace that it happened.... Some terrible things happened and it should never be allowed to happen in our country again." When Rucker again asked what the crime was, Trump said: "You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours."{{cite news |last1=Rupar |first1=Aaron |title=It took one question for a reporter to expose Trump's latest baseless Obama conspiracy theory |url=https://www.vox.com/2020/5/11/21255214/trump-obamagate-philip-rucker-coronavirus-press-conference |access-date=June 2, 2020 |work=Vox |date=May 11, 2020 |archive-date=December 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215124836/https://www.vox.com/2020/5/11/21255214/trump-obamagate-philip-rucker-coronavirus-press-conference |url-status=live }} On May 15, Trump tweeted that Obamagate was the "greatest political scandal in the history of the United States". This was the third time Trump claimed to be suffering from a scandal of such magnitude, after previously giving Spygate and the Russia investigation similar labels.{{cite news |last1=Raymond |first1=Adam |title=Trump Uncovers 'Biggest Political Scandal in U.S. History,' Yet Again |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/05/trump-uncovers-biggest-scandal-in-u-s-history-yet-again.html |access-date=June 2, 2020 |work=New York |date=May 15, 2020 |archive-date=January 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111062317/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/05/trump-uncovers-biggest-scandal-in-u-s-history-yet-again.html |url-status=live }} Also on May 15, Trump linked Obamagate to the "persecution" of Michael Flynn, and a missing 302 form.{{cite news |title=Politique : Le 'Obamagate', la nouvelle théorie du complot de Donald Trump |url=https://www.vanityfair.fr/pouvoir/politique/story/le-obamagate-la-nouvelle-theorie-du-complot-de-donald-trump/11777 |access-date=June 2, 2020 |work=Vanity Fair |date=May 15, 2020 |language=fr |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126044750/https://www.vanityfair.fr/pouvoir/politique/story/le-obamagate-la-nouvelle-theorie-du-complot-de-donald-trump/11777 |url-status=live }}

Trump called for Congress to summon Obama to testify about "the biggest political crime".{{cite news |last1=Sabur |first1=Rozina |title=No criminal investigation likely for 'Obamagate' claims, US attorney general says |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/18/no-criminal-investigation-likely-obamagate-claims-us-attorney/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 2, 2020 |work=The Daily Telegraph |archive-date=June 2, 2020 |date=May 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200602044630/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/18/no-criminal-investigation-likely-obamagate-claims-us-attorney/}} Senator Lindsey Graham, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that he did not expect to summon Obama, but would summon other Obama administration officials.{{cite news |last1=Desidero |first1=Andrew |last2=Cheney |first2=Kyle |title=Senate Republicans break with Trump over 'Obamagate' |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/11/senate-republicans-trump-obamagate-249734 |access-date=June 2, 2020 |work=Politico |date=May 12, 2020 |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117122119/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/11/senate-republicans-trump-obamagate-249734 |url-status=live }} Meanwhile, Attorney General William Barr stated that he did not "expect" Obama to be investigated of a crime. Some of Trump's allies have suggested that the "crime" involved the FBI launching an investigation into incoming national security advisor Michael Flynn,{{cite news |first1=Carol E. |last1=Lee |first2=Tom |last2=Winter |first3=Andrea |last3=Mitchell |first4=Mike |last4=Memoli |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-allies-push-obamagate-record-fails-back-them-n1206666 |title=Trump allies push 'Obamagate,' but record fails to back them up |date=May 14, 2020 |work=NBC News |access-date=May 18, 2020 |archive-date=January 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106173242/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-allies-push-obamagate-record-fails-back-them-n1206666 |url-status=live }} or possibly the "unmasking" by outgoing Obama officials to find out the name of a person who was reported in intelligence briefings to be conversing with the Russian ambassador.{{Cite web|title=Acting intelligence chief has declassified names of Obama officials who 'unmasked' Flynn|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/12/politics/dni-declassify-names-flynn/index.html|author1=Zachary Cohen|author2=Alex Marquardt|author3=Evan Perez|author4=Chandelis Duster|website=CNN|date=May 12, 2020|access-date=May 28, 2020|archive-date=November 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122144649/https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/12/politics/dni-declassify-names-flynn/index.html|url-status=live}}

In a May 2020 op-ed at the news website RealClearPolitics, Charles Lipson, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Chicago analyzed the content of "Obamagate". He claimed that the concept refers to three intertwined scandals: (1) The Obama administration conducted mass surveillance through the NSA; (2) the Obama administration used surveillance against Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, and (3) the Obama administration did not transfer power seamlessly to the new Trump administration. Lipson further claimed that "these abuses didn't simply follow each other; their targets, goals, and principal players overlapped. Taken together, they represent some of the gravest violations of constitutional norms and legal protections in American history".{{Cite web |date=May 27, 2020 |first=Charles |last=Lipson |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/05/27/what_the_obamagate_scandals_mean_and_why_they_matter.html |title=What the 'Obamagate' Scandals Mean and Why They Matter |work=RealClearPolitics |quote=It's worse than a single surveillance scandal. It's three huge ones, intertwined. All were abuses of power. Some were crimes. |access-date=May 29, 2020 |archive-date=January 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127132231/https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/05/27/what_the_obamagate_scandals_mean_and_why_they_matter.html |url-status=live }}

The AP in May 2020 addressed Obamagate in a fact check, stating that there was "no evidence" of Trump's suggestion that "the disclosure of Flynn's name as part of legal U.S. surveillance of foreign targets was criminal and motivated by partisan politics." AP stated that there is not only "nothing illegal about unmasking," but also that the unmasking of Flynn was approved using the National Security Agency's "standard process." Unmasking is allowed if officials feel that it is needed to understand the collected intelligence. AP further pointed out that the Trump administration was conducting even more unmasking than the Obama administration in the final year of Obama's presidency.{{cite news |last1=Yen |first1=Hope |last2=Tucker |first2=Eric |last3=Perrone |first3=Matthew |title=AP fact check: Trump, GOP distortion on Flynn; virus fiction |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/national-security-health-donald-trump-ap-top-news-virus-outbreak-b33bb0fac204009a84f4431da6cfd4f3 |date=May 16, 2020 |access-date=October 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722203308/https://apnews.com/article/national-security-health-donald-trump-ap-top-news-virus-outbreak-b33bb0fac204009a84f4431da6cfd4f3 |url-status=live }} In May 2020, attorney general Bill Barr appointed federal prosecutor John Bash to examine unmasking conducted by the Obama administration.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/27/politics/william-barr-unmasking-investigation/index.html|title=Attorney general launches new 'unmasking' investigation around 2016 election|first=David|last=Shortell|website=CNN|date=May 28, 2020|access-date=October 13, 2020|archive-date=December 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230115842/https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/27/politics/william-barr-unmasking-investigation/index.html|url-status=live}} The inquiry concluded in October with no findings of substantive wrongdoing.{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/barr-unmasking-review-no-charges/2020/10/13/0f63fd2e-0d67-11eb-8074-0e943a91bf08_story.html |date=October 13, 2020 |title='Unmasking' probe commissioned by Barr concludes without charges or any public report |first1=Matt |last1=Zapotosky |first2=Shane |last2=Harris |newspaper=The Washington Post }} By October 2020, the complex "Obamagate" narrative served as an evolution and rebranding of the "Spygate" conspiracy.{{cite web |first=Kevin |last=Roose |title=How 'Spygate' Attacks Fizzled | website=The New York Times | date=October 20, 2020 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/technology/how-spygate-attacks-fizzled.html | access-date=October 25, 2020}}

Trump repeatedly advocated a baseless conspiracy theory suggesting that television host Joe Scarborough was involved in the 2001 death of a staffer Lori Klausutis, who worked for Scarborough while the latter was a member of Congress.{{cite web |first=Stephanie |last=Sarkis |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniesarkis/2020/05/24/why-trump-falsely-accuses-scarborough-of-a-death/#6abe3289fbdc |title=Why Trump Falsely Accuses Scarborough Of A Death |work=Forbes|date=May 24, 2020 |access-date=May 28, 2020}} Trump labeled the woman's death an unsolved "cold case" in one of multiple tweets and called on his followers to continue to "keep digging" and to "use forensic geniuses" to find out more about the death. Scarborough's wife and Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski called the president a "cruel, sick, disgusting person" for his tweets and urged Twitter to remove Trump's tweets.{{cite web|title=Husband of deceased Scarborough staffer asks Twitter to delete baseless Trump claims|url=https://www.axios.com/trump-tweets-scarborough-staffer-death-twitter-delete-936c7d26-6df7-4faf-a3ee-506c437864f4.html|last=Knutson|first=Jacob|website=Axios|date=May 26, 2020 |access-date=May 26, 2020}} Scarborough called Trump's tweet "unspeakably cruel".{{cite web|title=MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' calls Trump 'unspeakably cruel' for pushing debunked conspiracy theory|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/05/msnbcs-morning-joe-calls-trump-unspeakably-cruel-for-pushing-debunked-conspiracy-theory.html|last=Morona|first=Joey|date=May 26, 2020|website=cleveland|access-date=May 26, 2020}}

Lori Klausutis was a constituent services coordinator in one of Scarborough's congressional offices in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Klausutis was found dead on the floor near her desk in that office on July 19, 2001.{{cite web|url=https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/09/from-archives-stories-from-2001-related-to-scarborough-aide-klausutis-death/16869123007/ |title=Stories from 2001 related to Scarborough aide Klausutis' death |location=Fort Walton Beach, FL |work=Northwest Florida Daily News |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623123606/https://eu.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/09/from-archives-stories-from-2001-related-to-scarborough-aide-klausutis-death/16869123007/ |url-status=live |archive-date=June 23, 2022 }} An autopsy by Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Berkland{{cite news |work=Tampa Bay Times |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2001/08/28/aide-found-dead-had-said-she-felt-ill/ |date=August 28, 2001 |first=Bill |last=Adair |title=State: Aide found dead had said she felt ill |access-date=May 28, 2020 }} revealed a previously undiagnosed heart-valve irregularity, floppy mitral valve disease, that caused a cardiac arrhythmia that in turn halted her heart, stopped her breathing, and caused the 28-year-old to lose consciousness, fall, and hit her head on the edge of a desk.{{cite web |first1=Grace |last1=Panetta |date=May 27, 2020 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-lori-klausutis-widower-get-to-the-bottom-her-death-2020-5 |title=Trump: Lori Klausutis widower wants someone to 'get to the bottom' of her death |work=Business Insider |access-date=May 28, 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mika-brzezinski-donald-trump-twitter-jack-dorsey-joe-scarborough-conspiracy-tweets-a9524916.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220811/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mika-brzezinski-donald-trump-twitter-jack-dorsey-joe-scarborough-conspiracy-tweets-a9524916.html |archive-date=August 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title='Their policies being violated every day': Mika Brzezinski complains to Twitter about Trump's tweets after blasting 'sick' president on air|work=The Independent|last=O'Connell|first=Oliver|date=May 20, 2020|access-date=May 20, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/mika-brzezinski-morning-joe-donald-trump-twitter-jack-dorsey-1202939501/|title=Mika Brzezinski Says "A Call Is Being Set Up" With Twitter Boss Jack Dorsey After Donald Trump Again Tweets Out Conspiracy Theory|work=Deadline|last=Johnson|first=Ted|date=May 20, 2020|access-date=May 20, 2020}} Klausutis' cause of death was determined at the time of death to be due to natural causes, and local authorities have never attempted to re-investigate because there was no evidence of an alternative explanation for her death.{{cite news |title=Florida family grieves as Trump spreads debunked conspiracy theory to attack MSNBC host |date=May 24, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/florida-family-grieves-as-trump-spreads-debunked-conspiracy-theory-to-attack-msnbc-host/2020/05/24/8a0a45a6-9dcd-11ea-b5c9-570a91917d8d_story.html |last=Pittman |first=Craig |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 26, 2020}} Scarborough was in Washington, D.C. at the time of her death in Florida.{{cite news|author=Maggie Astor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/us/politics/klausutis-letter-jack-dorsey.html |title=Trump Pushes a Conspiracy Theory That Falsely Accuses a TV Host of Murder |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 26, 2020 |access-date=May 28, 2020}}{{cite news |date=May 27, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/romney-criticizes-trump-for-promoting-conspiracy-theory-standing-out-among-republicans/2020/05/27/88101922-a022-11ea-b5c9-570a91917d8d_story.html |title=McCarthy sidesteps questions on Trump's baseless conspiracy theory involving Joe Scarborough |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 28, 2020 |first1=John |last1=Wagner |first2=Paul |last2=Kane }}{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/499703-romney-defends-joe-scarborough-widower-enough-already/ |first=Marty |last=Johnson |title=Romney defends Joe Scarborough, staffer's widower: 'Enough already' |work=The Hill |date=May 27, 2020 |access-date=May 28, 2020}}

In May 2020, Klausutis's widower, Timothy Klausutis, called for the removal of Trump's tweets. He wrote a letter to Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter, saying: "I'm asking you to intervene in this instance because the President of the United States has taken something that does not belong to him—the memory of my dead wife—and perverted it for perceived political gain".{{cite news |title=Widower of Scarborough staffer asks Twitter to remove Trump's conspiracy theories |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/26/scarborough-twitter-trump-conspiracy-281738 |last=Okun |first=Eli |date=May 26, 2020 |website=Politico|access-date=May 26, 2020}} Twitter refused to take down Trump's false tweets, and the White House Press Secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, only stated that her heart was with the family. Twitter stated that statements by the President, even false ones, are newsworthy.{{cite web|title=The baseless Joe Scarborough conspiracy theory that Trump keeps pushing, explained|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/5/26/21270398/joe-scarborough-conspiracy-theory-trump|last=Burns|first=Katelyn|date=May 26, 2020|website=Vox|access-date=May 27, 2020}}

In 2020, Trump claimed multiple times that he or his administration had "done more for the black community than any president," in some cases compared to all presidents, and in other cases to all presidents "since Abraham Lincoln" (who abolished slavery in the U.S.). Prominent historians instead pointed to Lyndon B. Johnson as the president who did most for the black community since Lincoln, for his Civil Rights Act of 1964 and his Voting Rights Act of 1965. The historians also highlighted that the presidencies of Harry Truman, Ulysses S. Grant, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama had done much for the black community. Trump's own achievements were dismissed as minor, while Trump was faulted for racially divisive rhetoric and attacks on voting rights.{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |title=Trump's claim that he's done more for black Americans than any president since Lincoln |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/05/trumps-claim-that-hes-done-more-blacks-than-any-president-since-lincoln/ |access-date=June 9, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200605082559/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/05/trumps-claim-that-hes-done-more-blacks-than-any-president-since-lincoln/ |archive-date=June 5, 2020}}

{{tweet

|text = President Trump Approval Rating in the Republican Party at 96%. Thank You!

|name = Donald J. Trump

|username = realDonaldTrump

|date = July 10, 2020

|ID = 1281447465774919680

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711220108/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1281447465774919680

|archive-date=July 11, 2020 |url-status=dead

|ref-name = TweetrealDonaldTrump_2

}}

After Trump took office in 2017, he routinely tweeted an approval rating between 94% and 98% in the Republican Party without citing a source. Trump tweeted these approval ratings almost weekly, with a percentage around 96%. For example, a tweet from June 16, 2020, by Trump says "96% Approval Rating in the Republican Party. Thank you!" Another tweet from August 23, 2019, says "94% Approval Rating within the Republican Party. Thank you!" Trump's approval rating in the Republican Party was found to be around 88% in a Fox News poll, 90% in a Gallup poll and 79% in an AP-NORC poll, with no evidence to support his tweets of approval ratings around 96%.{{cite news |title=Trump's approval rating is strong with Republicans. He exaggerates it anyway. |first=Aaron |last=Rupar |date=September 9, 2019 |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/9/20856738/trump-94-percent-republican-approval-lie |access-date=August 1, 2020 |work=Vox.com }}{{cite news |title=Not only is Trump's approval with Republicans not 96 percent, energy appears to be slipping |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/17/not-only-is-trumps-approval-with-republicans-not-96-percent-energy-appears-be-slipping/ |first=Philip |last=Bump |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 17, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |title=Fact check: Trump makes 3 false claims in 19 words about his approval rating |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/politics/fact-check-trump-approval-record/index.html |work=CNN|date=July 15, 2019 |access-date=October 4, 2022 }} In 2020, the Pew Research Center reported an average approval rating of 87% amongst Republicans.{{cite web |last1=Dunn |first1=Amina |title=Trump's approval ratings so far are unusually stable – and deeply partisan |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/08/24/trumps-approval-ratings-so-far-are-unusually-stable-and-deeply-partisan/ |website=Pew Research Center |date=August 24, 2020 |access-date=March 3, 2021}}

In 2019, Trump falsely accused Ilhan Omar of praising al-Qaeda, describing remarks Omar made in 2013 about how one of her college professors acted when he discussed al-Qaeda.{{Cite web |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |last2=Westwood |first2=Sarah |date=July 15, 2019 |title=Fact check: Trump falsely accuses Ilhan Omar of praising al Qaeda |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/15/politics/trump-falsely-accuses-omar-al-qaeda-fact-check/index.html |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=CNN}} In 2021, Trump stated without evidence that Omar married her brother, committed "large-scale immigration and election fraud", and wished "death to Israel".{{Cite web |last1=Metzger |first1=Bryan |last2=Panetta |first2=Grace |date=November 30, 2021 |title=Trump promotes lies about Ilhan Omar and suggests she apologize for 'abandoning' Somalia, which she fled as a child |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-ilhan-omar-should-apologize-for-abandoning-her-former-country-2021-11 |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Business Insider}}

{{further|COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 misinformation by the United States#Trump administration|Communication of the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic}}

File:20200401 Trump coronavirus quote timelines - Washington Post.svg |date=March 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401154910/https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/politics/trump-coronavirus-statements/ |archive-date=April 1, 2020 |url-status=live }} Though Trump "occasionally adopted health officials' more cautious tone", the optimism that dominated his early response "hadn't completely disappeared",{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |last2=Rieger |first2=J.M. |title=Timeline: The more than 60 times Trump has downplayed the coronavirus threat |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/12/trump-coronavirus-timeline/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624030013/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/12/trump-coronavirus-timeline/ |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |url-status=live}} See June 24 archive for quote. Trump having downplayed the threat of COVID-19 over 200 times by November 3, 2020.{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |last2=Rieger |first2=J.M. |title=Timeline: Timeline: The 201 times Trump has downplayed the coronavirus threat |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/12/trump-coronavirus-timeline/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624174740/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/12/trump-coronavirus-timeline/ |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 24, 2020 }} Reference contains chronologically ordered list of quotations.]]

File:20200806 Trump coronavirus quote timeline II - The Guardian.svg |date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806212851/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/05/donald-trump-covid-19-go-away |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |url-status=live }}

· Walters and Wong cite {{cite news |last1=Pilkington |first1=Ed |title=Six months of Trump's Covid denials: 'It'll go away ... It's fading' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/29/trump-coronavirus-science-denial-timeline-what-has-he-said |work=The Guardian |date=July 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804050456/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/29/trump-coronavirus-science-denial-timeline-what-has-he-said |archive-date=August 4, 2020 |url-status=live }}

· Most case data was explicit in the Guardian articles; three data items for the chart were obtained from CDC data at {{cite web |title=Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) / Cases in the U.S. / New Cases by Day / View Data |url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html |website=cdc.gov |date=March 28, 2020 |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806150826/https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |url-status=live }}]]

File:202003- Cumulative county COVID-19 death rates - by share of votes for Donald Trump.svg

Trump denied responsibility for his administration's disbanding of the Pandemic Response Team headed by Rear Adm. R. Timothy Ziemer in 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-fire-pandemic-team |title=Did Trump Administration Fire the US Pandemic Response Team? As a new coronavirus spread in 2020, so did concerns about the United States' preparedness for a potential pandemic. |author=Bethania Palma |date=March 13, 2020 |website=Snopes.com |access-date=March 14, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2020/mar/13/coronavirus-trump-slams-reporter-for-nasty-question-over-pandemic-response-team-video|title=Coronavirus: Trump slams reporter for 'nasty question' over pandemic response team |format=Video|date=March 14, 2020|website=C-SPAN|via=theguardian.com|access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314151928/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2020/mar/13/coronavirus-trump-slams-reporter-for-nasty-question-over-pandemic-response-team-video|archive-date=March 14, 2020|url-status=live}}

Trump made false, misleading, or inaccurate statements related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as "We have it under control. It's going to be just fine" (January 22, 2020); "Looks like by April, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away" (February 10), and "Anybody that wants a test can get a test" (March 6).{{cite news |last1=Leonhardt |first1=David |title=A Complete List of Trump's Attempts to Play Down Coronavirus |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/opinion/trump-coronavirus.html |work=The New York Times |date=March 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317131502/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/opinion/trump-coronavirus.html |archive-date=March 17, 2020 |url-status=live}} Trump repeatedly claimed the pandemic would "go away", even as daily new cases rose.{{Cite web|last1=Wolfe|first1=Daniel|last2=Dale|first2=Daniel|author-link2=Daniel Dale|date=October 31, 2020|title=All of the times President Trump said Covid-19 will disappear|url=https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/10/politics/covid-disappearing-trump-comment-tracker/|access-date=July 11, 2021|website=CNN}}

On February 24, Trump tweeted: "The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA,"{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |last2=Subramaniam |first2=Tara |date=March 11, 2020|title=Fact check: A list of 28 ways Trump and his team have been dishonest about the coronavirus |website=CNN|url-status=live |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/politics/fact-check-trump-administration-coronavirus-28-dishonest/index.html |access-date=March 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311214647/https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/politics/fact-check-trump-administration-coronavirus-28-dishonest/index.html |archive-date=March 11, 2020}} and the next day Trump said, "I think that whole situation will start working out. We're very close to a vaccine," when none was known to be near production.{{cite news |title=Larry Kudlow Claims Coronavirus 'Contained' In U.S. As CDC Warns Of Likely Spread |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/larry-kudlow-coronavirus-misinformation_n_5e556f11c5b64c1d5620ddb1 |first=Hayley |last=Miller |work=HuffPost |date=February 25, 2020}}{{cite news |title=Trump's Biggest Supporters Think The Coronavirus Is A Deep State Plot |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/trump-supporters-coronavirus-deep-state-qanon |first=Ryan |last=Broderick |work=BuzzFeed News|date=February 26, 2020}}{{cite news |title=Trump's reckless coronavirus statements put the entire US at risk |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/25/21153035/coronavirus-response-trump-vaccine-covid19-cdc-who-health-crisis |first=Russel |last=Brandom |work=The Verge |date=February 25, 2020 }}{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/2/26/21154253/trump-ebola-tweets-coronavirus |first=Aaron |last=Rupar |title=Trump is facing a coronavirus threat. Let's look back at how he talked about Ebola |date=February 26, 2020 |work=Vox.com |access-date=October 4, 2022 }} In late February, the Trump Administration stated that the outbreak containment was "close to airtight" and the virus is only as deadly as the seasonal flu.{{cite news |title=Trump's no stranger to misinformation. But with the coronavirus, experts say that's dangerous |url=https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/26/trump-mixed-messages-on-coronavirus |work=Stat |date=February 26, 2020 |access-date=March 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314225029/https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/26/trump-mixed-messages-on-coronavirus/ |first=Megan |last=Thielking |archive-date=March 14, 2020 |url-status=live }} The administration also stated that the outbreak was "contained" in early March even as the number of U.S. cases continued to increase, regardless of being publicly challenged.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-06/trump-aides-say-virus-is-contained-while-u-s-count-grows |first1=Justin |last1=Sink |first2=Mario |last2=Parker |title=Trump and CDC Director Insist Coronavirus Tests Are Working |publisher=Bloomberg|date=March 6, 2020 |access-date=March 17, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-many-americans-have-been-tested-coronavirus/607597/|title=Exclusive: The Strongest Evidence Yet That America Is Botching Coronavirus Testing|first1=Robinson |last1=Meyer |first2=Alexis C. |last2=Madrigal |date=March 6, 2020|website=The Atlantic|access-date=March 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314191007/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-many-americans-have-been-tested-coronavirus/607597/|archive-date=March 14, 2020|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-03-06/chaos-at-hospitals-due-to-shortage-of-coronavirus-tests |first1=Emily |last1=Baumgaertner |first2=Sonya |last2=Karlamangla |title=Chaos at hospitals due to shortage of coronavirus testing|date=March 6, 2020|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314133107/https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-03-06/chaos-at-hospitals-due-to-shortage-of-coronavirus-tests|archive-date=March 14, 2020|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/dozens-of-passengers-on-a-stranded-cruise-ship-are-infected-by-coronavirus-that-number-could-soon-grow/2020/03/06/17cf1974-5fdb-11ea-b014-4fafa866bb81_story.html|title=21 people test positive for coronavirus on California cruise ship, out of 46 tested so far|last1=Dennis|first1=Brady|last2=Berman|first2=Mark|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315071751/https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/dozens-of-passengers-on-a-stranded-cruise-ship-are-infected-by-coronavirus-that-number-could-soon-grow/2020/03/06/17cf1974-5fdb-11ea-b014-4fafa866bb81_story.html|archive-date=March 15, 2020|url-status=live}}

While on Fox News, Trump contradicted the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that the global mortality rate for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is 3.4%, saying. "Well, I think the 3.4 percent is really a false number—and this is just my hunch—but based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people that do this, because a lot of people will have this and it's very mild, they'll get better very rapidly. They don't even see a doctor. They don't even call a doctor. You never hear about those people," and said his "hunch" is that the real figure is "way under 1%". Trump speculated that "thousands or hundreds of thousands" of people might have recovered "by, you know, sitting around and even going to work—some of them go to work but they get better," contradicting medical advice to slow disease transmission.{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/05/trump-coronavirus-scientists-on-edge-122121|title=Trump's coronavirus musings put scientists on edge|website=Politico|date=March 5, 2020 |access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316064211/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/05/trump-coronavirus-scientists-on-edge-122121|archive-date=March 16, 2020|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-claim-death-rate-coronavirus-word-health-organization-2020-3|title=Trump argues 3.4% death rate from coronavirus is 'false,' citing a 'hunch' in claiming it's far lower|first1=Sarah |last1=Al-Arshani |first2=Lauren |last2=Frias |date=March 5, 2020 |website=Business Insider |access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311214931/https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-claim-death-rate-coronavirus-word-health-organization-2020-3|archive-date=March 11, 2020|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/03/05/coronavirus-trump-disputes-world-health-organization-death-rate/4961519002 |title=Coronavirus death rate is 3.4%, World Health Organization says, Trump says 'hunch' tells him that's wrong |first=David|last=Jackson |website=USA Today |access-date=March 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305211222/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/03/05/coronavirus-trump-disputes-world-health-organization-death-rate/4961519002 |archive-date=March 5, 2020| url-status=live}}{{YouTube|id=SwqV0VHR4-E|title=Trump says he has a hunch about the coronavirus. Here are the facts}} published March 5, 2020 CNN{{cite news |first1=Lauren |last1=Egan |first2=Mansee |last2=Khurana |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/just-my-hunch-trump-contradicts-health-experts-coronavirus-n1151006 |title=Trump has many hunches about the coronavirus. Here's what the experts say |work=NBC News |access-date=March 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306162252/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/just-my-hunch-trump-contradicts-health-experts-coronavirus-n1151006 |archive-date=March 6, 2020 |url-status=live}} On March 17, Trump stated, "I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic."{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus.html |date=March 17, 2020 |first=Katie |last=Rogers |title=Trump Now Claims He Always Knew the Coronavirus Would Be a Pandemic |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=March 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318003900/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus.html |archive-date=March 18, 2020 |url-status=live }}

Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explained in a Science interview that before press conferences, the task force presents its consensus to Trump "and somebody writes a speech. Then (Trump) gets up and ad libs". Fauci explained the task force told Trump to "be careful about this and don't say that," Fauci added "I can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let's try and get it corrected for the next time."{{cite magazine |last1=Cohen |first1=Jon |title='I'm going to keep pushing.' Anthony Fauci tries to make the White House listen to facts of the pandemic |magazine=Science |date=March 22, 2020 |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/i-m-going-keep-pushing-anthony-fauci-tries-make-white-house-listen-facts-pandemic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323163633/https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/i-m-going-keep-pushing-anthony-fauci-tries-make-white-house-listen-facts-pandemic |archive-date=March 23, 2020 | url-status=live }} Acknowledging the interviewer's statement that some of Trump's claims "don't comport with the facts", Fauci asked the interviewer "what do you want me to do? I mean, seriously Jon, let's get real, what do you want me to do?".

Trump made 33 false claims about Covid in the first two weeks of March, per CNN analysis.{{cite web|last=Dale |first=Daniel |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/22/politics/fact-check-trump-coronavirus-false-claims-march/index.html |title=Donald Trump made 33 false claims about the coronavirus crisis in the first two weeks of March |work=CNN |date=March 22, 2020 |access-date=April 10, 2020}} Trump made other incorrect Covid statements.{{cite web|last=Subramaniam |first=Tara |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/05/politics/timeline-trump-promises-coronavirus/index.html |title=A timeline of Trump promises on coronavirus |work=CNN |date=April 5, 2020 |access-date=April 10, 2020}}{{cite web|last=Rieder |first=Rem |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/04/trump-pence-and-reassessing-coronavirus |title=Trump, Pence and Reassessing Coronavirus |work=FactCheck.org |date=April 3, 2020 |access-date=April 10, 2020}} One false claim was that the U.S. had the highest rate per capita of COVID-19 testing, which it did not, compared to South Korea, Italy, and Germany.{{cite news |first1=Barbara |last1=Sprunt |first2=Domenico |last2=Montanaro |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/02/826368789/fact-check-trump-claims-u-s-testing-for-coronavirus-most-per-capita-its-not |title=Fact Check: Trump Claims U.S. Testing For Coronavirus Most Per Capita. It's Not : Coronavirus Live Updates |work=NPR|date=April 2, 2020 |access-date=April 10, 2020}} Trump's misrepresentations attempted to paint the federal response in an excessively positive light, such as claiming hospitals "even in the really hot spots" were "really thrilled" with the level of medical supplies, when in fact hospitals were concerned about shortages of medications, personal protective equipment, and ventilators.{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/05/827671323/hospitals-reject-trumps-claim-they-are-really-thrilled-with-supplies|title=Hospitals Reject Trump's Claim They Are 'Really Thrilled' With Supplies|website=NPR|date=April 5, 2020|last1=McCammon|first1=Sarah}}

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted in April,{{cite web |url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6842659-200203-NBCWSJ-April-Poll-4-19-20-Release.html |url-status=live |title=NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey Study #200203 |date=April 19, 2020 |via=DocumentCloud.org |work=Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies |access-date=May 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503055305/https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6842659-200203-NBCWSJ-April-Poll-4-19-20-Release.html |archive-date=May 3, 2020}} found 36% of Americans trusted Trump for information on COVID, and 52% distrusted him.{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/poll-six-10-support-keeping-stay-home-restrictions-fight-coronavirus-n1187011 |title=In new poll, 60 percent support keeping stay-at-home restrictions to fight coronavirus |last=Murray |first=Mark |date=April 19, 2020 |website=NBC News |access-date=May 3, 2020 |quote=The NBC News/WSJ poll was conducted April 13–15 of 900 registered voters—more than half of whom who were reached by cellphone—and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.3 percentage points.}} On April 14, Trump said he had "total" authority to reopen states, then said the next day that governors had to make decisions on when to reopen.{{cite news |last1=Gittleson |first1=Ben |last2=Phelps |first2=Jordyn |date=April 15, 2020 |title=Trump's stunning reversal on 'total' authority claim over governors|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-stunning-reversal-total-authority-claim-governors-analysis/story?id=70160951 |url-status=live |work=ABC News – Analysis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510201247/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-stunning-reversal-total-authority-claim-governors-analysis/story?id=70160951 |archive-date=May 10, 2020 |access-date=May 12, 2020 }}

On April 16, Trump said "Our experts say the curve has flattened, and the peak...is behind us." Trump added that "Nationwide, more than 850 counties, or nearly 30 percent of our country, have reported no new cases in the last seven days." The 30% of counties represented 6% of the population. Cases were added in counties where 94% of the population lived.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/24/white-houses-curious-benchmarks-coronavirus-success-keep-changing/ |title=The White House's curious benchmarks for coronavirus success keep changing |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=April 24, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 25, 2020 |quote='Our experts say the curve has flattened, and the peak in new cases is behind us,' Trump said. 'Nationwide, more than 850 counties, or nearly 30 percent of our country, have reported no new cases in the last seven days.' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429062103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/24/white-houses-curious-benchmarks-coronavirus-success-keep-changing/ |archive-date=April 29, 2020}}

On April 28, while discussing his own response to the pandemic, Trump falsely suggested that in late February, Fauci had said that the American COVID outbreak was "no problem" and was "going to blow over". Contrary to Trump's claims, Fauci had said in a February 29 interview that "now the risk is still low, but this could change...You've got to watch out because although the risk is low now...when you start to see community spread, this could change and force you to become much more attentive to doing things that would protect you from spread ... this could be a major outbreak." Fauci had stressed "we want to underscore that this is an evolving situation".{{cite news |last1=Farley |first1=Robert |title=Trump Misquotes Fauci on Coronavirus Threat |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/04/trump-misquotes-fauci-on-coronavirus-threat/ |access-date=June 1, 2020 |work=Factcheck.org |date=April 29, 2020}}

{{quote box

|title = On "totally harmless" cases

|quote = Now we have tested over 40 million people. But by so doing, we show cases, 99 percent of which are totally harmless.

|source = South Lawn "Salute to America" speech{{cite web |title=Remarks by President Trump at the 2020 Salute to America |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-2020-salute-america/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200307/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-2020-salute-america/ |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |date=July 4, 2020 |via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |url-status=live}}
July 4, 2020

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{{quote box

|title = On COVID testing

|quote = Think of this: If we didn't do testing—instead of testing over 40 million people, if we did half the testing, we would have half the cases. If we did another—you cut that in half, we would have, yet again, half of that.

|source = Rose Garden press conference{{cite web |title=Remarks by President Trump in Press Conference |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-press-conference-071420/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120195525/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-press-conference-071420/ |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |date=July 14, 2020 |via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |url-status=live }}
July 14, 2020

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{{quote box

|title = On per capita death rates

|quote =

Journalist: "I'm talking about death as a proportion of population. That's where the US is really bad. ..."

Trump: "You can't do that! You have to go by—look, here's the United States—you have to go by (death as a proportion of) the cases."

|source = Interview with Jonathan Swan{{cite news |last1=Naughtie |first1=Andrew |title='You can't do that': Trump refuses to discuss coronavirus death rate and says US beating rest of world on cases |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-axios-interview-coronavirus-deaths-capita-jonathan-swan-a9652786.html |work=The Independent |date=August 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905173816/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-axios-interview-coronavirus-deaths-capita-jonathan-swan-a9652786.html |archive-date=September 5, 2020 |url-status=live }}

August 2020

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{{quote box

|title = On effectiveness of masks

|quote = Just the other day (the CDC) came out with a statement that 85 percent of the people that wear masks catch it.

|source = Trump in the NBC Town Hall{{cite news |title=Fact-Checking the Trump and Biden Town Halls |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/15/us/fact-checking-town-halls |work=The New York Times |date=October 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016133341/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/15/us/fact-checking-town-halls |archive-date=October 16, 2020 |url-status=live }}
October 15, 2020

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}}

On May 19, Trump tweeted a statement claiming the WHO had ignored credible reports of the virus spreading in Wuhan in December 2019, including from The Lancet.{{Cite news|title=Medical journal refutes Trump claim it published reports about earlier spread of COVID-19 in China|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/trump-lancet-5102875-May2020/|last=Hennessy|first=Michelle|date=May 19, 2020|access-date=May 20, 2020|work=TheJournal.ie}}{{Cite news|title=The Lancet rebuts Trump's claims in WHO letter|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/lancet-rebuts-trump-s-coronavirus-claims-about-who-n1210221|last1=Smith|first1=Saphora|date=May 19, 2020|access-date=May 20, 2020|last2=Talmazan|first2=Yuliya|work=NBC News}} The Lancet rejected Trump's claims, saying "The Lancet published no report in December 2019, referring to a virus or outbreak in Wuhan or anywhere else in China. The first reports the journal published were on January 24, 2020". The Lancet wrote that the allegations Trump made against the WHO were "serious and damaging to efforts to strengthen international cooperation to control this pandemic". The Lancet said "It is essential that any review of the global response is based on a factually accurate account of what took place in December and January".

On June 20, at a rally in Oklahoma, Trump suggested America should slow down testing. In response to the high number of tests, he said that "When you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people, you're going to find more cases, so I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, please.'" White House officials claimed that Trump was only joking. In an interview, Trump said that while he never gave an order to slow down testing, he claimed that if the U.S. slowed down the testing, they would look like they're doing better. "I wouldn't do that," he said, "but I will say this: We do so much more than other countries it makes us, in a way, look bad but actually we're doing the right thing." The percentage of positive cases in the U.S. was over two times higher than recommended by the WHO.{{Cite web |title=Trump tells Tulsa crowd he wanted to 'slow down' COVID-19 testing; White House says he was joking |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-tells-tulsa-crowd-he-wanted-slow-down-covid-19-n1231658 |access-date=July 5, 2020 |date=June 21, 2020 |first=Alicia Victoria |last=Lozano |website=NBC News }}{{Cite web |first=Maegan |last=Vazquez |title=Trump now says he wasn't kidding when he told officials to slow down coronavirus testing, contradicting staff |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/22/politics/donald-trump-testing-slow-down-response/index.html |access-date=July 5, 2020 |website=CNN|date=June 23, 2020 }}{{Cite web |title=How Does Testing in the U.S. Compare to Other Countries? |url=https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/international-comparison |access-date=July 5, 2020 |website=Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center }}

On July 4, 2020, Trump falsely stated that "99 percent" of cases are "totally harmless".{{cite news |last1=Rabin |first1=Roni Caryn |last2=Cameron |first2=Chris |title=Trump Falsely Claims '99 Percent' of Virus Cases Are 'Totally Harmless' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/05/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-factcheck.html |work=The New York Times|date=July 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705211013/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/05/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-factcheck.html |archive-date=July 5, 2020 |url-status=live }} Trump contradicted public health experts by saying that the U.S. will "likely have a therapeutic and/or vaccine solution long before the end of the year". FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn declined to state whether Trump's "99 percent" statement was accurate or to say how many cases are harmless.{{cite news |last1=Dugyala |first1=Rishika |title=FDA commissioner declines to back Trump assertion on 'harmless' coronavirus cases |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/05/hahn-coronavirus-trump-infection-348954 |work=Politico|date=July 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705180552/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/05/hahn-coronavirus-trump-infection-348954 |archive-date=July 5, 2020 |url-status=live }} In March 2020, the WHO had estimated 15% of COVID cases become severe and 5% become critical.{{cite report |date=March 6, 2020 |title=Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 46 |url=https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200306-sitrep-46-covid-19.pdf |publisher=World Health Organization |page=2 |access-date=July 9, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618032255/https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200306-sitrep-46-covid-19.pdf |archive-date=June 18, 2020}}{{Update inline|date=April 2021}}

As the U.S. daily new case count increased from about 20,000 on June 9 to over 50,000 by July 7, Trump repeatedly insisted the increase was a function of increased COVID-19 testing. Trump's claims were contradicted by the fact states having increased case counts, as well as those having decreased case counts, had increased testing, that the positive test rate increased in all ten states with the largest case increases, and that case rate increases consistently exceeded testing rate increases in states with the most new cases.{{cite news |last1=Bump |first1=Philip |title=The more data we get, the more obviously wrong Trump's 'it's just because of testing' becomes / More deaths isn't a function of more tests |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/08/more-data-we-get-more-obviously-wrong-trumps-its-just-because-testing-becomes/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710031320/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/08/more-data-we-get-more-obviously-wrong-trumps-its-just-because-testing-becomes/ |archive-date=July 10, 2020 |url-status=live }}

On August 5, 2020, Trump asserted that children should go back to school and learn in an in-person setting. He said, "If you look at children, children are almost, I would almost say definitely, but almost immune from this disease. So few. Hard to believe. I don't know how you feel about it but they have much stronger immune systems than we do somehow for this. They don't have a problem." According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children account for about 7% of COVID cases. A study reported in Science Magazine showed that "children under age 14 are between one-third and one-half as likely as adults to contract the virus." Facebook took action against Trump's claim that children are "almost immune," removing a video of him claiming this posted on his account. Twitter took action against a similar tweet made by Trump's campaign, stating the account would be restricted from tweeting until the tweet was removed. The account removed the tweet that day.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=David |title=Trump says schools should reopen because children are 'virtually immune' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/05/coronavirus-trump-pushes-reopening-saying-children-immune/3297255001/ |date=August 5, 2020 |access-date=August 12, 2020 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |first=Shannon |last=Bond |title=Twitter, Facebook Remove Trump Post Over False Claim About Children And COVID-19 |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/05/899558311/facebook-removes-trump-post-over-false-claim-about-children-and-covid-19 |access-date=August 12, 2020 |date=August 5, 2020 |website=NPR }}{{Cite web |title=PolitiFact: Trump said children are 'almost immune' from coronavirus. That's not accurate. |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/08/06/politifact-trump-said-children-are-almost-immune-from-coronavirus-thats-not-accurate/ |date=August 6, 2020 |first=Amy |last=Sherman |access-date=August 12, 2020 |website=Tampa Bay Times }}

Trump noted New Zealand's success in dealing with COVID while referring on August 18, 2020, to a "big surge in New Zealand"

{{cite news

| title = Donald Trump refers to 'big surge' of Covid-19 in New Zealand

| url = https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/423780/donald-trump-refers-to-big-surge-of-covid-19-in-new-zealand

| department = World

| work = Radio New Zealand News

| publisher = Radio New Zealand

| date = August 18, 2020

| access-date = September 1, 2020

| quote = 'All of a sudden a lot of the places they were using to hold up, they are having a big surge—and I don't want that, I don't want that,—and they're saying 'whoops',' Trump said at a conference.
'Even New Zealand, you see what's going on in New Zealand,' he said. 'They beat it they beat, it was like front page [news] they beat it because they wanted to show me something.
'The problem is [there is a] big surge in New Zealand, you know it's terrible—we don't want that. [...]'

}}—on a day when New Zealand had 13 new reported cases, a cumulative total of 1,643 COVID cases and a cumulative total of 22 COVID-related deaths, with no new COVID-related deaths reported since May 2020. Commentators in New Zealand called Trump's terminology into question—Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters noted: "The American people can work out that what we have for a whole day, they have every 22 seconds of the day [...]."

{{cite news

| title = Donald Trump refers to 'big surge' of Covid-19 in New Zealand

| url = https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/423780/donald-trump-refers-to-big-surge-of-covid-19-in-new-zealand

| department = World

| work = Radio New Zealand News

| publisher = Radio New Zealand

| date = August 18, 2020

| access-date = September 1, 2020

| quote = 'The American people can work out that what we have for a whole day, they have every 22 seconds of the day, that speaks for itself. [...].

}}

(New Zealand has a population about 1.5% of the U.S.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=usa+nz+population |title=USA NZ population |website=Wolfram Alpha }})

In 18 interviews from December 5, 2019, to July 21, 2020, between Trump and Bob Woodward, Trump admitted he deceived the public about the severity of the pandemic. On February 7, he told Woodward, "This is deadly stuff. You just breathe the air and that's how it's passed. And so that's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu." On March 19, he said, "I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic." Audio recordings of these interviews were released on September 9, 2020.{{Cite web |vauthors= Gangel,Jamie, Herb,Jeremy,Stuart,Elizabeth |title='Play it down': Trump admits to concealing the true threat of coronavirus in new Woodward book |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/bob-woodward-rage-book-trump-coronavirus/index.html |access-date=September 10, 2020 |website=CNN|date=September 9, 2020 }}{{Cite news |date=September 10, 2020 |title=Trump deliberately downplayed virus, book says |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54094559 |access-date=September 10, 2020 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite news |title=Trump Admits Playing Down Coronavirus's Severity, According To New Woodward Book |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/09/09/911109247/trump-admitted-to-playing-down-the-coronaviruss-severity-per-new-book |access-date=September 10, 2020 |website=NPR |date=September 9, 2020 |last1=Wise |first1=Alana }}{{Cite web |vauthors=Hayes,Mike, Wagner,Meg, Rocha,Veronica |date=September 9, 2020 |title=Tapes of President Trump's conversations were released today. Here's what we know so far. |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-woodward-book-09-09-2020/h_5bb44945ec0cf0eba9cdd92ab28fde3c |access-date=September 10, 2020 |website=CNN}}

Legal analyst Glenn Kirschner argued that Trump should be charged with manslaughter for deaths resulting from him intentionally lying to the public about the danger posed by COVID.{{Cite web |date=September 10, 2020|title=Woodward's Tapes, Trump's Covid Admissions & a Homicide Prosecutor's Take on Criminal Liability|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIxNXVQMvgA&t=785|access-date=|first=Glenn |last=Kirschner |via=YouTube }}{{cite magazine |last=Krawczyk |first=Kathryn |date=September 11, 2020 |title=Former federal prosecutor: Trump admitted to '2nd degree murder' in Woodward interview |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/937105/former-federal-prosecutor-trump-admitted-2nd-degree-murder-woodward-interview |magazine=The Week |location=New York, NY |publisher=Future plc |access-date=May 16, 2024}}

In 2014, a bipartisan initiative for veterans' healthcare, led by Senators Bernie Sanders and John McCain, was signed into law by President Barack Obama. The Veterans Choice program enables eligible veterans to receive government funding for healthcare provided outside the VA system. In 2018, Trump signed the VA MISSION Act to expand the eligibility criteria. Over the next two years, Trump falsely claimed over 150 times that he had created the Veterans Choice program itself. When reporter Paula Reid questioned him about this in August 2020, noting that he repeatedly made a "false statement" in taking credit for the program, Trump abruptly walked out of the news conference.{{Cite web|last=Dale|first=Daniel|date=August 9, 2020|title=Trump walks out of news conference after reporter asks him about Veterans Choice lie he's told more than 150 times|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/politics/trump-veterans-choice-paula-reid/index.html|access-date=August 9, 2020|website=CNN}}

In a speech given at Al Asad Airbase to US military personnel on Christmas 2018,{{cite web |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-troops-al-asad-air-base-al-anbar-province-iraq/ |title=Remarks by President Trump to Troops at Al Asad Air Base, Al Anbar Province, Iraq |date=December 26, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120201029/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-troops-al-asad-air-base-al-anbar-province-iraq/ |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |quote=I said, 'No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent.' Because it's been a long time. It's been more than 10 years. It's been more than 10 years. That's a long time.}} Trump boasted that the military had not gotten a raise in ten years, and that he would be giving them a raise of over 10 percent. In fact, American military personnel received a pay hike of at least one percent for the past 30 years,{{cite news |author=Leo Shane III |date=May 9, 2018 |title=Trump seems confused about military pay, claims troops received no raises for a decade |url=https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2018/05/09/trump-confused-about-military-pay-claims-troops-saw-no-raises-for-a-decade/ |url-status=live |work=militarytimes.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212230735/https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2018/05/09/trump-confused-about-military-pay-claims-troops-saw-no-raises-for-a-decade/ |archive-date=December 12, 2019 |access-date=September 12, 2020}} got a 2.4 percent pay increase in 2018, and would receive a 2.6 percent pay increase for 2019.{{cite news |author=Jane C. Timm |date=December 27, 2018 |title=Fact check: Trump brags to troops about 10 percent pay raise he didn't actually give them |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-trump-brags-troops-about-10-percent-pay-raise-n952336 |url-status=live |work=NBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605145814/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-trump-brags-troops-about-10-percent-pay-raise-n952336 |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |access-date=September 12, 2020}}

On January 3, 2020, Trump stated in a speech "Last night, at my direction, the United States military successfully executed a flawless precision strike that killed the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world, Qasem Soleimani."{{cite web |title=Remarks by President Trump on the Killing of Qasem Soleimani (January 3) |url=https://ge.usembassy.gov/remarks-by-president-trump-on-the-killing-of-qasem-soleimani-january-3/ |website=U.S. Embassy in Georgia |access-date=August 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126145039/https://ge.usembassy.gov/remarks-by-president-trump-on-the-killing-of-qasem-soleimani-january-3/ |url-status=dead }} Trump's act of changing the reasons for killing Soleimani were questioned and analyzed by fact-checkers, and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper contradicted Trump's claim that the Iranians were planning to attack four embassies.{{cite web | last=Kiely | first=Eugene | title=Trump Administration's Shifting Statements on Soleimani's Death | website=FactCheck.org | date=January 15, 2020 | url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/01/trump-administrations-shifting-statements-on-soleimanis-death/ | access-date=August 19, 2022}}

{{tweet

|text = There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent. Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed. The Governor of California is sending Ballots to millions of people, anyone living in the state, no matter who they are or how they got there, will get one. That will be followed up with professionals telling all of these people, many of whom have never even thought of voting before, how, and for whom, to vote. This will be a Rigged Election. No way!

|username = realDonaldTrump

|name = Donald J. Trump

|date = May 26, 2020

|ID = 1265255835124539392

|width = 50%

}}

President Trump repeatedly made false, misleading or baseless claims in his criticism of voting by mail in the U.S. This included claims that other countries would print "millions of mail-in ballots", claims that "80 million unsolicited ballots" were being sent to Americans, and claims that Nevada's presidential election process was "100% rigged".{{cite news |last1=Kiely |first1=Eugene |last2=Rieder |first2=Rem |title=Trump's Repeated False Attacks on Mail-In Ballots |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/09/trumps-repeated-false-attacks-on-mail-in-ballots/ |access-date=September 27, 2020 |work=Factcheck.org |date=September 25, 2020}} Another claim was alleging massive voter fraud. In September 2020, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, who was appointed by Trump, testified under oath that the FBI had "not seen, historically, any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it's by mail or otherwise".{{cite news |last1=Cillizza |first1=Chris |title=The FBI director just totally shut down Donald Trump's vote-fraud conspiracy |url=https://us.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/christopher-wray-election-fraud-vote-fraud/index.html |access-date=September 26, 2020 |work=CNN |date=September 25, 2020}}

{{anchor|January 6 United States Capitol attack|January 6 insurrection}}

{{Further|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|Big lie#Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election|Republican reactions to Donald Trump's claims of 2020 election fraud}}

File:20210609 Trump lies, statements after leaving office - horizontal bar chart.svg reported that through June 9, 2021, Trump had issued 132 written statements since leaving office, of which "a third have included lies about the election"—more than any other subject.{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |title=Trump is doing more lying about the election than talking about any other subject |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/12/politics/analysis-trump-election-lies-blog-post-presidency |work=CNN|date=June 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616191647/https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/12/politics/analysis-trump-election-lies-blog-post-presidency |archive-date=June 16, 2021 |url-status=live }} Similar graphic in source attributed to Janie Boschma, CNN.]]

{{quote box

|title = Missing ballots

|quote = {{font|font=Times New Roman |size=16px | {{nbsp|5}}Did you see they found 50,000 ballots in, like, a river?}}

|source = —Trump, in Michigan, October 2020{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |title=Fact-checking Trump's dishonest weekend: The President made at least 66 false or misleading claims in three days |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/19/politics/fact-check-trump-dishonest-weekend-florida-michigan-georgia-wisconsin/index.html |agency=CNN|date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608185743/https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/19/politics/fact-check-trump-dishonest-weekend-florida-michigan-georgia-wisconsin/index.html |archive-date=June 8, 2023 |url-status=live }}

|align = right |width = 30% |border = 1px |fontsize = 100% |bgcolor = #fafafa |title_bg = #fafafa |title_fnt = #202060 |qalign = left |salign = right

}}

During his 2020 presidential campaign, Trump claimed his opponent Joe Biden would "destroy" Americans' "protections for pre-existing conditions",{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=September 11, 2020 |title=Up is down: Trump lies that Biden would 'destroy' Obamacare's protections for pre-existing conditions |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/11/politics/fact-check-trump-biden-pre-existing-conditions-obamacare/index.html |access-date=May 29, 2022 |website=CNN}} while Trump's administration has said the entire Affordable Care Act, which created such protections, should be struck down.{{Cite web |last1=De Vogue |first1=Ariane |last2=Luhby |first2=Tami |date=March 26, 2019 |title=Trump administration now says entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/25/politics/trump-administration-aca/index.html |access-date=May 29, 2022 |website=CNN}}

On November 4, Trump delivered a speech inside the White House falsely claiming he had already won the 2020 presidential election. He made numerous false and misleading statements to support his belief that vote counting should stop and that he should be confirmed as the winner.{{Cite web |first=Dan |last=MacGuill |title=Trump's 'Major Fraud' Speech, Fact-Checked |url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/11/04/trump-major-fraud-speech/ |date=November 4, 2020 |access-date=October 4, 2022 |website=Snopes.com |language=en-US}} After Joe Biden was declared the winner of the election, Trump repeatedly and falsely claimed Biden had won through ballot fraud against him.{{Cite news|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|date=November 7, 2020|title=In Torrent of Falsehoods, Trump Claims Election Is Being Stolen|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/us/politics/trump-presidency.html|access-date=November 8, 2020|issn=0362-4331}} He repeated and tweeted false and misleading claims about vote counting, Dominion Voting Systems, poll watchers, alleged voting irregularities, and more.{{Cite news |last=Subramaniam |first=Tara |date=December 5, 2020 |title=Fact checking Trump's month of shifting, consistently baseless claims for why he lost the election |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/05/politics/trump-november-election-roundup/index.html |access-date=December 8, 2020 |website=CNN}} During the two-month transition period to the Biden administration, according to a Huffington Post count of his false claims, Trump said the election was rigged (he made this claim 68 times), stolen (35 times), determined by fraudulent or miscounted votes (250 times), and affected by malfunctioning voting machines (45 times).{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Hayley |date=February 8, 2021 |title=Trump Claimed Election 'Rigged' Or 'Stolen' Over 100 Times Ahead Of Capitol Riot |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-rigged-stolen-capitol-riot_n_602188e2c5b6173dd2f88c4f |access-date=February 9, 2021 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}

Following the election, Trump continued to claim he had won it{{Cite web |last=Solender |first=Andrew |date=February 17, 2021 |title=Trump Is Back To Falsely Claiming The Election Was Stolen From Him |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/02/17/trump-is-back-to-falsely-claiming-the-election-was-stolen-from-him/ |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Forbes}} and that it was a rigged election.{{Cite news |last1=Yen |first1=Hope |last2=Klepper |first2=David |date=January 6, 2022 |title=AP FACT CHECK: Trump sticks to election falsehoods on Jan. 6 |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-joe-biden-donald-trump-ap-fact-check-election-2020-10bf58cd37e30c51478ad8bdc5a0a2e2 |access-date=May 15, 2022}}{{Cite web |last=Hart |first=Robert |date=January 12, 2022 |title=Trump Hangs Up On NPR Interview After Making More Baseless 'Rigged Election' Claims |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/01/12/trump-hangs-up-on-npr-interview-after-making-more-baseless-rigged-election-claims/ |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Forbes}} Anthony Scaramucci, a longtime Trump associate who was briefly White House communications director before breaking with Trump, said in July 2022 that the former president knew the election had not been stolen. Scaramucci said that during the 2016 campaign Trump had asked him and others why people didn't realize he was playacting and 'full of it' at least half the time, "so he knows that this is all a lie."{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |title=New Insights Into Trump's State of Mind on Jan. 6 Chip Away at Doubts |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/03/us/politics/new-insights-into-trumps-state-of-mind-on-jan-6-chip-away-at-doubts.html |work=The New York Times |date=July 3, 2022}} Years later, Trump persists in the false claim about the 2020 election. For example, on August 29, 2022, he demanded on Truth Social that the nation "declare the rightful winner or ... have a new Election, immediately!"{{Cite web |last=Papenfuss |first=Mary |date=August 30, 2022 |title=Trump Demands To Be Declared President Nearly 2 Years After Election |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-declare-me-president-hunter-biden_n_630d29dce4b063d5e61dd319 |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=HuffPost|language=en}}

In October 2022, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled that Trump and allies participated in a "knowing misrepresentation of voter fraud numbers in Georgia when seeking to overturn the election results in federal court". Specifically, the judge wrote that "President Trump knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and to the public". The judge also found that related emails "are sufficiently related to and in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the United States" that the crime-fraud exemption voids Trump's lawyer's claim of attorney–client privilege.{{cite news |last1=Paybarah |first1=Azi |last2=Brown |first2=Matthew |title=Trump signed legal documents that he knew included false voter fraud numbers, judge says |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/19/trump-2020-election-eastman-jan-6/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019232732/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/19/trump-2020-election-eastman-jan-6/ |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |publisher=Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol |date=December 22, 2022 |title=Final Report |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-J6-REPORT/pdf/GPO-J6-REPORT.pdf |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=govinfo.gov |pages=47–48 |quote=Judge Carter...identified potential criminal activity related to a knowingly false representation by Donald Trump to a Federal court. He wrote: 'The emails show that President Trump knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and in public.' As John Eastman wrote in an email on December 31, 2020, President Trump was 'made aware that some of the allegations (and evidence proffered by the experts)' in a verified State court complaint was 'inaccurate.' Dr. Eastman noted that 'with that knowledge' President Trump could not accurately verify a Federal court complaint that incorporated by reference the 'inaccurate' State court complaint...Despite this specific warning, 'President Trump and his attorneys ultimately filed the complaint with the same inaccurate numbers without rectifying, clarifying, or otherwise changing them.' And President Trump personally 'signed a verification swearing under oath that the incorporated, inaccurate numbers 'are true and correct' or 'believed to be true and correct' to the best of his knowledge and belief.' The numbers were not correct, and President Trump and his legal team knew it.}}

On April 25, 2023, CNN reported that Trump had told a new lie about the 2020 election: "Trump pointedly noted that Biden got more votes than Trump in fewer than a fifth of US counties in 2020. Trump then said, 'Nothing like this has ever happened before. Usually, it's very equal, or—but the winner always had the most counties.'" The statement was described as "complete bunk". Both "Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, carried a minority of counties in each of their victories." William H. Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, explained the facts:

{{blockquote|There is nothing suspicious about winning the presidency with a smaller number of counties. Counties vary widely in size, with large urban and suburban counties—areas where Biden did best—housing far larger populations than most of the outer suburb, small town and rural counties that Trump won.{{cite web | last=Dale | first=Daniel | title=Fact check: Trump, in 2023, tells a new lie about the 2020 election | website=CNN | date=April 25, 2023 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/25/politics/fact-check-trump-counties-2020-election-lies/index.html | access-date=April 25, 2023}}}}

On July 18, 2023, when responding to Sean Hannity at a town hall meeting in Iowa, Trump told a new lie: "I also have to say something else, 'cause the one thing a lot of people, including you, don't talk about: they also create phony ballots, and that's a real problem. That's my opinion. They create a lot of phony ballots." The claim was described as "pure fiction".{{cite web | last=Dale | first=Daniel | title=Fact check: After getting target letter in 2020 election probe, Trump tells another election lie | website=CNN | date=July 19, 2023 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/19/politics/fact-check-trump-phony-ballots-hannity/index.html | access-date=July 20, 2023}}

{{see also|January 6 United States Capitol attack#Aftermath}}

{{quote box

|title = On the attack of the Capitol

|quote = {{font|font=Times New Roman |size=16px | {{nbsp|5}}It was zero threat. Right from the start, it was zero threat. ... Some of them went in, and they're hugging and kissing the police and the guards, you know? They had great relationships. A lot of the people were waved in, and then they walked in, and they walked out.}}

|source = Donald Trump on March 25, 2021
Phone interview with Fox News{{cite news |last1=Forgey |first1=Quint |title=Trump: Rioters in deadly Capitol insurrection posed 'zero threat' |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/26/trump-rioter-insurrection-zero-threat-478147 |work=Politico|date=March 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326145416/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/26/trump-rioter-insurrection-zero-threat-478147 |archive-date=March 26, 2021 |url-status=live }} ([https://twitter.com/i/status/1375272093793783808 link to video])

|align = right |width = 30% |border = 1px |fontsize = 100% |bgcolor = #fafafa |title_bg = #fafafa |title_fnt = #202060 |qalign = left | salign = right

}}

{{quote box

|title = "... unbelievable patriots ...

|quote = {{font|font=Times New Roman |size=16px | {{nbsp|5}}You see the spirit from the hostages, and that's what they are—hostages.}}

|source = —Trump, March 16, 2024
Campaign rally, Dayton, Ohio{{cite news |last1=Zurick |first1=Maura |title=Donald Trump Salutes Jan. 6 'Hostages' at Ohio Rally |url=https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-salutes-jan-6-hostages-national-anthem-plays-1880028 |work=Newsweek |date=March 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240318011947/https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-salutes-jan-6-hostages-national-anthem-plays-1880028 |archive-date=March 18, 2024 |url-status=live }}

|align = right |width = 30% |border = 1px |fontsize = 100% |bgcolor = #fafafa |title_bg = #fafafa |title_fnt = #202060 |qalign = left |salign = right

}}

During the January 6, 2021, attack, minutes after Mike Pence had been rushed off the Senate floor, Trump tweeted that "Mike Pence didn't have the courage" to refuse to certify the election results, implying Pence had the Constitutional power to do so—a claim dismissed by the federal judges in the final two of 62 election-related lawsuits.{{cite web |last1=Calefati |first1=Jessica |title=Fact-checking impeachment trial claims by the Philly-area lawyers who played big roles |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/feb/17/fact-checking-impeachment-trial-claims-philly-area/ |website=PolitiFact|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522044231/https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/feb/17/fact-checking-impeachment-trial-claims-philly-area/ |archive-date=May 22, 2022 |date=February 17, 2021 |url-status=live }}

In a January 7, 2021, White House video, Trump claimed, falsely, that he had "immediately deployed the National Guard and federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders".

Among outtakes for the January 7 video that were shown on July 21, 2022, by the House Select Committee, Trump remarked, "I don't want to say the election's over. I just want to say Congress has certified the results without saying the election's over, OK?"{{cite news |last1=Pengelly |first1=Martin |title=Trump says 'I don't want to say the election's over' in 7 January address outtake |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/21/trump-i-dont-want-say-election-over-outtake |newspaper=The Guardian |date=July 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816144703/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/21/trump-i-dont-want-say-election-over-outtake |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |url-status=live }}

In late March 2021, Trump said the rioters "were ushered in by the police" and "They showed up just to show support",{{cite news |last1=Bump |first1=Philip |title=What Donald Trump has said about the Capitol rioters |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/07/22/what-donald-trump-has-said-about-capitol-rioters/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728154722/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/07/22/what-donald-trump-has-said-about-capitol-rioters/ |archive-date=July 28, 2021 |url-status=live }} which is false in view of the 140 assaults on police officers in hours-long battles involving police engaging in hand-to-hand combat to try to keep rioters out of the building.

At a July 7, 2021, news conference, Trump claimed "the person that shot Ashli Babbitt right through the head, just boom. There was no reason for that"; in fact, Babbitt was shot in the shoulder as she tried to enter an area of the Capitol used to evacuate lawmakers and was within sight of lawmakers being evacuated.{{cite news |title=Inside the Capitol Riot: An Exclusive Video Investigation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/us/jan-6-capitol-attack-takeaways.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811172024/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/us/jan-6-capitol-attack-takeaways.html |archive-date=August 11, 2022 |url-status=live }}

In a July 11, 2021, interview on Fox News, Trump called the events of January 6 a "lovefest" and said that it was "not right" that the rioters were "currently incarcerated"—conflicting with his January 7 statement telling rioters, "You will pay."

In an interview that aired on December 1, 2021, Trump said "hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people" had gathered to hear him speak on the day of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, saying "I think it was the largest crowd I've ever spoken before";{{Cite web |last=Harvey |first=Josephine |date=December 2, 2021 |title=Trump Complains 'Nobody Ever Talks About' The Crowd Size On Jan. 6 |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-crowd-size-jan-6_n_61a94544e4b0ae9a42ba4461 |website=HuffPost |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817020652/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-crowd-size-jan-6_n_61a94544e4b0ae9a42ba4461 |archive-date=August 17, 2022 |url-status=live }} the Associated Press reported it as "several thousand."{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |first1=Ben |last1=Fox |first2=Ashraf |last2=Khalil |first3=Michael |last3=Balsamo |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Thousands cheer Trump at rally protesting election results |url=https://www.actionnews5.com/2021/01/06/trump-supporters-rally-near-white-house-awaiting-president/ |website=Action News 5 |location=Memphis, Tennessee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203151223/https://www.actionnews5.com/2021/01/06/trump-supporters-rally-near-white-house-awaiting-president/ |archive-date=December 3, 2021 |url-status=live }} Investigators estimated that "more than 2,000 people" entered the Capitol.{{Cite news |last1=Weiner |first1=Rachel |last2=Hsu|first2=Spencer S. |last3=Jackman |first3=Tom |last4=Jayaraman |first4=Sahana |date=November 9, 2021 |title=Desperate, angry, destructive: How Americans morphed into a mob |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/11/09/rioters-charges-arrests-jan-6-insurrection/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109134802/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/11/09/rioters-charges-arrests-jan-6-insurrection/ |archive-date=November 9, 2021 |url-status=live }}

On December 10, 2021, Trump told Fox News that the attack was "a protest" and that "the insurrection took place on November 3" (election day),{{cite news |last1=Lonas |first1=Lexi |title=Trump says his Jan. 6 speech was 'extremely calming' |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/585414-trump-says-his-jan-6-speech-was-extremely-calming/ |newspaper=The Hill |date=December 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812141336/https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/585414-trump-says-his-jan-6-speech-was-extremely-calming/ |archive-date=August 12, 2022 |url-status=live }} while in fact about 140 police officers were assaulted and the peaceful transfer of power was violently interrupted in an attack that involved thousands of alleged crimes, and the election was neither rigged nor fraudulent. Trump also said to Fox News of his January 6 speech that "if you look at my words and what I said in the speech, they were extremely calming, actually", while in fact his speech proclaimed that "we fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore."

On December 21, 2021, Trump made a statement calling the attack a "completely unarmed protest". Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson subsequently testified before the House January 6 committee that the Secret Service had warned Trump on January 6 that protestors were carrying weapons, but that Trump demanded that the magnetometers—used to detect metallic weapons—be disabled, so that more supporters would fill the rally space.{{cite web | last=Mayorquin | first=Orlando | title=What are 'mags,' and why did ex-Meadows aide bring them up at the Jan. 6 hearings? | website=USA Today | date=June 28, 2022 | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/28/magnetometer-mags-definition-trump-january-6/7759067001/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826032606/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/28/magnetometer-mags-definition-trump-january-6/7759067001/ |archive-date=August 26, 2022 |url-status=live }} When warned, Trump is said to have angrily responded:

{{blockquote|I don't fucking care that they have weapons, they're not here to hurt me. They're not here to hurt me. Take the fucking mags away. Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here, let the people in and take the mags away.{{cite news | last=Pengelly | first=Martin | title=Trump knew crowd at rally was armed yet demanded they be allowed to march | newspaper=The Guardian | date=June 28, 2022 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/28/trump-jan-6-rally-guns-capitol-attack | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826032606/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/28/trump-jan-6-rally-guns-capitol-attack |archive-date=August 26, 2022 |url-status=live }}}}

Some protestors were armed with guns, stun guns, knives, batons, baseball bats, axes, and chemical sprays. In January 2022, the Justice Department made an official statement that over 75 people had been charged with entering a restricted area with "a dangerous or deadly weapon".{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |last2=Cohen |first2=Marshall |title=Fact check: Five enduring lies about the Capitol insurrection |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/04/politics/fact-check-capitol-insurrection-january-6-lies/index.html |agency=CNN|date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622093422/https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/04/politics/fact-check-capitol-insurrection-january-6-lies/index.html |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |url-status=live }}

In a February 5, 2022, rally, Trump said that if he runs again in 2024, "we will treat those people from January 6 fairly... And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons. Because they are being treated so unfairly"{{cite web |last1=Ioanes |first1=Ellen |title=The GOP's January 6 lies have reached a fever pitch |url=https://www.vox.com/2022/2/6/22920432/trump-republican-party-january-6-lies-pardon-rioters |website=Vox|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611132055/https://www.vox.com/2022/2/6/22920432/trump-republican-party-january-6-lies-pardon-rioters |archive-date=June 11, 2022 |date=February 26, 2022 |url-status=live }}—the claim of unfairness being unsupported by evidence.{{cite news |last1=Richer |first1=Alanna Durkin |last2=Kunzelman |first2=Michael |last3=Billeaud |first3=Jacques |title=Records rebut claims of unequal treatment of Jan. 6 rioters |url=https://apnews.com/article/records-rebut-claims-jan-6-rioters-55adf4d46aff57b91af2fdd3345dace8 |work=Associated Press |date=August 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809083710/https://apnews.com/article/records-rebut-claims-jan-6-rioters-55adf4d46aff57b91af2fdd3345dace8 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |url-status=live }} Trump's claim echoed his September 16, 2021, written statement that "Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election".{{cite news |last1=Mangan |first1=Dan |last2=Breuninger |first2=Kevin |title=Trump says he sides with Jan. 6 riot defendants, as police brace for new Capitol rally |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/16/trump-supports-jan-6-riot-defendants-police-brace-for-capitol-rally.html |agency=CNBC|date=September 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430095445/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/16/trump-supports-jan-6-riot-defendants-police-brace-for-capitol-rally.html |archive-date=April 30, 2022 |url-status=live }}

{{very long section|date=September 2024}}

Before the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election, Trump claimed without evidence that the election was "probably rigged" and said, "Does anybody really believe the California recall election isn't rigged?"{{Cite web |last=White |first=Jeremy B. |date=September 9, 2021 |title=Trump is already claiming the California recall is rigged |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/09/trump-california-recall-rigged-511025 |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Politico}}{{Cite web |last=Sherman |first=Amy |date=September 13, 2021 |title=Trump and his allies lack evidence for claim about 'rigged' California recall |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/sep/13/trump-and-his-allies-lack-evidence-back-recall-fra/ |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=PolitiFact}} After polls closed, he said there was "rigged voting".{{Cite web |last=Teh |first=Cheryl |date=September 15, 2021 |title=Trump released a statement baselessly claiming the California recall election was rigged less than an hour after polls closed |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-claims-california-recall-election-rigged-2021-9 |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Business Insider}}

In reference to a New York policy that allows race to be a consideration when dispensing oral antiviral treatments, Trump lied at a rally that white people don't get the vaccine and "have to go to the back of the line" for COVID-19 care.{{Cite news |last1=Woodward |first1=Calvin |last2=Klepper |first2=David |date=January 16, 2022 |title=AP Fact Check : Trump seeds race animus with COVID falsehood |publisher=PBS |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-trump-seeds-race-animus-with-covid-falsehood}}{{Cite news |last=Shoaib |first=Alia |date=January 16, 2022 |title=Trump claims white people are discriminated against for COVID-19 treatment: 'If you're white you go right to the back of the line' |work=Business Insider |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-rally-trump-claims-covid-19-treatment-is-anti-white-people-2022-1 |access-date=June 4, 2022}}

In a new iteration of the Spygate conspiracy theory,{{Cite news |last=Benen |first=Steven |author-link=Steve Benen |date=February 15, 2022 |title=The new 'spying' story is clearly not what Trump thinks it is |work=MSNBC |url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/new-spying-story-clearly-not-trump-thinks-rcna16370 |access-date=June 4, 2022}} in February 2022, Trump falsely{{Cite web |last=Kertscher |first=Tom |date=February 28, 2022 |title="Hillary Clinton spied on President Trump." |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/feb/28/donald-trump/donald-trumps-save-america-pac-falsely-claims-hill/ |access-date=June 4, 2022 |website=PolitiFact}} claimed Hillary Clinton spied on him during the Russia investigation.{{Cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |date=February 15, 2022 |title=Here's why Trump once again is claiming 'spying' by Democrats |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/15/heres-why-trump-once-again-is-claiming-spying-by-democrats/ |access-date=June 4, 2022}}{{Cite web |last=Reimann |first=Nicholas |date=February 17, 2022 |title=Trump's Latest Claim That Clinton 'Spied' On His Campaign, Explained |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/02/17/trumps-latest-claim-that-clinton-spied-on-his-campaign-explained/?sh=12f96d4c3b85 |access-date=June 4, 2022 |website=Forbes}}

Following a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling declaring ballot drop boxes illegal, Trump claimed this ruling retroactively applies to the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin.{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=D.L. |date=July 14, 2022 |title=The Wisconsin Supreme Court decision declaring ballot drop boxes illegal "includes the 2020 Presidential Election." |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/jul/14/donald-trump/trump-back-hot-seat-claim-linking-ballot-box-rulin/ |access-date=July 22, 2022 |website=PolitiFact}} He also suggested he was the legitimate winner of that election.{{Cite news |last=Beck |first=Molly |title=Trump wants Wisconsin ballot drop box ruling to apply to past elections. It doesn't work that way |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |url=https://eu.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/07/13/trump-uses-wisconsin-court-ruling-drop-boxes-stoke-bogus-claims/10028990002/ |date=July 13, 2022 |access-date=July 22, 2022}}

{{Main articles|Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (government documents case)}}

{{quote box

|title = Declassification of documents

|quote = {{font|font=Times New Roman |size=16px | {{nbsp|5}} There doesn't have to be a process, as I understand it. You're the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it's declassified, even by thinking about it. ... In other words, when I left the White House, they were declassified."}}

|source = Donald Trump on September 21, 2022
Interview with Fox News{{cite news |last1=Olander |first1=Olivia |title=Trump: I could declassify documents by thinking about it |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/21/trump-i-could-declassify-documents-by-thinking-about-it-00058212 |work=Politico|date=September 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922070246/https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/21/trump-i-could-declassify-documents-by-thinking-about-it-00058212 |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |url-status=live }}

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Following the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, Trump made false, misleading, unsubstantiated, and contradictory claims about the investigation into his handling of classified material. Among these, he suggested, without evidence, that President Biden played a role in the search, the FBI planted evidence, the search was unnecessary, and the classified documents in his possession were already declassified. He stated that as a US president, he was not required to follow the prescribed legal process, but could simply declassify them just "by thinking about it",{{Cite web |title=Telepathy? Trump Claims He Could Declassify Documents 'By Thinking About It'|first=Ed |last=Mazza|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-declassification-mind-power_n_632bc629e4b05db5206aad2c |date=September 21, 2022 |access-date=September 23, 2022 |website=HuffPost|language=en}}{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Stuart A |date=August 16, 2022 |title=A Timeline of Trump's False and Misleading Statements on the Mar-a-Lago Search. The former president has pushed frenetic and sometimes contradictory claims about the F.B.I.'s search of his Florida home. |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/technology/trump-search-misinfo-timeline.html |access-date=August 19, 2022 |quote=[His] statements reflect the strategy Mr. Trump has long used to address controversy, by turns denying any wrongdoing while directing attention elsewhere. Some of the messages also reflect his penchant for false and misleading claims.}} and "because you're sending it to Mar-a-Lago or wherever you're sending it. There doesn't have to be a process. There can be a process, but there doesn't have to be."{{Cite news |last=Pengelly |first=Martin |date=September 22, 2022 |title=Trump claims presidents can declassify documents 'by thinking about it' |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/22/trump-sean-hannity-interview-fox-news-mar-a-lago-documents-thought |access-date=August 22, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}

On June 8, 2023, a grand jury indicted Trump. The 37th count was for "False statements and representations", specifically alleging that Trump hid documents from his own attorney, Evan Corcoran. The government had subpoenaed Trump for any classified documents he might have, so Corcoran searched the boxes for documents with classified markings. Because Trump deliberately misled him, Corcoran drafted a "sworn certification" that all subpoenaed documents had been returned, and another attorney, Christina Bobb, provided it to "the grand jury and the FBI". On June 27, 2023, responding to the revelation that in 2021 he showed off a classified document and told the writers in the room to "look" at it, Trump described his own audiotaped words as "bravado, if you want to know the truth... I was talking and just holding up papers... but I had no documents."{{Cite web |last=Visser |first=Nick |date=June 28, 2023 |title=Trump Says Recording Was Merely 'Bravado,' He Didn't Show Secret Documents |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-bravado-classified-documents-recording_n_649b6ddee4b0cd6f7df0c169 |access-date=June 28, 2023 |website=HuffPost|language=en}}

{{Main articles|Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (2020 election case)}}

The August 1, 2023 indictment listed 21 election-related lies Trump told.{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=August 2, 2023 |title=21 Donald Trump election lies listed in his new indictment |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/02/politics/trump-indictment-lies/index.html |access-date=August 2, 2023 |website=CNN Politics |language=en}}

On November 10, 2022, Trump alleged that Democrats had perpetrated "ballot theft" four years earlier in the Florida gubernatorial election. He claimed that, as president, he had intervened to support Republican candidate Ron DeSantis over his Democratic rival Andrew Gillum. "I sent in the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys," Trump claimed, when it seemed that DeSantis had been "running out of the votes necessary to win." Trump said he had thereby "fixed" the DeSantis campaign. Gillum filed in court to demand further information from Trump, as it sounded like an admission of wrongdoing; meanwhile, Florida's Broward County elections office denied that any such thing had happened during the 2018 election.{{Cite web |last=Papenfuss |first=Mary |date=November 12, 2022 |title=Ron DeSantis' 2018 Rival Seeks Hearing After Trump Says He Intervened In Vote Count |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ron-desantis-2018-rival-seeks-hearing-after-trump-says-he-intervened-in-vote-count_n_636f2415e4b09c4db1769fdf |access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=HuffPost|language=en}} The FBI said in March 2023 that it had no records to support Trump's claim.{{cite news |last1=Kamb |first1=Lewis |title=FBI says it has no records related to Trump's claim he 'sent' agents to stop voter fraud in Florida during 2018 election |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fbi-says-no-records-related-trumps-claim-sent-agents-stop-voter-fraud-rcna74965 |publisher=NBC News |date=March 14, 2023}}

On November 15, 2022, almost two years in advance of the 2024 election, Trump announced his candidacy for a second term as president.{{cite news |last1=Greve |first1=Joan E. |title=Trump's speech was full of exaggerated and false talking points |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/16/donald-trump-speech-false-exaggerated-talking-points |newspaper=The Guardian |date=November 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122032821/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/16/donald-trump-speech-false-exaggerated-talking-points |archive-date=November 22, 2022 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |last2=LeBlanc |first2=Paul |title=Fact check: 20 false and misleading claims Trump made in his announcement speech |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/15/politics/fact-check-trump-announcement-speech-2024 |agency=CNN|date=November 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122011735/https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/15/politics/fact-check-trump-announcement-speech-2024 |archive-date=November 22, 2022 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Qiu |first1=Linda |title=In Announcing 2024 Bid for Presidency, Trump Echoes Old Falsehoods |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/16/us/politics/trump-fact-check.html |work=The New York Times |date=November 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122115353/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/16/us/politics/trump-fact-check.html |archive-date=November 22, 2022 |url-status=live }} His announcement speech at Mar-a-Lago was "full of exaggerated and false talking points" and at least "20 false and misleading claims", uttering the first inaccurate claim "about two minutes in and a few minutes later, tick(ing) off at least four hyperbolic claims about his own accomplishments". The New York Times Fact Check stated that "Mr. Trump repeated many familiar exaggerations about his own achievements, reiterated misleading attacks on political opponents and made dire assessments that were at odds with reality."

Trump's first inaccurate claim, about two minutes in, was that his administration "built the greatest economy in the history of the world", a claim that was inaccurate even for recent American history. Trump wrongly claimed Americans surrendered $85 billion worth of military equipment to the Taliban in the Afghanistan withdrawal; the Defense Department estimate was $7.1 billion, some which was rendered inoperable before the withdrawal. Trump claimed that his administration "filled up" the Strategic Petroleum Reserve but that under Biden it has been "virtually drained"; in fact, the reserve was not "virtually drained" under Biden, and it actually contained less when Trump left office than when he took office. He falsely claimed that climate scientists "say the ocean will rise 1/8 of an inch over the next 200 to 300 years"; NOAA estimated average sea level rise along the U.S. coastline will be 10–12 inches in the next 30 years.

Speaking of border crossings by undocumented aliens, he said "I believe it's 10 million people coming in, not three or four million people", a claim for which there is no empirical basis. Likewise, his claim that the U.S.-Mexico border had been "erased" since Biden was sworn in, was also baseless. Trump falsely heralded completion of his border wall; in fact, the vast majority of the "new" barriers reinforced or replaced existing structures, and only about 47 miles were new primary barriers along the 1,900-mile border.

Trump said "I've gone decades, decades without a war, the first president to do it for that long a period"; however, he presided over U.S. involvement in wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, and was commander-in-chief for dozens of U.S. airstrikes. He claimed that when he began his term the U.S. had jet fighters that were 48 years old (and) bombers that were 60 years old—but not anymore"; in fact, the military continues to use B-52 bombers that are being outfitted with new Rolls-Royce engines to prolong their life even further. Trump was wrong in claiming that the U.S. takes longer than "any" country to count votes, belied by longer times in Indonesia (more than a month in 2019), Afghanistan (five months after a September 2019 vote), and Bosnia (weeks in fall 2022).

During the May 10, 2023 CNN Republican Town Hall, Trump repeated his false claims about the 2020 presidential election, the January 6 Capitol attack and his handling of classified documents. He also falsely claimed he had never met E. Jean Carroll and that the jury in her lawsuit against him had ruled that "he didn't rape her". Trump also falsely claimed that Brazil had seen a significant decline in gun-related violence after loosening its gun laws;{{Cite web |last1=Doak |first1=Sam |last2=Kristensen |first2=Nikolaj |date=May 12, 2023 |title=Trump uses CNN town hall to air multiple falsehoods |url=https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/article/trump-cnn-town-hall-fact-checked |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=Logically |language=en}} criminologists consulted by The Washington Post cited an aging population, investment in policing and recessions in drug cartel conflicts as more likely explanations for the decline.{{Cite news |last=Dwoskin |first=Elizabeth |date=December 30, 2022 |title=Gun ownership went up. Killings went down. Brazil debates why. |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/23/brazil-gun-rights-control-bolsonaro/ |access-date=May 26, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}} He also promoted false claims about aid given to Ukraine for Russia's invasion, abortion and the economy during his presidency.

{{see also|Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign|2024 United States presidential election}}

File:20240524 Trump groundwork for election denial.svg

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump has made numerous false and misleading statements.{{Cite news |last=Rector |first=Kevin |date=August 16, 2024 |title=News Analysis: Trump seeks to reclaim spotlight with old playbook of lying, talking smack to media |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-08-16/2024-election-trump-news-conference-analysis |access-date=August 24, 2024 |archive-date=August 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823194457/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-08-16/2024-election-trump-news-conference-analysis |url-status=live |issn=0458-3035 }}{{Cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |date=March 14, 2024 |title=Trump has a bunch of new false claims. Here's a guide. |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/14/trump-crazy-new-claims-fact-checked/ |access-date=August 24, 2024 |archive-date=March 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240315001325/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/14/trump-crazy-new-claims-fact-checked/ |url-status=live |issn=0190-8286 }}{{Cite news |last1=Itkowitz |first1=Colby |last2=Allam |first2=Hannah |date=August 19, 2024 |title=With false 'coup' claims, Trump primes supporters to challenge a Harris win |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/19/trump-stolen-election-coup-overthrow/ |access-date=August 24, 2024 |archive-date=August 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824204443/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/19/trump-stolen-election-coup-overthrow/ |url-status=live |issn=0190-8286 }} The large amount of lies and false statements have been attributed to Trump's rhetorical style described as using the big lie and firehose of falsehood propaganda technique.Multiple sources:

• {{Cite news |last=Snyder |first=Timothy |date=January 9, 2021 |title=The American Abyss |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/09/magazine/trump-coup.html}}
• {{Cite news |last=Ben-Ghiat |first=Ruth |date=January 25, 2021 |title=Opinion: Trump's big lie wouldn't have worked without his thousands of little lies |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/opinions/big-lie-ben-ghiat/index.html |publisher=CNN}}
• {{Cite news |first1=Jan |last1=Wolfe |last2=Heavey |first2=Susan |date=January 25, 2021 |title=Trump lawyer Giuliani faces $1.3 billion lawsuit over 'big lie' election fraud claims |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-election-dominion-idUKKBN29U206}}
• {{Cite news |last=Block |first=Melissa |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Can The Forces Unleashed By Trump's Big Election Lie Be Undone? |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/16/957291939/can-the-forces-unleashed-by-trumps-big-election-lie-be-undone |access-date=October 4, 2022 |publisher=NPR}}
• {{Cite news |last=Pilkington |first=Ed |date=January 24, 2021 |title=Donald Trump is gone but his big lie is a rallying call for rightwing extremists |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/24/donald-trump-big-lie-american-democracy |access-date=October 4, 2022 |website=The Guardian}}
• {{Cite magazine |date=May 19, 2021 |title=Evan McMullin and Miles Taylor on the need for 'rational Republicans' |url=https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2021/05/19/evan-mcmullin-and-miles-taylor-on-the-need-for-rational-republicans |magazine=The Economist |quote=Its leaders shamelessly propagated former President Donald Trump's 'Big Lie'}}
• {{Cite news |last=Stanley-Becker |first=Isaac |date=September 25, 2021 |title=Election fraud, QAnon, Jan. 6: Far-right extremists in Germany read from a pro-Trump script |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/09/25/german-election-far-right-trump/ |access-date=November 23, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}Multiple sources:
• {{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/30/media/trump-election-confusion-reliable-sources/index.html|title='Firehose of falsehood:' How Trump is trying to confuse the public about the election outcome|author=Brian Stelter|publisher=CNN|date=November 30, 2020}}
• {{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/8/31/17804104/strikethrough-lies-propaganda-trump-putin|title=Why obvious lies make great propaganda|first=Carlos|last=Maza|work=Vox|date=August 31, 2018}}
• {{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/donald-trump-campaigns-firehose-of-falsehoods-has-parallels-with-russian-propaganda-20160809-gqo044.html|title=Donald Trump campaign's 'firehose of falsehoods' has parallels with Russian propaganda|first=Chris|last=Zappone|date=October 12, 2016|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
• {{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/5cea69f0-7d44-424e-a121-78a21564ca35 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/5cea69f0-7d44-424e-a121-78a21564ca35 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=What magic teaches us about misinformation|first=Tim|last=Harford|date=May 6, 2021|work=Financial Times}}
• {{Cite news|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/08/trump-nonstop-lies/|title=Trump's nonstop lies may be a far darker problem than many realize|first=Denise|last=Clifton|work=Mother Jones|date=August 3, 2017}}
• {{Cite news|url=https://www.thewrap.com/morning-joe-propaganda-covid/|title='Morning Joe' Rips Trump for 'Firehose of Falsehoods' and 'Nazi-Like Propaganda' on COVID|work=TheWrap|date=December 17, 2020}} During a 64 minute news conference on August 8, 2024, NPR counted Trump making over 162 "misstatements, exaggerations and outright lies" averaging more than two per minute. They described the amount of Trump's lies as "stunning" and "beyond the bounds of what most politicians would do".{{Cite news |last=Montanaro |first=Domenico |date=August 11, 2024 |title=162 lies and distortions in a news conference. NPR fact-checks former President Trump |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/08/11/nx-s1-5070566/trump-news-conference |access-date=August 24, 2024 |archive-date=August 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824144530/https://www.npr.org/2024/08/11/nx-s1-5070566/trump-news-conference |url-status=live }} CNN has called Trump's claims a "bombardment of dishonesty" and a "campaign of relentless lying".{{Cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=May 4, 2024 |title=Trump's bombardment of dishonesty: Fact-checking 32 of his false claims to Time |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/04/politics/fact-check-trump-time-magazine/index.html |access-date=August 24, 2024 |archive-date=August 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821233115/https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/04/politics/fact-check-trump-time-magazine/index.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=2024-11-01 |title=Analysis: Donald Trump's campaign of relentless lying {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/01/politics/analysis-donald-trumps-campaign-of-relentless-lying/index.html |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=CNN |language=en}} The Washington Post has described Trump's speeches as a "bacchanalia of lies and mistruths".{{cite news | last1=Parker | first1=Ashley | last2=LeVine | first2=Marianne | last3=Godwin | first3=Ross | title=Trump's freewheeling speeches offer a dark vision of a second term | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=March 11, 2024 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/11/trump-campaign-speech-anatomy/ | access-date=September 9, 2024}}

Trump has made a variety of false claims aimed at sowing doubt in the election's integrity and setting up an election challenge should he lose the 2024 presidential election. He has repeatedly said that he can only lose the election through cheating, that it was "unconstitutional" for the Democratic party to make Kamala Harris the nominee, that all of the legal cases against him constitute election interference organized by Biden and Harris, and that extensive voter fraud is occurring, including through non-citizen voting, mail-in ballots, and early voting.{{Cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Marshall |last2=Dale |first2=Daniel |date=2024-09-30 |title=Fact check: 12 election lies Trump is using to set the stage to dispute a potential 2024 defeat |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/30/politics/fact-check-trump-election-lies-2024/index.html |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=CNN |language=en}}

In March and April 2023, on several occasions, Trump claimed that all the psychiatric patients in an unnamed "South American country" had been sent to the United States; he said he had "read a story" in which an unnamed "psychologist or psychiatrist" in that country said all his patients had disappeared. When CNN asked the Trump campaign to substantiate this, a spokesperson responded by providing unrelated information.{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=April 29, 2023 |title=Fact check: Trump's own campaign can't find proof for his 'mental institutions' immigration story |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/29/politics/fact-check-trump-mental-institutions-migrants-doctor/index.html |access-date=May 2, 2023 |website=CNN Politics |language=en}} Trump has repeated this assertion throughout his campaign, falsely stating that foreign leaders are deliberately emptying insane asylums to send "prisoners, murderers, drug dealers, mental patients, terrorists" across America's southern border as migrants.{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-crime-battleground-election-aa4b0912322dee09cf475ffad7c8cec7|title=Trump accuses Biden of causing a border 'bloodbath' as he escalates his immigration rhetoric|last1=Cappelletti|first1=Joey|last2=Colvin|first2=Jill|last3=Gomez|first3=Adriana|date=April 2, 2024|access-date=April 3, 2024|newspaper=The Associated Press}}

Trump has made false claims of a "migrant crime wave" that are not supported by national data.{{Cite news |last1=Olympia |first1=Sonnier |last2=Haake |first2=Garrett |date=February 29, 2024 |title=Trump's claims of a migrant crime wave are not supported by national data|publisher=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trumps-claims-migrant-crime-wave-are-not-supported-national-data-rcna140896 |access-date=June 23, 2024 |archive-date=June 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240622153032/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trumps-claims-migrant-crime-wave-are-not-supported-national-data-rcna140896 |url-status=live}} He claimed that "13,000 convicted murderers" had entered the U.S. during the Biden-Harris administration and "freely and openly roam" the country, when that number is for immigrants who'd committed a variety of crimes and entered the country during several administrations, many of whom are jailed.{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=2024-09-29 |title=Fact check: To attack Harris, Trump falsely describes new stats on immigrants and homicide |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/29/politics/fact-check-trump-harris-immigrants-homicide/index.html |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=CNN |language=en}} Trump has falsely claimed that crime in several South American countries has decreased because their leaders are sending criminals into the United States.{{cite news|author=PolitiFact Staff|title=Politifact FL: 2024 RNC speech in Milwaukee full of falsehoods about immigrants, economy |url=https://www.wusf.org/politics-issues/2024-07-19/politifact-fl-2024-rnc-speech-milwaukee-full-of-falsehoods-immigrants-economy-trump |date=July 19, 2024|access-date=September 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801080654/https://www.wusf.org/politics-issues/2024-07-19/politifact-fl-2024-rnc-speech-milwaukee-full-of-falsehoods-immigrants-economy-trump|archive-date=August 1, 2024|url-status=live}} Trump has painted America as violent and crime-ridden on the campaign trail. Trump has falsely stated that FBI statistics showing that homicides have dropped by 6% in 2022 and 13% in 2023 are "a lie".{{cite magazine|last=Cortellessa|first=Eric|date=April 30, 2024|title=How Far Trump Would Go|url=https://time.com/6972021/donald-trump-2024-election-interview/|url-status=live|magazine=Time|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511000706/https://time.com/6972021/donald-trump-2024-election-interview/|archive-date=May 11, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2024}} Trump has repeatedly claimed that crime in America is only going up. In reality, crime is going down.{{cite news|last=Dale|first=Daniel|title=Fact check: Trump falsely claims US crime stats are only going up. Most went down last year, including massive drop in murder |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/03/politics/fact-check-trump-falsely-claims-us-crime-stats-are-only-going-up-most-went-down-last-year-including-massive-drop-in-murder/index.html|date=April 3, 2024|access-date=September 8, 2024|work=CNN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414183644/https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/03/politics/fact-check-trump-falsely-claims-us-crime-stats-are-only-going-up-most-went-down-last-year-including-massive-drop-in-murder/index.html|archive-date=April 14, 2024|url-status=live}} Trump falsely alleged that immigrants commit crimes because they have "bad genes," invoking what science writer Daniel Vergano describes as "the deeply dishonest scientism" of eugenics.{{Cite web |last=Vergano |first=Daniel |date=2024-10-14 |title=Why Trump and Vance Are Spewing Eugenics |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-racist-rants-against-immigrants-hide-under-the-language-of-eugenics/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Scientific American |language=en}}

Trump has falsely claimed America "had the most secure border" when he was President. In reality, illegal immigration was higher than it was during both of Obama's terms. Trump has falsely claimed that illegal immigration has only increased under the Biden administration. In reality, by June 2024, illegal immigration reached a three-year low{{Cite news|first=Camilo|last=Montoya-Galvez|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/border-crossings-us-mexico-border-june-2024/|title=Illegal crossings at U.S.-Mexico border fall to 3-year low, the lowest level under Biden|newspaper=CBS News|date=July 1, 2024|access-date=July 12, 2024|archive-date=July 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710231729/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/border-crossings-us-mexico-border-june-2024/|url-status=live}} and decreased to levels not seen since September 2020 when Trump was in office.{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/border-patrol-arrests-asylum-4898733a7ad9868e54220c23b7d96185|title=Border arrests drop 33% to a 46-month low in July after asylum restrictions take hold|work=The Associated Press|date=August 16, 2024|access-date=August 16, 2024}}

Trump has falsely claimed that 107% of jobs are taken by illegal immigrants. In reality, native-born Americans have gained more jobs than illegal immigrants during Biden's administration. Research has repeatedly found that illegal immigrants do not depress wages or take jobs from Americans.{{Cite web|title=The Impact of Unauthorized Immigrants on the Budgets of State and Local Governments|url=https://www.cbo.gov/publication/41645|date=December 2007|publisher=Congressional Budget Office}}{{Cite encyclopedia|url=http://giovanniperi.ucdavis.edu/uploads/5/6/8/2/56826033/ageoftrump_june2017.pdf#page=70|last1=Mayda|first1=Anna Maria|last2=Peri|first2=Giovanni|title=The economic impact of US immigration policies in the Age of Trump|encyclopedia=Economics and Policy in the Age of Trump|editor-last=Bown|editor-first=Chad P.|publisher=VoxEU.org|pages=69–77|date=June 2017}}{{Cite journal|last=Liu|first=Xiangbo|date=2010-12-01|title=On the macroeconomic and welfare effects of undocumented immigration|url=https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/15469/1/MPRA_paper_15469.pdf|journal=Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control|volume=34|issue=12|pages=2547–2567|doi=10.1016/j.jedc.2010.06.030}}{{Cite journal|last1=Palivos|first1=Theodore|last2=Yip|first2=Chong K.|date=2010-09-01|title=Illegal immigration in a heterogeneous labor market|journal=Journal of Economics|language=en|volume=101|issue=1|pages=21–47|doi=10.1007/s00712-010-0139-y|s2cid=153804786|issn=0931-8658}}

Trump has falsely claimed that immigrants take social security benefits and are decreasing the life of the program. In reality, immigrants cannot take social security benefits but pay taxes, thus increasing the life of the program.

The Bulwark uploaded a satirical video showing and debunking clips of Trump blaming migrants for "all problems," including "hurricane damage, bribery prosecutions, veteran homelessness, missing pets, and, the decline of little league baseball."{{cite AV media |people=William Saletan, Donald Trump |date=October 10, 2024 |title=Can Trump Blame All Problems on Migrants? It's Time to Play SCAPEGOAT! |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rrnv6bREf4 |access-date=October 19, 2024 |publisher=The Bulwark }}

{{quote box

| title = ...not our problem

| quote = {{nbsp|5}} {{font| font=Times New Roman |size=16px |When people talk about global warming, I say the ocean is going to go down 100th of an inch within the next 400 years. That's not our problem.}}

| author = — Presidential candidate Donald Trump

| source =
September 2024

| align = right | width = 35% | border = 1px | fontsize = 100% | bgcolor = #fafafa | title_bg = #fafafa | title_fnt = #202060 | qalign = left | salign = right

}}

File:2017 Human-related causes of bird deaths (US).svg involves repeated claims that "windmills" "kill the birds",{{cite news |last1=Kaufman |first1=Mark |title=Trump won't stop making a deceptive bird claim. Experts debunk it. |url=https://mashable.com/article/trump-wind-energy-turbine-birds-death |work=Mashable |date=17 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211034724/https://mashable.com/article/trump-wind-energy-turbine-birds-death |archive-date=11 February 2025 |url-status=live }} but cats in the U.S. actually kill on the order of 10,000 times as many birds as wind turbines.{{cite web |title=Threats to Birds / Top Threats to Birds (U.S. only. Ordered by Median Estimate of Bird Mortality Annually. As of 2017.) |url=https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/threats-birds |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213033928/https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/threats-birds |archive-date=13 February 2025 |date=2017 |url-status=live}}]]

Trump has "routinely" dismissed climate change.{{cite news |last1=Cillizza |first1=Chris |title=Donald Trump doesn't think much of climate change, in 20 quotes |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/08/politics/trump-global-warming/index.html |agency=CNN |date=August 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708035850/https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/08/politics/trump-global-warming/index.html |archive-date=July 8, 2024 |url-status=live }} In 2012, Trump tweeted[https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/265895292191248385 Donald J. Trump] on Twitter, November 6, 2012. that "global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive". In December 2013, he tweeted that "I'm in Los Angeles and it's freezing. Global warming is a total, and very expensive, hoax!"—conflating global climate and local weather.{{cite magazine |last1=de la Garza |first1=Alejandro |title=President Trump Renews Climate Change Denial Days After Defense Department Releases Daunting Report on Its Effects |url=https://time.com/5508259/trump-climate-change-defense-department/ |magazine=TIME |date=January 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417000326/https://time.com/5508259/trump-climate-change-defense-department/ |archive-date=April 17, 2024 |url-status=live}} In January 2016 Trump told Fox News that he had been joking in the China tweet, but in a September 2016 presidential election debate he altogether denied having said the content of the tweet.{{cite news |last1=Samuelsohn |first1=Darren |title=Fact: Trump claimed climate change is a hoax created by China |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-presidential-debate-fact-check/2016/09/fact-trump-claimed-climate-change-is-a-hoax-created-by-china-228711 |newspaper=Politico |date=September 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630110637/https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-presidential-debate-fact-check/2016/09/fact-trump-claimed-climate-change-is-a-hoax-created-by-china-228711 |archive-date=June 30, 2024 |url-status=live }}

In 2018, Trump told 60 Minutes that he does not believe that climate change is a hoax, but that "it'll change back again".{{cite news |last1=Tutton |first1=Mark |title=Donald Trump: Climate 'will change back again' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/15/politics/trump-climate-change-60-minutes/index.html |agency=CNN |date=October 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214074751/https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/15/politics/trump-climate-change-60-minutes/index.html |archive-date=February 14, 2024 |url-status=live }} Similarly, during the 2020 California wildfires, Trump assured that "It'll start getting cooler, you just watch. [...] I don't think science knows, actually"—without justifying how he knew that things would get cooler but that scientists did not know things would get warmer.{{cite news |last1=Colman |first1=Zack |last2=Guillén |first2=Alex |title=Trump's climate change rollbacks to drive up U.S. emissions |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/17/trump-climate-rollbacks-increase-emissions-417311 |work=Politico |date=17 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226023146/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/17/trump-climate-rollbacks-increase-emissions-417311 |archive-date=26 February 2021 |url-status=live }} While campaigning in September 2024, Trump said, "when people talk about global warming, I say the ocean is going to go down 100th of an inch within the next 400 years. That's not our problem";{{cite news |title=Donald Trump shrugs off global warming worries, says 'that is not our problem' in latest remarks |url=https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/donald-trump-shrugs-off-global-warming-worries-says-that-is-not-our-problem-in-latest-remarks/ar-AA1q5mZf |agency=MSN |date=September 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916002919/https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/donald-trump-shrugs-off-global-warming-worries-says-that-is-not-our-problem-in-latest-remarks/ar-AA1q5mZf |archive-date=September 16, 2024 |url-status=live }} in fact the IPCC forecast in 2019 that, even with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions, the average sea level will rise {{convert|0.3|m|ft}} to {{convert|0.6|m|ft}} by 2100.{{cite web |title=Anticipating Future Sea Levels |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148494/anticipating-future-sea-levels |website=EarthObservatory.NASA.gov |publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707220354/https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148494/anticipating-future-sea-levels |archive-date=7 July 2021 |date=2021 |url-status=live }} ([https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1900-2300_Long-term_projections_of_sea_level_rise.svg chart])

In rallies and interviews, Trump has repeatedly asserted that multiple events since the 2020 election would not have happened if he had won the election, those being the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Experts have stated that such events likely would still have happened even if Trump won the 2020 election. Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Natan Sachs, the director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution have stated that there was no Trump-era policy that would have stopped the Hamas attack on Israel.{{Cite news|last1=Fichera|first1=Angelo|date=March 16, 2024|title=Examining Trump's Alternate Reality Pitch|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/us/politics/trumps-counterfactuals-alternate-reality.html|access-date=March 17, 2024|website=The New York Times|language=en|archive-date=March 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240317091058/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/us/politics/trumps-counterfactuals-alternate-reality.html|url-status=live|issn=0362-4331}} Scholars have also estimated that Russia's invasion of Ukraine would likely still have occurred and that Trump's statements towards NATO and Russia would likely have made an initial unified response to the Russian invasion "implausable" and may have resulted in an early Russian victory.{{Cite journal|last1=Kaarbo|first1=Juliet|last2=Oppermann|first2=Kai|last3=Beasley|first3=Ryan K.|date=March 6, 2023|title=What if? Counterfactual Trump and the western response to the war in Ukraine|url=https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/99/2/605/7069031|journal=International Affairs|volume=99|issue=2|pages=605–624|doi=10.1093/ia/iiad030|issn=0020-5850|hdl=20.500.11820/20dc9248-7ee0-4591-82ca-f28e6dd67590|hdl-access=free }}

During his campaign speeches, Trump erroneously asserted that the Biden administration was in the process of converting U.S. Army tanks into electrically powered vehicles.{{cite news|last=Farley|first=Robert|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2023/11/trumps-false-claim-that-u-s-military-moving-to-electric-tanks/|title=Trump's False Claim That U.S. Military Moving to Electric Tanks|work=FactCheck.org|date=November 11, 2023|access-date=March 6, 2024}}{{cite news|last=Sherman|first=Amy|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/12/30/trump-biden-electrical-tank-army-vehicles-hybrid-climate-change-politifact/|title=Trump said Biden administration wants to make 'Army tanks all electric' | Fact check|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=December 30, 2023|access-date=March 6, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?533855-1/president-donald-trump-holds-rally-greensboro-north-carolina|title=Former President Donald Trump Holds Rally in Greensboro, North Carolina|publisher=C-SPAN|date=March 2, 2024|access-date=March 6, 2024}} (At 1:12:30 – cue the violins)

Trump has falsely claimed that he was responsible for lowering insulin costs to $35 for those on Medicare, and has falsely claimed that Biden is taking credit for his accomplishment. Trump has falsely claimed that he was responsible for the VA Choice law passed by Obama.{{Cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |date=September 25, 2024 |title=Obama and Biden achievements that Trump claims for himself |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/25/obama-biden-achievements-that-trump-claims-himself/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |archive-date=September 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925222415/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/25/obama-biden-achievements-that-trump-claims-himself/ |url-status=live |issn=0190-8286}}

Trump has falsely claimed that Democratic states are passing laws to allow executing babies after birth.{{cite news|last=Dale|first=Daniel|title=Fact check: Trump falsely claims Democratic states are passing laws allowing people to execute babies after birth |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/06/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-abortion-babies-executed/index.html|date=June 6, 2024|access-date=September 8, 2024|work=CNN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907225100/https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/06/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-abortion-babies-executed/index.html|archive-date=September 7, 2024|url-status=live}}

At various times in 2024, Trump has claimed that everyone wanted Roe v. Wade to be overturned, including all legal scholars and people throughout the political spectrum.{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=2024-04-08 |title=Fact check: Trump makes wildly inaccurate claim that 'all legal scholars' on 'both sides' wanted Roe overturned |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/08/politics/fact-check-trump-abortion-roe-overturned-legal-scholars/index.html |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=CNN Politics |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-08-21 |title=CNN Newsroom Transcript |url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/cnr/date/2024-08-21/segment/21 |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=CNN}}{{Cite web |last=Weixel |first=Nathaniel |date=2024-08-20 |title=Donald Trump: 'No regrets' about Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade |url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4837459-trump-abortion-roe-v-wade-dobbs-comstock-act/mlite/ |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last1=Jacobson |first1=Louis |last2=Putterman |first2=Samantha |date=2024-04-19 |title=Trump said all legal scholars on 'both sides' wanted Roe overturned {{!}} Fact check |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/2024/04/19/trump-said-all-legal-scholars-both-sides-wanted-roe-overturned-fact-check/ |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=2024-05-02 |title=Lots of people are not 'absolutely thrilled' with abortion laws |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/02/lots-people-are-not-absolutely-thrilled-with-abortion-laws/ |access-date=2024-08-27 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{Cite magazine |last=Quinlan Houghtaling |first=Ellie |date=2024-06-27 |title=Trump Proudly Brags About Rollback of Abortion Rights in Biden Debate |url=https://newrepublic.com/post/183227/trump-biden-debate-roe-v-wade-abortion-rollback |access-date=2024-08-27 |magazine=The New Republic |issn=0028-6583}} Legal scholar Kimberly Mutcherson called the assertion "mind-numbingly false" and other legal scholars concur.{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Lori |date=2024-04-09 |title=Trump's False Claim About Roe |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2024/04/trumps-false-claim-about-roe/ |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=FactCheck.org |language=en-US}} Similarly, many polls have shown that the majority of Americans did not want Roe overturned.

Trump has falsely claimed that schools are secretly sending children to have sex-change surgeries.{{cite news|last=Dale|first=Daniel|title=Fact check: Trump falsely claims schools are secretly sending children for gender-affirming surgeries |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/04/politics/donald-trump-fact-check-children-gender-affirming-surgery/index.html |date=September 4, 2024|access-date=September 8, 2024|work=CNN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907221152/https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/04/politics/donald-trump-fact-check-children-gender-affirming-surgery/index.html|archive-date=September 7, 2024|url-status=live}}

On July 18, 2023, Trump said in an Iowa speech that, before he was indicted on 88 felony charges, "I didn't know practically what a subpoena was and grand juries and all of this—now I'm like becoming an expert."{{Cite news |last=Arnsdorf |first=Isaac |date=July 21, 2023 |title=Trump prosecutions consume campaign funds and messaging as charges mount |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/21/trump-indictments-campaign-2024/ |access-date=July 21, 2023}} (He and his businesses had been involved in over 4,000 legal cases even before he was elected president seven years earlier.){{cite news |first1=Nick |last1=Penzenstadler |first2=Steve |last2=Reilly |title=Donald Trump: Three decades, 4,095 lawsuits |url=https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/trump-lawsuits/ |newspaper=USA Today |date=July 7, 2016 |access-date=April 11, 2023 }} He also suggested he was facing jail time for having "sa[id] something about an election", whereas the charges had to do with attempts to overturn it.

In August 2023, 27 of Trump's falsehoods about the 2020 election were listed in his Georgia indictment.{{Cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=August 16, 2023 |title=27 Donald Trump election lies listed in his Georgia indictment |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/16/politics/fact-check-trump-georgia-indictment-lies/index.html |access-date=August 19, 2023 |website=CNN|language=en}}

On February 11, 2024, Trump claimed on Truth Social that he "signed and was responsible" for the 2018 Music Modernization Act.{{cite news |last=Garrity |first=Kelly |date=February 11, 2024 |title=Trump to Taylor Swift: Please don't endorse someone else |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/11/trump-taylor-swift-endorse-00140864 |access-date=February 14, 2024 |newspaper=Politico}} Dina LaPolt, an entertainment attorney who helped advance the law, told Variety "Trump did nothing on [the] legislation except sign it, and doesn't even know what the Music Modernization Act does."{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/trump-did-nothing-on-music-modernization-taylor-swift-1235907368/ |title=Donald Trump 'Did Nothing' on Music Modernization Act, Key Attorney Behind Legislation Says, Despite His Claim That He Made Taylor Swift 'So Much Money' |last=Aswad |first=Jem |magazine=Variety |date=February 11, 2024 |access-date=February 14, 2024}}

On August 7, Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport for a rally,{{cite web |url=https://www.mlive.com/politics/2024/08/kamala-harris-rally-at-detroit-airport-to-include-whitmer-top-michigan-democrats.html |title=Kamala Harris rally at Detroit airport to include Whitmer, top Michigan Democrats |author=Justin Engel |publication-date=August 7, 2024 |publisher=MLive |access-date=August 15, 2024 }} where she was received by a large crowd.Multiple sources:

• {{cite AV media |date=August 12, 2024 |title=Vice President Harris arrives at Detroit-area rally, greeted by thousands |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.foxnews.com/video/6360312188112 |access-date=August 15, 2024 |publisher=Fox News |quote=Video shows Vice President Kamala Harris arriving for a campaign rally in Romulus, Michigan, on Aug. 7. (Credit: Pool) [From video description] }}
• {{cite AV media |people=Kimberly Gill, Demond Fernandez, Jacqueline Francis, Kamala Harris |date=August 7, 2024 |title=Kamala Harris holds rally at Detroit Metro Airport |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhMGDyue-b4 |access-date=August 15, 2024 |publisher=Click On Detroit. Local 4. WDIV }}
• {{cite AV media |date=August 7, 2024 |title=Harris and Walz hold campaign rally in Detroit |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/live/AvVbLW6Xfbc |access-date=August 16, 2024 |publisher=PBS News Hour }} On August 11, Trump posted claims on social media that the crowd was not real, but AI-generated: "Trump (...) made the fabricated claim that Harris had been "turned in" by an airport maintenance worker who "noticed the fake crowd picture." He then said Harris should be "disqualified" from the 2024 election "because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!""Multiple sources:
• {{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/11/politics/trump-harris-crowd-size-conspiracy-theory/index.html |title=Trump spreads false conspiracy theory about Harris' Detroit crowd size |author=Eric Bradner |publication-date=August 11, 2024 |publisher=CNN |access-date=August 16, 2024 }}
• {{cite web |url=https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112944255426268462 |title=Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she "A.I.'d" it, and showed a massive "crowd" of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN'T EXIST! |author=Donald J. Trump [realDonaldTrump] |publication-date=August 11, 2024 |publisher=Truth Social |access-date=August 16, 2024 }}
• {{cite web |url=https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112944258919007861 |title=Look, we caught her with a fake "crowd." There was nobody there! |author=Donald J. Trump [realDonaldTrump] |publication-date=August 11, 2024 |publisher=Truth Social |access-date=August 17, 2024 }}
• {{Cite tweet |author=Trump on Truth |user=HashtagTrump |number=1822823493374734417 |date=August 11, 2024 |title=Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she "A.I.'d" it, and showed a massive "crowd" of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN'T EXIST! |access-date=August 16, 2024 }}

These claims generated responses from fact-checkers,Multiple sources:

• {{cite web |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/real-pic-of-crowd-harris-walz-rally-in-detroit/ |title=Real Pic of Crowd at Rally for Harris and Walz in Detroit? |author=Sean Eifert, David Emery |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |publisher=Snopes |access-date=August 16, 2024 |quote=Context. The photo was real and, according to the Harris-Walz campaign, taken by a staff member. The campaign said it had not digitally manipulated the photo or used AI to create it. That said, it did appear that the version of the image that later went viral had been slightly manipulated to exaggerate its brightness and contrast. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2024/08/harris-drew-a-crowd-in-detroit-but-detractors-spread-bogus-claim-to-the-contrary/ |title=Harris Drew a Crowd in Detroit, But Detractors Spread Bogus Claim to the Contrary |author=Saranac Hale Spencer |publication-date=August 13, 2024 |publisher=FactCheck.org |access-date=August 16, 2024 |quote=(...) social media accounts supportive of the former president quickly began spreading the baseless claim that a photo from the rally was created or manipulated using artificial intelligence to manufacture a crowd. Trump himself amplified the claim, posting on his own platform, Truth Social, "There was nobody at the plane, and she 'A.I.'d' it, and showed a massive 'crowd' of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN'T EXIST!" (...) Some of those who claimed that the photo was digitally created or altered—including the self-described "social media strategist" Chuck Callesto, whom Trump cited in his post—pointed to the lack of the crowd's reflection in Harris' plane, which parked near the hangar. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2024/kamala-harris-supporters-ai-images-video-detector/ |title=Images from Kamala Harris' Aug. 7 Detroit rally are real, not artificial intelligence |author=Madison Czopek |publication-date=August 13, 2024 |publisher=Poynter |access-date=August 16, 2024 |quote=On Truth Social, Trump shared a screenshot of conservative commentator Chuck Callesto's Aug. 10 X post. Callesto—whose Instagram profile picture is a 2022 image of himself and Trump—posted his false claim that the Harris campaign was using a "FAKE crowd photo" at 2:47 p.m. ET. His post had been viewed more than 14.4 million times as of the evening of Aug. 12.
  Callesto was not the first person to use photos to sow doubt about the crowd size at Harris' Michigan rally. Blog sites linked to Italy and India shared posts Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 that questioned the rally photos' authenticity.
  Paid X subscribers also shared close-up photos of Air Force Two at the rally as early as 12:46 p.m. ET on Aug. 10, claiming that the reflections on the plane proved there was no crowd. }} news outlets,Multiple sources:
• {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/us/politics/trump-harris-crowds-ai.html |url-access=subscription |title=Trump Falsely Claims That the Crowds Seen at Harris Rallies Are Fake |author=Shane Goldmacher |publication-date=August 11, 2024 |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 16, 2024 |quote=The crowds at Ms. Harris's events, including one in Detroit outside an airplane hangar, were witnessed by thousands of people and news outlets, including The New York Times, and the number of attendees claimed by her campaign is in line with what was visible on the ground. Mr. Trump falsely wrote on his social media site, Truth Social, that "there was nobody at the plane, and she 'A.I.'d' it."
  A spokesman for the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-falsely-claims-harris-campaign-ai-alter-photo/story?id=112776213 |title=Trump falsely claims Harris' campaign used AI to alter photo of crowd size |last1=Walsh |first1=Kelsey |last2=Ibssa |first2=Lalee |last3=Kim |first3=Soo Rin |last4=Saliba |first4=Emmanuelle |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |publisher=ABC News |access-date=August 17, 2024 |quote=ABC News obtained the original image and was able to verify the metadata matched with the timing of the event. (...) In recent weeks, Trump has continued to make baseless claims that the Harris campaign pays for her crowd as his Democratic rival gains momentum with large-scale rallies. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-harris-campaign-photo-crowd-size-detroit/ |title=Trump falsely claims Harris campaign used AI to fake crowd in Detroit |author=Laura Doan, Erielle Delzer |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |publisher=CBS News |access-date=August 16, 2024 |quote=(...) numerous videos from the event at Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport show a large crowd attended, and the videos show a crowd similar to the one seen in the photo. Local reporters for the news site MLive estimated 15,000 people were present as Air Force Two arrived. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-claims-nobody-cheered-harris-outside-air-force-two-despite-video-images-crowds |title=Trump claims 'nobody' cheered Harris outside Air Force Two despite video, images of crowds |author=Greg Norman |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |publisher=Fox News |access-date=August 17, 2024 |quote=Trump made the claim in a post on Truth Social on Sunday as he shared two images—one showing thousands of Harris supporters reacting to Air Force Two's arrival at Detroit Metro Airport, and another showing a zoomed-in reflection of the plane's engine in which it appears difficult to make out an audience. (...) However, a review of media of the event by Fox News Digital clearly shows that there were plenty of supporters there on-scene to greet Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-detroit-crowd-size-photo-ff54a66d8e3197c90068ba94847297cf |title=Trump falsely claims a crowd photo from Harris' campaign rally in Detroit was created using AI |author=Darlene Superville |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=August 16, 2024 |quote=Reporters, photographers and video journalists representing The Associated Press and other news organizations who either traveled with Vice President Harris or were on the airport tarmac documented the crowd size last Wednesday as she arrived on Air Force Two. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2lmm2wwlyo |title=Trump falsely claims Harris crowd was faked |last1=Horton |first1=Jake |last2=Sardarizadeh |first2=Shayan |last3=Wendling |first3=Mike |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |publisher=BBC |access-date=August 16, 2024 |quote=Mr Trump, the Republican taking on the vice-president in November's election, said on his Truth Social platform that it was a fake and there was "nobody" there waiting for her. }} and technology-related articles debunking him,{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/08/the-many-many-signs-that-kamala-harris-rally-crowds-arent-ai-creations/ |title=The many, many signs that Kamala Harris' rally crowds aren't AI creations |author=Kyle Orland |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |publisher=Ars Technica |access-date=August 17, 2024 |quote=Donald Trump may have coined a new term in his latest false attack on Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. In a pair of posts on Truth Social over the weekend, the former president said that Vice President Kamala Harris "A.I.'d" photos of a huge crowd that showed up to see her speak at a Detroit airport campaign rally last week. (...) It would be nice to think that we could just say Trump's claims here are categorically false and leave it at that. But as artificial intelligence tools become increasingly good at generating photorealistic images, it's worth outlining the many specific ways we can tell that Harris' crowd photos are indeed authentic. Consider this a guide for potential techniques you can use the next time you come across accusations that some online image has been "A.I.'d" to fool you. }}{{cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/08/13/trump-crowd-photo-ai-deepfake-truth |title=Trump speeds AI-driven truth decay |author=Scott Rosenberg, Ina Fried |publication-date=August 13, 2024 |publisher=Axios |access-date=August 16, 2024 |quote=Donald Trump's false charge that his opponent used AI to forge a photo of a crowd of supporters shows yet another dimension of AI's potential to harm democracy. }} eliciting opinions and discussions about Trump's mental state.Multiple sources:
• {{cite web |url=https://www.rawstory.com/adhd-trump/ |title=Fox News pundit can't deny Trump's 'mild' mental disorder after 'unhinged' behavior |author=David Edwards |publication-date=August 11, 2024 |publisher=Raw Story |access-date=August 17, 2024 |quote=Fox News pundit Mary Katherine Ham suggested Donald Trump's recent erratic press conference at Mar-a-Lago could be attributed to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). }}
• {{cite news |url=https://css.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/12/trump-crowd-size-false-claims/ |url-access=subscription |title=Trump's laundry list of increasingly bizarre claims |author=Aaron Blake |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 17, 2024 |quote='Nobody was there,' the former president claimed on Truth Social, accusing the Harris campaign of using artificial intelligence to superimpose the crowd both on the tarmac and at other rallies.
  This is bonkers, even by Trump's own conspiratorial and falsehood-laden standards. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/donald-trump-kamala-harris-crowd-fake-ai-cheated-crazy-death-spiral.html |title=Losing Makes Trump Crazier, and Being Crazy Makes Him Lose. A candidate's mental-health death spiral. |author=Jonathan Chait |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |publisher=Intelligencer |access-date=August 17, 2024 |quote=The most important thing about this Trump claim is that it confirms once again that he is both completely demented—the fake-crowd theory is less plausible than the notion NASA faked the moon landings—and totally unwilling to abide by the democratic rules of the road. It has become tedious to say so, but supporting his candidacy, even if you prefer his policies on taxes or regulation, in any way is deeply irresponsible. }}
• {{cite magazine |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-rallies-crowd-size-positive-thinking/ |title=The True Source of Trump's Delusions: The Gospel of Positive Thinking |author=Chris Lehmann |publication-date=August 13, 2024 |magazine=The Nation |access-date=August 17, 2024 |quote=This weekend's Truth Social outburst claiming that the crowd that greeted Kamala Harris and Tim Walz at the Detroit airport was conjured by artificial intelligence represents an early effort to discredit the presidential balloting in advance, writes Washington Post analyst Philip Bump—a prelude to another January 6 insurrection should Trump once again lose. Trump detractors on social media, meanwhile, have suggested that the candidate's evidence-free attack on the reality of Democratic rallies represents his ongoing slide into dementia and delusion, with some likening the candidate to Captain Queeg, the unhinged Naval officer played by Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny. }}
• {{cite AV media |people=Jen Psaki, George Conway, Sarah Matthews |date=August 12, 2024 |title='He's done. His brain is fried': George Conway unloads on Trump's unhinged conspiracy peddling |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Zj5tFqog0 |access-date=August 17, 2024 |publisher=MSNBC }} When later asked about these claims, while Trump did not concede that the crowd in Michigan was real, he did not say again that the images were AI-generated: "Well, I can't say what was there, who was there. I can only tell you about ours. We have the biggest crowds ever in the history of politics (...)"{{cite web |url=https://www.mlive.com/politics/2024/08/watch-trump-respond-when-quizzed-on-false-claim-kamala-harris-michigan-rally-crowd-was-fake.html |title=Watch Trump respond when quizzed on false claim Kamala Harris Michigan rally crowd was fake |author=Justin Engel |publication-date=August 14, 2024 |publisher=MLive |access-date=August 17, 2024 |quote=While the Republican did not concede last week's crowd in Michigan was real, he also did not continue expressing the false narrative that artificial intelligence generated the thousands of people shown in images at the gathering. }}

Shortly thereafter, Trump himself would post several AI-generated images and videos on social media, which showed him dancing with Elon Musk,{{cite news|last=Robins-Early|first=Nick|date=August 19, 2024|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/19/trump-ai-swift-harris-musk-deepfake-images|title=Trump posts deepfakes of Swift, Harris and Musk in effort to shore up support|work=The Guardian|access-date=August 19, 2024}} falsely suggested that he had been endorsed by singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her fans,Multiple sources:

• {{cite news|last=Looker|first=Rachel|date=August 19, 2024|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y87l6rx5wo|title=Trump falsely implies Taylor Swift endorses him|publisher=BBC News|access-date=August 19, 2024}}
• {{cite news|last1=Wagmeister|first1=Elizabeth|last2=Sullivan|first2=Kate|date=August 19, 2024|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/19/politics/donald-trump-taylor-swift-ai/index.html|title=Trump posts fake AI images of Taylor Swift and Swifties, falsely suggesting he has the singer's support|publisher=CNN|access-date=August 19, 2024}}
• {{cite news|last=Tarrant|first=Rhona|date=August 19, 2024|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-shares-fake-swifties-for-trump-images/|title=Trump shares fake "Swifties for Trump" images|publisher=CBS News|access-date=August 19, 2024}}
• {{cite news|last=Tenbarge|first=Kat|date=August 19, 2024|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/trump-shares-ai-generated-images-taylor-swift-fans-supporting-rcna167126|title=Trump shares AI-generated images of Taylor Swift and her fans supporting him|publisher=NBC News|access-date=August 19, 2024}}
• {{cite news|last=Moorman|first=Taijuan|date=August 19, 2024|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/08/19/donald-trump-taylor-swift-ai-generated-endorsement/74855676007/|title=Donald Trump posts fake Taylor Swift endorsement, Swifties for Trump AI images|work=USA Today|access-date=August 19, 2024}}
• {{cite news|last=Shapero|first=Julia|date=August 20, 2024|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4836680-trump-posts-fake-ai-images-of-taylor-swift-fans/|title=Trump posts fake AI images of Taylor Swift, fans|work=The Hill|access-date=August 22, 2024}}
• {{cite news|last=Shafer|first=Ellise|date=August 19, 2024|url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/donald-trump-falsely-claims-taylor-swift-endorsed-ai-images-1236110583/|title=Donald Trump Falsely Claims Taylor Swift Has Endorsed Him by Posting AI Images: 'I Accept'|work=Variety|access-date=August 19, 2024}}
• {{cite news|last=Vigdor|first=Neil|date=August 19, 2024|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/19/us/politics/trump-taylor-swift-ai-images.html|title=Trump Promotes A.I. Images to Falsely Suggest Taylor Swift Endorsed Him|url-access=subscription|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 19, 2024}}

and depicted Kamala Harris speaking at a communist rally; many of these images were posted ahead of the first day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.{{cite news|last=Liddell|first=James|date=August 19, 2024|url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-ai-communism-harris-dnc-b2598303.html|title=Trump posts AI-generated image of Harris speaking at DNC with communist flags|work=The Independent|access-date=August 19, 2024}} When later asked whether he was worried that Taylor Swift would sue him, Trump stated: "I don't know anything about them, other than somebody else generated them."{{cite news|last=Gonzalez|first=Alex|date=August 22, 2024|url=https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/donald-trump-breaks-silence-taylor-swift-ai-1943163|title=Donald Trump Breaks Silence on Controversial Taylor Swift AI|work=Newsweek|access-date=August 22, 2024}}{{cite news|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=August 22, 2024|url=https://variety.com/2024/digital/news/donald-trump-taylor-swift-sue-over-fake-ai-images-endorsement-1236115104/|title=Donald Trump Isn't Worried Taylor Swift Will Sue Him Over Fake Endorsement Post With AI Images: 'Somebody Else Generated Them'|work=Variety|access-date=August 22, 2024}} Swift would later endorse Harris in the general election.{{cite news|last=Arkin|first=Daniel|date=September 10, 2024|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/taylor-swift-endorses-kamala-harris-rcna170547|title=Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris|publisher=NBC News|access-date=September 10, 2024}}

CNN and PBS NewsHour reported in the aftermath of the September 2024 hurricane that Trump had engaged in several days of spreading lies, distortions, disinformation and conspiracy theories about the federal response, which public officials said created confusion and hindered recovery efforts. Among the false claims were that Biden wouldn't take calls from Georgia's governor; that Harris had stolen Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to house undocumented migrants; that the Biden administration was providing only $750 to people whose homes had been destroyed by the hurricane; and that no attempts had been made to rescue people.{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |title=Fact check: Six days of Trump lies about the Hurricane Helene response |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/06/politics/fact-check-trump-helene-response-north-carolina/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=October 7, 2024|quote=Former President Donald Trump has delivered a barrage of lies and distortions about the federal response to Hurricane Helene.}}{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Geoff |title=Helene recovery complicated by lies, hoaxes and conspiracy theories |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/helene-recovery-complicated-by-lies-hoaxes-and-conspiracy-theories |work=PBS News Hour |date=October 7, 2024|quote=Former President Trump has for several days now spread lies and spouted conspiracy theories about the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene. The disinformation is causing confusion among those most desperate for help and answers.}}{{cite news |last1=Yang |first1=Angela |title=Public officials urge halt to the spread of rampant disinformation around Hurricane Helene |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/hurricane-helene-disinformation-social-media-public-officials-response-rcna174305 |publisher=NBC News |date=October 7, 2024|quote=Republican and Democratic politicians and officials have in recent days resorted to pleading with people to stop spreading false information related to Hurricane Helene, with many saying that rumors and conspiracy theories are hampering recovery efforts.}}

On June 27, 2024, Biden and Trump debated in Atlanta. Fact-checking found that both debaters had made false or misleading statements, with most of them adjudicated to Trump.

Multiple sources:

• {{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/27/politics/fact-checking-the-cnn-presidential-debate/index.html |title=Trump made more than 30 false claims during CNN's presidential debate—far more than Biden |author=((CNN Staff)) |publication-date=June 28, 2024 |publisher=CNN |access-date=August 12, 2024 }}
• {{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/28/fact-check-presidential-debate/ |title=Fact-checking the first Biden-Trump 2024 presidential debate |author=Glen Kessler |publication-date=June 28, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 13, 2024 |quote=In the contentious first presidential debate between President Biden and former president Donald Trump, Trump confidently relied on false assertions that have been debunked repeatedly. Biden, in what was viewed as a faltering performance, stretched the truth on occasion. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/jun/28/2024-presidential-debate-fact-check-biden-trump/ |title=2024 presidential debate fact-check: How accurate were Joe Biden, Donald Trump? |author=PolitiFact Staff |publication-date=June 28, 2024 |publisher=PolitiFact |access-date=August 13, 2024 |quote=Biden, who spoke in a raspy voice at the debate's start, struggled at times, at one point saying that his administration "finally beat Medicare." (...) Trump, meanwhile, repeated numerous falsehoods, including that Democrats want doctors to be able to abort babies after birth. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2024/06/factchecking-the-biden-trump-debate/ |title=FactChecking the Biden-Trump Debate |last1=Farley |first1=Robert |last2=Kiely |first2=Eugene |last3=Gore |first3=D'Angelo |last4=McDonald |first4=Jessica |last5=Robertson |first5=Lori |last6=Jaramillo |first6=Catalina |last7=Spencer |first7=Saranac Hale |last8=Jaffe |first8=Alan |publication-date=June 28, 2024 |date=August 9, 2024 |publisher=FactCheck.org |access-date=March 18, 2025 |quote=The much-anticipated first debate of 2024 between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump featured a relentless barrage of false and misleading statements from the two candidates on immigration, the economy, abortion, taxes and more. }}
• {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/06/27/us/biden-trump-debate-fact-check |title=Debate Fact Check: Biden and Trump on the Economy, Immigration and Foreign Policy |author=The New York Times |publication-date=June 27, 2024 |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 13, 2024 }}

On July 18, 2024, the fourth day of the Republican Convention (Milwaukee), Trump addressed the audience at accepting the nomination. Fact-checking found he made several false statements.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/19/fact-check-trump-rnc-republican-convention/ |url-access=subscription |title=Fact-checking Trump on Day 4 of 2024 Republican National Convention |author=Glen Kessler |publication-date=July 19, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 13, 2024 |quote=The former president dusts off familiar falsehoods about tax cuts, inflation, energy independence, EV's, gas prices, crime, "illegal aliens" and more. (...) Here are 34 claims that caught our attention, in the order in which he made them. }}{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/18/trump-rnc-convention-fact-check/74444609007/ |title=Fact-checking RNC Day 4: What Trump, other speakers got right and wrong |last1=McCreary |first1=Joedy |last2=Trela |first2=Nate |last3=Frank |first3=BrieAnna J. |last4=Byik |first4=Andre |last5=Sylvester |first5=Brad |last6=Litke |first6=Eric |publication-date=July 18, 2024 |date=July 19, 2024 |publisher=USA Today |access-date=March 18, 2025 |quote=Donald Trump's first public speech since the failed assassination attempt against him highlighted the final night of the Republican National Convention, and we were there to let you know when he and other speakers strayed from the truth. (...) Other speakers joining him in Milwaukee tonight included Eric Trump, Tucker Carlson and Hulk Hogan. }}{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elections/trump-speech-republican-convention-live-2024-07-19/ |title=Trump Speech: attacks, immigration, assassination attempt, victory promises and talk of a 'new era' – as it happened |last1=Farrell |first1=Stephen |last2=Osterman |first2=Cynthia |last3=Porter |first3=Mark |last4=Dittrich |first4=Anna |last5=Jain |first5=Rupam |last6=Nasim |first6=Sharique |publication-date=July 19, 2024 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=March 18, 2025 }}

In what CNN described as a "lie-filled CPAC speech" in February 2024, Trump repeated false claims about the 2020 election and the border wall.{{cite news|last=Dale|first=Daniel|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/24/politics/fact-check-trump-delivers-another-lie-filled-cpac-speech/index.html|title=Fact check: Trump delivers another lie-filled CPAC speech|publisher=CNN|date=February 24, 2024|access-date=March 6, 2024}}

On July 31, 2024, Trump was interviewed at the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention, in Chicago.

{{cite AV media |people=Donald Trump, Rachel Scott, Kadia Goba, Harris Faulkner |date=July 31, 2024 |title=Donald Trump takes questions at NABJ conference. Full Conference |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgod-nqFEEc |access-date=August 13, 2024 |publisher=CBS Chicago }} According to fact-checkers, he made several false statements.{{cite web |url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2024/donald-trump-black-journalist-interview-nabj/ |title=Fact-checking Donald Trump in Chicago at NABJ conference |last1=Jacobson |first1=Louis |last2=Putterman |first2=Samantha |last3=Uribe |first3=Maria Ramirez |publication-date=July 31, 2024 |publisher=Poynter Institute |access-date=August 13, 2024 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/31/trump-issues-many-many-falsehoods-black-journalists-convention/ |url-access=subscription |title=Trump issues many falsehoods at Black journalists' convention |author=Glenn Kessler |publication-date=July 31, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 13, 2024 |quote=In his half-hour sit-down with three journalists at NABJ, the former president and Republican presidential nominee unleashed his usual litany of falsehoods (...) Rather than repeat ourselves, we have provided links to previous fact checks at the end of this report.
Instead we will focus on a fresh claim he made. When asked about pardoning people convicted of violence during the Jan. 6 attacks—he said he would—he resorted to whataboutism. He asserted that people died in Seattle and Minneapolis during the social justice protests after the death of George Floyd in 2020—and nothing happened to those people. }}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/31/us/politics/trump-nabj-fact-check.html |url-access=subscription |title=Fact-Checking Trump's Remarks on Race |author=Linda Qiu |publication-date=July 31, 2024 |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 13, 2024 |quote=In a 30-minute appearance, Mr. Trump made false and exaggerated claims about Ms. Harris, overstated his role in securing funding for historically Black colleges and universities and repeated his false assertion that he did more for Black Americans than any president since Abraham Lincoln. He also rehashed several other inaccurate claims about inflation, immigration and other topics that have become staples of his public appearances. }}

Statements that caused special controversy were one about immigrants: "Coming from the border are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking Black jobs," and one about Kamala Harris: "I've known her a long time indirectly, not directly very much. And she was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black?".{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-sitdown-black-journalists-convention-sparks-backlash-2024-07-31/ |title='Is she Indian or Black?' Trump questions Harris' identity at Black journalists' convention |last1=Flowers |first1=Bianca |last2=Hunnicutt |first2=Trevor |last3=Layne |first3=Nathan |last4=Bose |first4=Nandita |publication-date=August 1, 2024 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=August 13, 2024 }}{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-interviewed-national-association-black-journalists-convention-chicago/story?id=112435331 |title=Trump falsely questions Harris' race in NABJ interview, says VP pick 'does not have any impact' |last1=Ibssa |first1=Lalee |last2=Kim |first2=Soo Rin |last3=Walsh |first3=Kelsey |publication-date=July 31, 2024 |publisher=ABC News |access-date=August 13, 2024 }}{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-journalists-convention-nabj-1e96aa530e88013ed6f577feaf89ccb6 |title=Donald Trump falsely suggests Kamala Harris misled voters about her race |author=Matt Brown, Michelle L. Price |publication-date=July 31, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=August 13, 2024 }} Harris has always identified as both Indian-American and Black, attended Howard University (an historically Black university), and was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically Black sorority.{{cite web |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2024/08/harris-has-always-identified-as-indian-american-and-black/ |title=Harris Has Always Identified as Indian American and Black |author=Robert Farley |date=August 1, 2024 |website=FactCheck.org}}

On August 8, 2024, Trump gave a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence,{{cite AV media |people=Donald Trump |date=August 8, 2024 |title=WATCH LIVE: Trump holds news conference at Mar-a-Lago |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McXjpQFFN90 |access-date= August 14, 2024 |publisher=PBS News Hour }} that NPR fact-checked and reported to contain "at least 162 misstatements, exaggerations and outright lies in 64 minutes."{{Cite news |last=Montanaro |first=Domenico |date=August 11, 2024 |title=162 lies and distortions in a news conference. NPR fact-checks former President Trump |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/08/11/nx-s1-5070566/trump-news-conference |access-date=August 11, 2024 |work=NPR}} Other fact-checkers also discussed the falsehoods.{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-news-conference-fact-check-misinformation-eb899c1fc734f5ecb42b8d0902e5c004 |title=FACT FOCUS: A look at claims made by Trump at news conference |author=The Associated Press |publication-date=August 8, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=August 14, 2024 |quote=The Republican presidential nominee spoke for more than an hour, discussing a number of issues facing the country and then taking questions from reporters. He made a number of false and misleading claims. Many of them have been made before. }}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/08/08/us/trump-press-conference-fact-check |title=Fact Checking Trump's Mar-a-Lago News Conference |author=The New York Times |publication-date=August 8, 2024 |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 14, 2024 }}

Two claims that drawn attention were that his January 6 crowd had been bigger than Martin Luther King Jr.'s attendance to his "great speech,"{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-compares-jan-6-crowd-audience-mlk-dream-speech-rcna165894 |title=Trump compares his Jan. 6 crowd to the audience for MLK's 'I Have a Dream' speech |author=Jonathan Allen, Matt Dixon |publication-date=August 8, 2024 |publisher=NBC News |access-date=August 14, 2024 |quote=Trump said the people who have been arrested as a result of the storming the Capitol have been treated unfairly. Then, unprompted, he compared his "Stop the Steal" rally before the protesters marched toward the Capitol to King's "I Have a Dream" speech, which was held on the National Mall. }}{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-january-6-martin-luther-king-dream-speech-2024-8 |title=Trump compares January 6 crowd to MLK's 'I Have A Dream' audience: 'We had more people' |author=Bryan Metzger |publication-date=August 8, 2024 |publisher=Business Insider |access-date=August 14, 2024 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-jan-6-mlk-crowd-daily-show-b2593779.html |title=Daily Show host destroys Trump's claim his Jan 6 crowd rivaled MLK Jr's March on Washington |author=Myriam Page |publication-date=August 9, 2024 |work=The Independent |access-date=August 14, 2024 |quote=During the lie-filled briefing, Trump made a series of false and wild claims—with one in particular raising eyebrows: his boast he has drawn in crowds comparable to MLK Jr. }} and, the story about having been in a helicopter flight with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, where Mr. Brown told him "terrible things" about Kamala Harris, and which ended in an emergency landing. It was discussed whether Trump had confused Willie Brown with former California Governor Jerry Brown,{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-appears-confuse-willie-brown-jerry-brown-rcna165903 |title=Trump appears to confuse former Mayor Willie Brown with former Gov. Jerry Brown |author=Zoë Richards, Rebecca Shabad |publication-date=August 8, 2024 |publisher=NBC News |access-date=August 14, 2024 |quote=Trump said he once flew with Willie Brown in a helicopter that "went down" when he was asked about Vice President Kamala Harris' past relationship with the former mayor and whether he thought the relationship had played a role in her career path. }}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/09/donald-trump-willie-brown-helicopter-story |title=Chopper whopper: Willie Brown shoots down Trump's helicopter story |author=Martin Pengelly |publication-date=August 9, 2024 |work=The Guardian |access-date=August 14, 2024 |quote=Furthermore, Willie Brown had nothing bad to say about Harris.
The pair dated nearly 30 years ago. Brown, 90, told the New York Times, adding: "No hard feelings." }}{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4820173-willie-brown-trump-helicopter-claim/ |title=Willie Brown calls Trump helicopter story 'creative fiction' |author=Lauren Irwin |publication-date=August 9, 2024 |work=The Hill |access-date=August 14, 2024 |quote=Others have disputed Trump's story about that helicopter ride, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who was on the flight and called Trump's story "B.S." }} but Politico established that the Trump's helicopter flight that ended in an emergency landing happened in 1990, having as passengers former city councilmember and state senator from Los Angeles Nate Holden, Barbara Res, Robert Trump, and attorney Harvey Freedman. There was no mention of Harris in that occasion.{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/09/trump-plane-crash-california-00173487 |title=The other Black politician who says he was with Trump in that near-fatal chopper crash |author=Christopher Cadelago |publication-date=August 9, 2024 |publisher=Politico |access-date=August 14, 2024 |quote="He either mixed it up," Holden said. "Or, he made it up. This was just too big to overlook. This is a big one. Conflating Willie Brown and me? The press is searching for the real story and they didn't get it. You did." }}{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nate-holden-donald-trump-helicopter-emergency-landing-story_n_66b6df2ce4b084249ca16dd3 |title=California Democrat Makes Revelation About Trump's Wild Helicopter Story |author=Ben Blanchet |publication-date=August 10, 2024 |publisher=HuffPost |access-date=August 14, 2024 |quote=The former president took to his Truth Social platform late Friday and suggested that Brown had spoken before about a ride in a Trump aircraft. (...) "He's just angling for another ride in Trump's jet (helicopter!). But now Willie doesn't remember? No, he remembers!" Trump insisted. }}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c985enjgdy9o |title=Trump doubles down on scary helicopter trip story |author=Madeline Halpert |publication-date=August 10, 2024 |publisher=BBC |access-date=August 14, 2024 |quote=Donald Trump continues to insist that he once took a scary helicopter trip with former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, even as Mr Brown dismissed the story as "fiction".
But it turns out another California politician, Nate Holden, did accompany Trump decades ago on a turbulent chopper ride, US media report.
Both Mr Brown and Mr Holden are black. (...) Despite a flat denial from the former San Francisco mayor, Trump insisted the story was true in a call to the New York Times, saying he was "probably going to sue" without elaborating. }}

On August 12, Elon Musk interviewed Donald Trump via X Spaces. The conversation start was delayed by technical issues; it was listened to live by an audience calculated in more than a million people.{{cite AV media |people=Elon Musk, Donald Trump |date=August 13, 2024 |title=Donald Trump-Elon Musk full conversation: From assassination attempt to 'low IQ Biden' and more |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfBQoWxQaEM |access-date=August 15, 2024 |publisher=The Economic Times |quote=Elon Musk's interview with former President Donald Trump ran into technical difficulties before the conversation even got started on Monday. However, as soon as the Space was functional again, nearly 1 million people joined in to listen to the conversation between the Republican nominee and the tech mogul. Elon Musk, who has endorsed Trump's presidential run, and Trump greeted each other as "Donald" and "Elon." They then began a friendly chat about immigration, the economy and President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. The two men talked for over two hours with more than 1 million people listening in at the same time, according to X. [From video description] }}{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-x-twitter-livestream-83d6d07fc0ffef4151c96fc56aeec9ee |title=Trump and Musk talk about assassination attempt and deportations during glitchy chat on X |author=Meg Kinnard, Steve Peoples |publication-date=August 13, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=September 6, 2024 |quote=— Donald Trump recounted his assassination attempt in vivid detail and promised the largest deportation in U.S. history during a high-profile return to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter—a conversation that was plagued by technical glitches. }}{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elon-musk-interview-trump-x-social-media-network-2024-08-12/ |title=Rambling Trump, Musk interview marred by tech issues |author=Richard Cowan, Andy Sullivan |work=Reuters |publication-date=August 13, 2024 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=September 6, 2024 |quote=Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sat Monday for a friendly two-hour interview with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Musk's social media platform X, after technical problems delayed the start of the event for more than 40 minutes.
Musk, who has endorsed Trump, blamed the difficulties on a distributed denial-of-service attack, in which a server or network is flooded with traffic in an attempt to shut it down, though his claim could not be verified. }} Trump's campaign claimed that a billion people had listened to the conversation.{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-claims-billion-people-listened-elon-musk-interview-1938999 |title=Trump Campaign Claims A Billion People Listened to His Elon Musk Interview |author=Maya Mehrara |publication-date=August 14, 2024 |publisher=Newsweek |access-date=September 6, 2024 |quote=According to a link to the recording on Trump's X profile, 27.7 million people have so far "tuned in" to the two-hour interview. This figure is much closer to that listed on the Republican National Committee's website, which says 24.1 million people watched. It is unclear what the 1 billion figure is referencing. }}

Fact-checking found multiple and familiar false or misleading statements.Multiple sources:

• {{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/12/us/politics/trump-musk-x-fact-check.html |url-access=subscription |title=Trump Regales Elon Musk With Familiar Falsehoods |author=Linda Qiu |publication-date=August 12, 2024 |work=The New York Times |access-date=September 6, 2024 |quote=Fact-checking Donald Trump's claims about immigration, Vice President Kamala Harris, President Biden and more. }}
• {{cite AV media |people=Jim Acosta, Daniel Dale |date=August 13, 2024 |title=Fact check: Trump made at least 20 false claims in his conversation with Elon Musk |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdedSVictMk |access-date=September 6, 2024 |publisher=CNN }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jpn2q76n1o |title=Trump's chat with Musk on X fact-checked |last1=Horton |first1=Jake |last2=Poynting |first2=Mark |last3=Gilder |first3=Lucy |publication-date=August 13, 2024 |publisher=BBC |access-date=September 6, 2024 |quote=In a two-hour discussion with Elon Musk, on the billionaire's platform X, Donald Trump made a number of questionable and false claims—which went largely unchallenged.
  The Republican presidential candidate returned to some familiar campaign themes, such as illegal immigration and rising prices, but he also talked about climate change. }}
• {{cite AV media |people=Donald Trump, Reann Philogene |date=August 13, 2024 |title=Fact-checking Donald Trump's interview with Elon Musk |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/donald-trump-elon-musk-interview-fact-check-b2595901.html |access-date=September 6, 2024 |publisher=The Independent |quote=On Monday night (12 August), Elon Musk sat down with 2024 candidate Donald Trump for an interview.
  However, some of the former president's off-handed statements' accuracy proved questionable.
  The Republican and the X owner discussed various topics such as rising sea levels, inflation, and immigration in an interview that was promoted as a game-changing "conversation" but resulted in a friendly exchange plagued by technology issues—not to mention questions about Mr Trump's apparent lisp. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/fact-checking-musk-trump-interview-11-false-claims-made-by-donald-trump-debunked-101723517703780.html |title=Fact checking Musk-Trump interview: 11 false claims made by Donald Trump debunked |author=HT News Desk |work=Hindustan Times |publication-date=August 13, 2024 |publisher=Hindustan Times |access-date=September 6, 2024 }}

In a campaign speech in Howell, Michigan, on August 20, 2024, Trump falsely accused Harris of a "vicious, violent overthrow" in replacing Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee. After Biden voluntarily resigned under political pressure, his replacement followed Democratic Party rules and was without violence. Trump also repeated a false claim that no one was killed in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Trump incorrectly attributed reclassification of some state crimes to Harris (who as Attorney General of California did not have the power to do so), including those reclassified by voters in 2014 California Proposition 47.{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/20/trump-harris-crime-michigan-election-jan-6/ |title=Trump falsely labels Harris swap as 'violent' as he defends Jan. 6 rioters |author1=Hannah Knowles |author2=Isaac Arnsdorf |date=August 20, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

On September 10, 2024, Harris and Trump debated in Philadelphia. During the debate, differently from what CNN did in the previous debate with Joe Biden, the moderators fact-checked live several of Trump's claims.{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/11/media/abc-moderators-debate-fact-check-trump-harris-false-claims/index.html |title=ABC debate moderators live fact-checked Trump's false claims from the stage |author=Hadas Gold |publication-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=CNN |access-date=September 21, 2024 |quote=ABC News moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis fact-checked Donald Trump during Tuesday night's presidential debate, quickly correcting the record for millions watching at home after the Republican pushed falsehoods on abortion, migrants and the 2020 election.
The decision to live fact-check the candidates during the high-stakes telecast marked a departure from recent debates and stood in contrast to the first presidential matchup of the 2024 season, hosted by CNN and moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. During the June debate, the moderators did not correct false claims made by Trump and President Joe Biden. Instead, the network provided a fact check online and on television following the telecast.
Ahead of Tuesday night's debate in Philadelphia, ABC News did not commit to live fact-checking, but as the event got underway both anchors stepped in to debunk false claims made by Trump on at least three occasions. (...) ABC's decision to live fact-check Trump from the stage drew the ire of his allies and those in right-wing media, who claimed the moderators were ignoring Harris' inaccuracies.
"Weird how the hack moderators at @abcnews are only 'Fact checking' Trump and allowing Kamala to lie nonstop. The Fake News is the enemy of the people!" Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X.
"MORE FACT CHECKING FROM ABC – THIS IS THE WORST ANCHOR PILE-ON I HAVE EVER SEEN. 3 against 1," Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News and NBC host turned conservative podcaster, wrote on X. }} Fact-checkers found that Trump made many false or misleading statements, while Harris made one false and several misleading statements.Multiple sources.

• {{cite web |url=https://www.snopes.com/live/harris-trump-debate-live-updates/ |title=Fact-Checking Harris-Trump Presidential Debate |author=Snopes Staff |publication-date=September 10, 2024 |publisher=Snopes |access-date=September 11, 2024 |quote=Snopes' fact-checkers analyzed the candidates' statements for accuracy in real time. }}
• {{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/10/harris-trump-debate-fact-check-updates |title=Fact-checking Trump's debate claims: from abortion to Project 2025 |author=Guardian staff |publication-date=September 10, 2024 |work=The Guardian |access-date=September 11, 2024 |quote=Donald Trump repeatedly made false and misleading claims about immigrants "eating the pets", his connection to Project 2025 and the Central Park Five, among other topics, during his debate with Kamala Harris on Tuesday in Philadelphia. (...) This article was amended on 11 September 2024 to make clear that, contrary to Trump's claims, the Central Park Five pleaded not guilty at trial, and the victim in the case survived. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/10/politics/fact-check-debate-trump-harris/index.html |title=Fact-checking the ABC News presidential debate |author=((CNN Staff)) |publication-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=CNN |access-date=March 18, 2025 |quote=Former President Donald Trump delivered more than 30 false claims during Tuesday's presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, CNN's preliminary count found—as he did during his June debate against President Joe Biden.
  Trump again delivered a staggering quantity and variety of false claims, some of which were egregious lies about topics including abortion, immigration and the economy.
  Harris was far more accurate than Trump; CNN's preliminary count found just one false claim from the vice president, though she also added some claims that were misleading or lacking in key context. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/09/11/g-s1-21932/fact-check-trump-harris-presidential-debate-2024/ |title=NPR fact-checked the Harris-Trump presidential debate. Here's what we found |author=NPR Staff |publication-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=NPR |access-date=September 11, 2024 |quote=NPR reporters fact-checked the candidates' claims in real time. Here's what they found. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgjv3gdxv7go |title=Eating pets, inflation, abortion – key debate claims fact-checked |author=BBC Verify |publication-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=BBC |access-date=September 11, 2024 |quote=In 90 minutes of often fiery exchanges, the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates traded claims over key election issues including the economy, immigration and abortion.
  BBC Verify has been examining them. }}

Among other false claims, Trump repeated a debunked hoax spread by neo-Nazi groups, Yousef, Odette: [https://www.npr.org/2024/09/24/nx-s1-5118438/neo-nazi-haitian-springfield-trump-debate In parroting a lie about migrants in Springfield, Ohio, Trump excites extremists] NPR News/Morning Edition, SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 right-wing politicians and media figures that immigrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.Multiple sources.

• {{cite web |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cats-ducks-haitians-springfield/ |title=No Evidence Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Ducks, Geese or Pets in Springfield, Ohio |author=Alex Kasprak |publication-date=September 9, 2024 |publisher=Snopes |access-date=September 11, 2024 |quote=Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance and a constellation of right-wing influencers elevated a dubious claim. (...) There is no evidence, outside of second- and third-hand social media gossip, to support the notion that Haitian residents of Springfield, Ohio, are eating people's pet cats or their parks' waterfowl. The only alleged evidence in support of the former actually depicts an American in a different city. The alleged evidence of the latter stems from a single picture apparently taken in a different city. }}
• {{cite AV media |people=Major Garrett |date=September 11, 2024 |title=Trump and Harris presidential debate fact-checks and analysis |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMGEFPG7uM0 |access-date=September 11, 2024 |time=04:10 |publisher=CBS News }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77l28myezko |title=Trump repeats baseless claim about Haitian immigrants eating pets |author=Merlyn Thomas, Mike Wendling |publication-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=BBC |access-date=September 11, 2024 }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-eating-dogs-debate-springfield-ohio-immigration-b2610751.html |title=Bizarre debate moment Trump wildly claims Haitian migrants are eating pet dogs and cats |author=Ariana Baio |publication-date=September 11, 2024 |work=The Independent |access-date=September 11, 2024 |quote=Donald Trump's false claim that immigrants in Ohio are abducting pets and eating them during Tuesday's presidential debate was quickly slapped down by ABC News moderator David Muir. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/haitian-immigrants-vance-trump-ohio-6e4a47c52b23ae2c802d216369512ca5 |title=Trump falsely accuses immigrants in Ohio of abducting and eating pets |last1=Catalini |first1=Mike |last2=Smyth |first2=Julie Carr |last3=Shipkowski |first3=Bruce |publication-date=September 11, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=March 18, 2025 |quote= Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating pets, repeating during a televised debate the type of inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric he has promoted throughout his campaigns. }}

Moderator David Muir debunked it again on the spot. On September 11, Trump called into Fox & Friends and suggested ABC News should lose its broadcasting license because the moderators fact-checked him.{{cite news |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-demands-abc-be-shut-down-for-daring-to-fact-check-debate |title=Trump Demands ABC Be Shut Down for Daring to Fact Check Debate |author=Dan Ladden-Hall |publication-date=September 11, 2024 |newspaper=The Daily Beast |access-date=September 11, 2024 |quote="I think ABC took a big hit last night," he continued. "To be honest, they're a news organization—they have to be licensed to do it. They ought to take away their license for the way they did that."
Trump used the interview to repeatedly complain that the debate was "three-to-one," meaning he felt that moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis were on Harris' side against him. [Includes video] }} The claim that the moderators' fact-checking demonstrated the debate was rigged against Trump was also spread by his supporters, and itself fact-checked.{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/abcs-shameless-debate-didnt-even-survive-its-own-fact-check.amp |title=ABC's shameless debate didn't even survive its own fact-check |author=Tim Graham |publication-date=September 20, 2024 |publisher=Fox News |access-date=September 21, 2024 |quote=ABC's immoderate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis uncorked the most flagrantly unfair and unbalanced debate in the history of modern presidential debates, going back to the Nixon-Kennedy debates of 1960. They don't care that anyone objects to their strategic decision to join in debating former President Trump, giving everyone the distinct impression that this was a three-on-one conversation. }}{{cite web |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/linsey-davis-debate-fact-check-trump/ |title=No, Linsey Davis Didn't Say Debate Fact-Checking Was Planned Only for Trump, Not Harris |author=Jordan Liles |publication-date=September 19, 2024 |publisher=Snopes |access-date=September 21, 2024 |quote=Following the ABC News U.S. presidential debate on Sept. 10, 2024, the conservative blog Chicks on the Right published an article claiming that one of the network's two debate moderators—anchor Linsey Davis—said she and her co-moderator, David Muir, planned in advance to fact-check only statements by former President Donald Trump. (...) The Chicks on the Right post included information sourced from a Sept. 13 Fox News story [ABC's Linsey Davis admits fact-checking of Trump was because CNN let his statements 'hang' at first debate, by Gabriel Hays; re-published by the New York Post on September 14.]. That story sourced its material from a Los Angeles Times article published on Sept. 11—the day after the debate. The Times' story featured an interview with Davis, as well as a profile of her career. }}

On September 18, at Fox News' show Gutfeld!, Trump claimed that the debate's audience had gone "crazy" about him being fact-checked, despite the debate having no live audience; it was unclear whether he was meaning the TV ratings or the TV audience.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-audience-harris-debate-gutfeld-b2615455.html |title=Trump claims audience 'went crazy' for him at his debate with Harris – but there was no audience |author=Myriam Page |publication-date=September 19, 2024 |work=The Independent |access-date=September 21, 2024 |quote="They didn't correct her once. And they corrected me, everything I said, practically. I think nine times or 11 times," he told Greg Gutfeld.
Trump then referred to the nonexistent audience.
"And the audience was absolutely—they went crazy," he said.
One of the rules of the September 10 debate was that there would be no live audience, in addition to the candidate's microphones being switched off when they weren't answering questions and that they could not wear earpieces.
Social media went into a frenzy following Trump's comments on the Fox News show. (...) It is unclear if Trump was referring to the TV ratings when he spoke about the "crazy" audience.}}{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-praises-nonexistent-debate-crowd-they-went-crazy-1956251 |title=Donald Trump's Debate Crowd Comment Sparks Confusion: 'They Went Crazy' |author=Flynn Nicholls |publication-date=September 19, 2024 |publisher=Newsweek |access-date=September 21, 2024 |quote=Donald Trump has said that when he got fact-checked by moderators during his presidential debate with Kamala Harris, the audience "went crazy." But there was no audience at the debate hosted by ABC.
Appearing on the Fox News show Gutfeld! on Wednesday, the Republican presidential nominee said the "audience" reacted to his unfair treatment during the debate against the vice president.
"They didn't correct her [Harris] once and they corrected me," Trump said. "Everything I said, practically, I think 9 times or 11 times. And the audience was absolutely, they went crazy." (...) There was no audience present at the live broadcast. It's possible the former president was referring to TV audiences. [Includes video]}}{{cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/2024/09/19/delusional-and-unsettling-forgets-there-was-no-debate-audience-claims-crowd-went-crazy/ |title="Delusional and unsettling": Trump forgets there was no debate audience, claims crowd "went crazy" |author=Nicholas Liu |publication-date=September 19, 2024 |work=Salon.com |access-date=September 21, 2024 |quote=Former President Donald Trump appeared on a taped segment of Fox News' "Gutfeld!" Wednesday, complaining once again that the ABC News debate moderators bothered to fact-check him while falsely claiming that the debate audience "went crazy" for his performance. (...) MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes argued that the Republican candidate's remark validated concerns about his age and mental capacity.
"Trump talking about 'the audience' at the debate (where there famously was no audience) is more delusional and unsettling than any moment of Joe Biden misspeaking all year and it's not close," Hayes wrote on social media. }}

File:1828- Margin of victory in US presidential elections - popular vote.svg —to inflate the actual degree of voter support—he failed to receive 50% of the popular vote.{{cite news |last1=Bump |first1=Philip |title=Trump’s 2024 ‘mandate’ isn’t as robust as Biden’s was in 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/18/trumps-2024-mandate-isnt-robust-bidens-was-2020/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 18, 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241118200100/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/18/trumps-2024-mandate-isnt-robust-bidens-was-2020/ |archive-date=November 18, 2024 |url-status=live }} His 1.5 percentage point margin of victory in 2024 (shown in chart) place it in only the 20th percentile of presidential elections since 1828.Woolley, John T. and Peters, Gerhard, Eds. {{cite web |title=Presidential Election Margin of Victory |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/data/presidential-election-mandates |publisher=The American Presidency Project (University of California) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250329061727/https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/data/presidential-election-mandates |archive-date=March 29, 2025 |date=November 6, 2024 |url-status=live}}]]

The Associated Press fact-checked several of Trump's statements from his first week in office, declaring them false and misleading.{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-fact-focus-first-week-president-claims-4b60d31b3209e98e63ec383d3f4052dc |title=FACT FOCUS: A look at false and misleading claims made by Trump during his first week back in office |author=Melissa Goldin |publication-date=January 24, 2025 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=January 31, 2025 |quote=President Donald Trump stepped back into the presidency this week moving quickly to set a new agenda, but from his inaugural address continuing through a flurry of executive actions, press conferences and interviews Trump relied on an array of false and misleading information to support his case.
Here’s a closer look at the facts. }}

Major events during Trump's second presidency that were fact-checked for multiple falsehoods.

On January 20, 2025, Trump made his official inaugural address at the Capitol's rotunda, unscripted second and third speeches at the Capitol Visitor Center’s Emancipation Hall and Washington’s Capital One Arena, concluding the day with statements to reporters at the Oval Office.

News media and fact-checkers declared Trump made multiple false and misleading statements, mostly repetitions of falsehoods from his campaign.Multiple sources

• {{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/donald-trumps-inaugural-speech-examined-2025-01-20/ |title=Fact Check: Donald Trump's inaugural speech examined |publication-date=January 20, 2025 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=January 30, 2025 |quote=Reuters assessed seven statements made by President Donald Trump during his inaugural address on Monday. While we monitored the speech in its entirety, we did not examine opinions or policy pledges. The statements are listed with timestamps in Eastern Standard Time (ET). }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/20/trump-inaugural-address-factcheck |title=Factchecking Trump's inauguration speech, from inflation to healthcare |author=Léonie Chao-Fong, Guardian staff |publication-date=January 20, 2025 |work=The Guardian |access-date=January 30, 2025 |quote=Donald Trump repeatedly made false and misleading claims during his inaugural address.
  Here are the facts on some of the false claims offered during Trump’s speech. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/politics/2025/donald-trump-inaugural-speech-dg/ |title=Trump's inaugural address, annotated and fact-checked |author=Zachary B. Wolf, Curt Merrill |publication-date=January 20, 2025 |publisher=CNN |access-date=January 30, 2025 |quote=President Donald Trump completed his incredible comeback by delivering his second inaugural address in the rotunda of the US Capitol. Before closing with a pledge to bind the nation and unify Americans, he borrowed lines from his campaign speeches and he promised broad changes in US government, to guard against an invasion at the southern border and to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
  Here’s Trump’s second inaugural address with context and with multiple fact checks from CNN’s Fact Check team. }}
• {{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/20/fact-checking-president-trumps-2025-inaugural-address/ |url-access=subscription |title=Fact-checking President Trump's 2025 inaugural address. Trump relies on many claims debunked during the election campaign. |author=Glenn Kessler |publication-date=January 20, 2025 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=January 30, 2025 |quote=Inaugural addresses, with their emphasis on lofty rhetoric, are generally not fertile ground for fact-checking. But President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration speech was more akin to a State of the Union address, with a laundry list of proposals and plans — and a hefty dose of false claims that we’ve fact-checked before. Here’s a quick rundown of what was inaccurate or misleading in Trump’s address, in the order in which he made the claims. We’ll ignore rhetoric that is expressed more as an opinion — “for many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens” — even though the factual basis for such statements is thin. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2025/01/factchecking-trumps-inaugural-address/ |title=FactChecking Trump's Inaugural Address |last1=Farley |first1=Robert |last2=Gore |first2=D'Angelo |last3=McDonald |first3=Jessica |last4=Jaramillo |first4=Catalina |last5=Robertson |first5=Lori |last6=Jaffe |first6=Alan |last7=Spencer |first7=Saranac Hale |last8=Cohen |first8=Ben |last9=Fox |first9=Ian |last10=Chapman |first10=Logan |publication-date=January 20, 2025 |publisher=FactCheck.org |access-date=March 18, 2025 |quote=Summary. In a half-hour inaugural address, newly sworn-in President Donald Trump twisted some facts while painting the last few years under his predecessor, Joe Biden, as a time of “decline” and promising that “the golden age of America begins right now.”
  We also flagged a few falsehoods in Trump’s subsequent remarks to supporters in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/politics/fact-check-trump-inauguration/index.html |title=Fact check: Trump made more than 20 false claims in his Inauguration Day remarks |author=Daniel Dale |publication-date=January 20, 2025 |publisher=CNN |access-date=January 30, 2025 |quote=President Donald Trump made only a smattering of false claims in his inaugural address on Monday, mostly sticking to vague rhetoric, subjective assertions and uncheckable promises of action.
  But then he embarked on a lying spree.
  In an unscripted second speech on Monday, to supporters who had gathered in the US Capitol Visitor Center’s Emancipation Hall, Trump made false claims about elections, immigration and the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, among other subjects. He then made additional false claims in a freewheeling third speech at Washington’s Capital One Arena and again while speaking to reporters as he signed executive orders in the Oval Office.
  Here is a fact check of some of his Monday claims. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/trump-fact-check-inaugural-address.html |url-access=subscription |title=Trump Repeats Inaccurate Claims in Inaugural Remarks. In his Inaugural Address, President Trump delivered a more tempered version of election talking points. But in remarks afterward, he reprised his grievances about the 2020 election. |author=Linda Qiu |publication-date=January 20, 2025 |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 30, 2025 |quote=President Trump began his second administration much as he left the first one, falsely questioning the outcome of the 2020 election and berating the criminal justice system in remarks throughout the day.
  In his inaugural remarks, Mr. Trump delivered a more tempered version of election talking points, including inaccurate claims about the state of the economy, immigration, world affairs, and federal and local investigations into his own conduct.
  But in addressing supporters afterward at the Capitol Rotunda, he reprised his grievances about the 2020 election, falsely blaming Nancy Pelosi for security lapses and asserting, incorrectly, that the election had been rigged.
  Here’s a fact-check. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-fact-check-b920161868e192d0430df534a42ea5ce |title=FACT FOCUS: A look at false and misleading claims Trump made at inaugural events |author=The Associated Press |publication-date=January 21, 2025 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=January 30, 2025 |quote=In his first address after being sworn in on Monday, President Donald Trump repeated several false and misleading statements that he made during his campaign. They included claims about immigration, the economy, electric vehicles and the Panama Canal. In remarks later at the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall, he issued a number of other false claims, including one that distorts pardons made by President Joe Biden as he left office. Here's a look at the facts. }}

On March 4, 2025, Trump addressed a joint session of the United States Congress. News media and fact-checkers declared Trump made multiple false and misleading statements.Multiple sources.

• {{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/03/04/trump-joint-address-to-congress/doge-shout-out-00212772 |title=Trump Speech to Congress 2025. Live Updates |publication-date=March 4, 2025 |publisher=Politico |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=[Sequence of live updates by multiple authors, both fact-checking statements and describing the event.] }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/03/04/g-s1-50488/trump-congress-joint-address-fact-check |title=Read NPR's annotated fact check of President Trump's address to Congress |author=NPR Staff |publication-date=March 4, 2025 |publisher=NPR |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=President Trump delivered an address to a joint session of Congress in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night, six weeks into his second term. Since his inauguration, he has worked briskly to try to radically reshape the government and has signed dozens of executive orders, many upending policies created by former President Joe Biden. Trump took stock of what he's done so far and laid out his vision for the economy, immigration and foreign affairs.
  Reporters from across NPR's newsroom fact-checked the address and offered context as the speech unfolded. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2025/what-time-state-union-address-tonight-trump/ |title=Live fact checks of President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress |author=PolitiFact |publication-date=March 4, 2025 |publisher=Poynter Institute |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=PolitiFact is live fact-checking President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, March 4.
  PolitiFact has fact-checked Trump 1,078 times since 2011. Tonight, we’ll draw on that deep archive to check the accuracy of his statements. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-fact-check-joint-address-congress-2025/ |title=Trump speech fact check for his 2025 joint address to Congress |author=Laura Doan, Emily Pandise, Alexander Tin |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=CBS News |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=CBS News' Confirmed team is fact checking President Trump's 2025 joint address to Congress on Tuesday night, his first speech to both chambers of Congress since he won the presidential election in November. He spoke about his domestic and foreign policy agenda, as well as the economy. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/04/politics/fact-check-trump-address-congress/index.html |title=Fact-checking Trump’s address to Congress |author=CNN Staff |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=CNN |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=President Donald Trump made numerous false and misleading claims in his Tuesday speech to a joint session of Congress. The falsehoods spanned a variety of topics, including the economy, climate, immigration and more.
  In his speech, just under one hour and 40 minutes, Trump also made a number of false claims about his predecessor, Joe Biden. Here is a fact check of some of Trump’s statements. }}
• {{cite AV media |people=Jake Tapper, Daniel Dale, Donald Trump |date=March 5, 2025 |title=Daniel Dale fact-checks Trump’s address to Congress |medium=Internet video |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/05/politics/video/daniel-dale-fact-checks-trump-speech-to-congress-digvid |access-date=March 28, 2025 |publisher=CNN |quote=[Running time, 04:10 min. ] }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2025/03/factchecking-trumps-address-to-congress-2/ |title=FactChecking Trump’s Address to Congress |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=FactCheck.org |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=[Multiple authors.] Summary. In his first address to a joint session of Congress in his second term, President Donald Trump distorted the facts on fraud, immigration, aid to Ukraine, the economy, autism and more. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/05/trump-congress-address-fact-check |title=Out-of-date polls to wrong aid amounts: factchecking Trump’s Congress address |author=Robert Mackey |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=The Guardian |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=The president’s marathon address to a joint session of Congress was littered with false claims he’s been corrected on but continued to repeat. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fact-checking-trumps-speech-congress/story?id=119447124 |title=Fact-checking Trump's speech to Congress |author=Riley Hoffman |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=ABC News |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=Six weeks into his presidency, Donald Trump addressed Congress and the nation Tuesday evening, laying out his goals for the next four years.
  ABC News, along with PolitiFact, live fact-checked Trump's speech statements that were exaggerated, needed more context or were false. [Includes contextual videos] }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/05/us/trump-speech-congress# |title=Fact-Checking Trump’s Address to Congress |author=The New York Times |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=President Trump, in a speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, ticked off a list of purported accomplishments and justifications for his many executive actions that have upended domestic and foreign policy. The speech, the longest presidential address to Congress in modern history, clocked in at over an hour and 40 minutes and was replete with familiar exaggerations and falsehoods.
  Mr. Trump overstated the amount of what he called fraud uncovered by the Department of Government Efficiency, misled about energy and environmental policy, and justified sweeping tariffs with hyperbolic claims about world trade, among other statements.
  Here’s a fact check. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-trump-ukraine-3bea1df50167ac0a91f8c419b58c4b97 |title=FACT FOCUS: A look at false and misleading claims made by Trump during his address to Congress |author=The Associated Press |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=President Donald Trump ‘s Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress highlighted several of the initiatives he’s started in his first six weeks in office, but many of his comments included false and misleading information.
  Here’s a look at the facts. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-checking-trumps-speech-congress-rcna194819 |title=Fact-checking Trump's speech to Congress |author=Adam Edelman, Jane C. Timm |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=NBC News |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=President Donald Trump delivered his first speech to Congress of his second term Tuesday night, celebrating the big spending cuts, crackdown on migration and economic vision from the opening weeks of his administration.
  In his remarks, Trump bent the facts on issues including Social Security, immigration, fentanyl and the Russia-Ukraine war.
  Here's what Trump got right — and wrong — during his 100-minute address. [Includes highlights videos.] }}
• {{cite AV media |people=Amna Nawaz, Laura Barrón-López |date=March 5, 2025 |title=Fact-checking Trump’s claims during his address to Congress |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/fact-checking-trumps-claims-during-his-address-to-congress |access-date=March 28, 2025 |publisher=PBS News Hour |quote=Many of President Trump's statements during his address to Congress on Tuesday on a multitude of issues have been called into question. PBS News Hour's White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López joins Amna Nawaz for a deeper dive and fact check. [05:23 min., includes transcript.] }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/05/fact-check-trump-speech-address-congress/ |title=Fact-checking 26 suspect claims in Trump’s address to Congress |author=Glenn Kessler |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=The Washington Post |access-date=March 28, 2025 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305084208/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/05/fact-check-trump-speech-address-congress/ |archive-date=March 5, 2025 |quote=President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday was vintage Trump: long, rambling and chock-full of stretched facts and dubious figures. Many of these claims have been fact-checked repeatedly, yet the president persists in using them. Here, in the order in which he made them, are 26 statements by the president that were untrue, misleading or lacked context.
  As is our practice, we do not award Pinocchios in speech roundups. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-speech-fact-check-joint-address-congress-lies-rcna194848 |title=Trump’s address to Congress was built on a foundation of lies |author=Steve Benen |publication-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=MSNBC |access-date=March 28, 2025 |quote=[Includes video of Rachel Maddow fact-checking the address immediately after it ended, "For the record…" 04:35 min.] }}

Trump has falsely stated that Ukraine is to blame for the Russian invasion of Ukraine that started the Russo-Ukrainian War:{{cite web | last=Baker | first=Peter | title=Trump's Pivot Toward Putin's Russia Upends Generations of U.S. Policy | website=The New York Times | date=February 18, 2025 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/us/politics/trump-russia-putin.html | access-date=February 19, 2025}}

{{blockquote| In Mr. Trump's telling, Ukrainian leaders were at fault for the war for not agreeing to surrender territory and therefore, he suggested, they do not deserve a seat at the table for the peace talks that he has just initiated with Mr. Putin. 'You should have never started it,' Mr. Trump said, referring to Ukrainian leaders who, in fact, did not start it. 'You could have made a deal.'}}

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rebutted that claim and accused Trump of spreading disinformation:{{cite web | last=Kramer | first=Andrew E. | title=Zelensky Urges 'More Truth' After Trump Suggests Ukraine Started the War | website=The New York Times | date=February 19, 2025 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/world/europe/ukraine-zelensky-trump-russia-war.html | access-date=February 19, 2025}}

{{blockquote| "I would like to have more truth with the Trump team," Mr. Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv during a broader discussion about the administration, which this week opened peace talks with Russia that excluded Ukraine. Mr. Zelensky said that the U.S. president was "living in a disinformation space" and in a "circle of disinformation."}}

Peter Baker of The New York Times described how Trump has never uttered "one word of reproach for Mr. Putin or for Russia". He also debunked other false claims by Trump:

{{blockquote| As he often does, Mr. Trump flavored his comments with multiple false claims. Among them, he said that the United States has contributed three times as much aid to Ukraine since the war started as Europe has. In fact, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Europe has allocated $138 billion compared with $119 billion from the United States.}}

{{See also|Age and health concerns about Donald Trump}}

During the 2024 presidential campaign, the unlikelihood of some of Trump's falsehoods—for example, that images of Harris's campaign crowds were generated by AI; that in Springfield, Ohio, illegal immigrants were eating' neighbors' pets; or that schoolchildren were receiving surgery to change their gender — and the incoherence of his answers and unscripted addressesMultiple sources:

• {{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/06/donald-trump-speech-analysis |title=Trump's bizarre, vindictive incoherence has to be heard in full to be believed |author=Rachel Leingang |publication-date=April 6, 2024 |work=The Guardian |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=Excerpts from his speeches do not do justice to Trump's smorgasbord of vendettas, non sequiturs and comparisons to famous people }}
• {{cite magazine |url=https://newrepublic.com/post/183641/watch-trump-fumbles-terrifying-speech-florida-rally |title=Watch: Trump Fumbles Repeatedly in Terrifying Speech at Florida Rally |author=Edith Olmsted |magazine=The New Republic |publication-date=July 10, 2024 |publisher=The New Republic |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=Donald Trump gave a particularly incoherent speech during a recent rally, as he rattled through a lengthy list of odd grievances that didn't quite ring true, devoid of some very necessary segues. [Includes video] }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/06/trump-sharks-las-vegas-rally-speech/678667/ |url-access=subscription |title=Let's Talk About Trump's Gibberish. What the former president's shark tirade says about American politics and media |author=Tom Nichols |publication-date=June 12, 2024 |publisher=The Atlantic |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=For too long, Trump has gotten away with pretending that his emotional issues are just part of some offbeat New York charm or an expression of his enthusiasm for public performance. But Trump is obviously unfit—and something is profoundly wrong with a political environment in which he can now say almost anything, no matter how weird, and his comments will get a couple of days of coverage and then a shrug, as if to say: Another day, another Trump rant about sharks. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/06/24/trump-weird-words-rally-rants-biden-2024-election |title=Trump's weird words: What's behind his rally rants |author=Erin Doherty |publication-date=June 24, 2024 |publisher=Axios |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=Why it matters: Trump's bombastic speeches have always mixed anger, falsehoods, conspiracy theories and vague, sweeping plans. But recently he's gone deeper into bizarre tales and vulgarities. }}
• {{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/14/trump-music-sways-town-hall/ |title=Trump sways and bops to music for 39 minutes in bizarre town hall episode. Vice President Kamala Harris has called Trump, 78, unstable and questioned his mental acuity. |author=Marianne LeVine |publication-date=October 14, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=October 15, 2024 |quote=The town hall, moderated by South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R), began with questions from preselected attendees for the former president. Donald Trump offered meandering answers on how he would address housing affordability and help small businesses. But it took a sudden turn after two attendees required medical attention. (...) For 39 minutes, Trump swayed, bopped — sometimes stopping to speak — as he turned the event into almost a living-room listening session of his favorite songs from his self-curated rally playlist.
  He played nine tracks. He danced. He shook hands with people onstage. He pointed to the crowd. Noem stood beside him, nodding with her hands clasped. Trump stayed in place onstage, slowly moving back and forth. He was done answering questions for the night.
  “Total lovefest at the PA townhall! Everyone was so excited they were fainting so @realDonaldTrump turned to music,” campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote on X. “Nobody wanted to leave and wanted to hear more songs from the famous DJT Spotify playlist!” [Includes video]}} drew attention from experts and the media, who questioned Trump's mental state and fitness to serve.Multiple sources:
• {{cite web |url=https://www.statnews.com/2024/08/07/trump-mental-health-linguistic-analysis-suggests-potential-cognitive-decline-experts-say/ |url-access=subscription |title=Trump keeps losing his train of thought. Cognitive experts have theories about why |author=Olivia Goldhill |publication-date=August 7, 2024 |publisher=STAT |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=(...) This shifting from topic to topic, with few connections—a pattern of speech called tangentiality—is one of several disjointed and occasionally incoherent verbal habits that seem to have increased in Trump's speech in recent years, according to interviews with experts in memory, psychology, and linguistics. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-cognitive-decline-election-2024-b2593296.html |title=Experts say Trump's speaking style shows 'potential indications of cognitive decline' |author=Gustaf Kilander |publication-date=August 8, 2024 |work=The Independent |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=Former President Donald Trump's speaking style may reveal signs of cognitive decline, according to psychological experts.
  An analysis by STAT—a media organization focusing on health —found that Trump's common pattern of speech called tangentiality—jumping from topic to topic with few if any connections in between—is just one of a number of incoherent speaking habits that appears to have worsened in the last few years. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/us-election-2024/2024/09/donald-trump-is-losing-it |title=Donald Trump is losing it. His alarming cognitive decline deserves the scrutiny that Joe Biden received |author=Lee Siegel |publication-date=September 2, 2024 |publisher=New Statesman |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=The process of removing Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate can't exactly be said to have worked well, but it worked. And now it's time for Americans to turn the same self-regulatory instincts to Biden's 78-year-old former rival. Trump's campaign is already falling apart—most recently with the shameful attempt to use a ceremony at Arlington Cemetery as an electioneering platform. But there are deeper reasons to inspect Trump's political credibility now. Because cognitively speaking, Trump is beginning to make Biden look like Oscar Wilde. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/09/13/nx-s1-5107714/breaking-down-former-president-donald-trumps-rambling-linguistic-style |title=Breaking down former President Donald Trump's rambling linguistic style |author=Steve Inskeep, John McWhorter |publication-date=September 13, 2024 |publisher=NPR |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=Linguist John McWhorter speaks with Steve Inskeep about Donald Trump's "weaving" style of speech. [Interview with transcription] (...) MCWHORTER: (Laughter) No. I mean, what he's describing does sound rather deft, as if he's just juggling a whole bunch of things because perhaps he's such a fertile mind. But really, what happens is he thinks of a second, and that makes him think of a third. Then he has to make some off-handed remark. And then usually, he then jumps rather parenthetically back to the first thing. That's not weaving. That's rambling, the verbal equivalent of somebody being extremely drunk. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/09/trump-harris-debate-cognitive-decline/679803/ |url-access=subscription |title=Trump's Repetitive Speech Is a Bad Sign. If the debate was a cognitive test, the former president failed |author=Richard A. Friedman |publication-date=September 12, 2024 |publisher=The Atlantic |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=Just to be clear: Although I am a psychiatrist, I am not offering any specific medical diagnoses for any public figure. I have never met or examined either candidate. But I watched the debate with particular attention to the candidates' vocabulary, verbal and logical coherence, and ability to adapt to new topics—all signs of a healthy brain. Although Kamala Harris certainly exhibited some rigidity and repetition, her speech remained within the normal realm for politicians, who have a reputation for harping on their favorite talking points. By contrast, Donald Trump's expressions of those tendencies were alarming. He displayed some striking, if familiar, patterns that are commonly seen among people in cognitive decline. }}

On September 5, 2024, Trump addressed the Economic Club of New York, where he was asked, "If you win in November, can you commit to prioritizing legislation to make childcare affordable, and if so, what specific piece of legislation would you advance?" A commentator from The Independent characterized Trump's two-minute, 362-word tariff-centered response as "word salad",{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-childcare-economy-speech-b2607970.html |title=Trump tried to explain how he plans to make childcare more affordable. It was a word salad |author=Alex Woodward |publication-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Independent |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=The Republican nominee gave a two-minute, 362-word response [Includes video] }} and a CNN commentator remarked that it "could accurately be described as a ramble without an answer".{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/06/politics/child-care-trump-what-matters/index.html |title=Trump's rambling answer to a child care question, deconstructed |author=Zachary B. Wolf |publication-date=September 6, 2024 |publisher=CNN |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=His response to the child care question, the subject of some ribbing by his political opponents, could accurately be described as a ramble without an answer. It's worth looking closer at an issue that affects so many Americans. }} Several news media reports about the event did not mention or comment on that answer,{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4863990-trump-economic-agenda-elon-musk-commission-immigration-crackdown-tariffs/ |title=5 takeaways from Trump's economic address in New York |author=Brett Samuels |publication-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Hill |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=Former President Trump on Thursday outlined his economic agenda if he is elected in November, doubling down on many of the policies that he leaned on during his first four years in office and vowing to undo numerous Biden administration moves. }}{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-new-proposals-did-trump-make-during-his-economic-speech-2024-09-05/ |title=What new proposals did Trump make during his economic speech? |author=Gram Slattery, Helen Coster |publication-date=September 5, 2024 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump laid out his economic vision for the country on Thursday during a speech at the New York Economic Club. }}{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-harris-corporate-taxes-15ba5ecfdf5e907bd9b2c349b07222b8 |title=Trump suggests tariffs can help solve rising child care costs in a major economic speech |first1=Jill |last1=Colvin |first2=Adriana |last2=Gomez Licon |first3=Josh |last3=Boak |publication-date=September 5, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=March 18, 2025 |quote=Trump was asked at his appearance before the Economic Club of New York about his plans to drive down child care costs to help more women join the workforce.
"Child care is child care, it's something you have to have in this country. You have to have it," he said. Then, he said his plans to tax imports from foreign nations at higher levels would "take care" of such problems.
"We're going to be taking in trillions of dollars, and as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it's—relatively speaking—not very expensive, compared to the kind of numbers we'll be taking in," he said. }} including The New York Times.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/05/us/politics/trump-tariffs-william-mckinley.html |title=Trump Praises Tariffs, and William McKinley, to Power Brokers |author=Jonathan Weisman |publication-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The New York Times |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=His solution for the deficit? Tariffs. The crisis for middle-class families struggling with child care? The economic growth he said would be spurred by things like tariffs. A complicated international supply chain that has the wings of military aircraft manufactured in one country and the tail in another? Tariffs. }}

That kind of characterization (or lack thereof), plus previous occasions in which the media interpreted Trump's answers instead of transcribing (and fact-checking) them, has been denounced as "sanewashing."Multiple sources:

• {{cite magazine |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/185530/media-criticism-trump-sanewashing-problem |title=How the Media Sanitizes Trump's Insanity |author=Parker Molloy |magazine=The New Republic |publication-date=September 4, 2024 |publisher=The New Republic |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=(...) This "sanewashing" of Trump's statements isn't just poor journalism; it's a form of misinformation that poses a threat to democracy. By continually reframing Trump's incoherent and often dangerous rhetoric as conventional political discourse, major news outlets are failing in their duty to inform the public and are instead providing cover for increasingly erratic behavior from a former—and potentially future—president. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/trump_incoherent_media_sanewashing.php |title=Is the press 'sanewashing' Trump? |author=Jon Allsop |publication-date=September 9, 2024 |publisher=Columbia Journalism Review |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=There's a hot new term doing the rounds among media critics: "sanewashing." The term itself actually isn't new, and it wasn't born in media-criticism circles, per se; according to Urban Dictionary, it was coined in 2020 on a Reddit page for neoliberals (which Linda Kinstler wrote about recently for CJR), and meant "attempting to downplay a person or idea's radicality to make it more palatable to the general public." (It was deployed in discussions around, for example, "defunding the police.") Recently, though, various observers have applied the term to media coverage of Donald Trump. Aaron Rupar, a journalist who is very active on X, has been credited with coining "sanewashing" in this specific context, but the term appeared to really blow up last week, after Parker Molloy wrote a column about it in The New Republic. (She expanded on the idea as a guest on the podcast Some More News.) The word has since been picked up by media bigwigs including Paul Krugman and Rachel Maddow, and appeared in outlets from Ireland to India. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.inquirer.com/columnists/attytood/trump-desantis-voting-rights-sanewashing-20240910.html |title=GOP red states launch a war on voting rights. Will Bunch Newsletter. Plus, how "sanewashing" became 2024′s word of the year in politics |author=Will Bunch |publication-date=September 10, 2024 |publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=Backstory on how "sanewashing" became 2024′s word of the year.
  Maybe it was when the New York Times wrote a straight-faced story about housing policy in the presidential race that treated Donald Trump's authoritarian scheme for the mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants as a plan to lower rents. Or when multiple outlets failed to make any kind of big deal about the GOP nominee's utterly bat-guano crazy assertion that kids are going to school and getting gender-reassignment operations there, without their parents knowing about it. It probably peaked with Trump's lengthy and totally incoherent answer to a question about his child-care policy—"Child care is child care!" he blurted out at one point—which was initially characterized by the Times as, "Trump Praises Tariffs, and William McKinley, to Power Brokers."
  There's a word for this. "Sanewashing." }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/cnbc/conservative-economic-commentators-have-been-sanewashing-trumps-incoherent-tariff-proposals |title=Conservative economic commentators have been "sanewashing" Trump's incoherent tariff proposals |author=Zachary Pleat |publication-date=September 12, 2024 |publisher=Media Matters for America |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=After economists explained Trump's tariff ideas would raise inflation and cost families thousands annually, Trump's allies began claiming it has always been a bluff. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://theweek.com/politics/media-sanewashing-trump-speeches |title=Is the media 'sanewashing' Trump? Critics say there's a disconnect between 'reality and reported news' |author=Joel Mathis |publication-date=September 13, 2024 |publisher=The Week |access-date=September 25, 2024 |quote=(...) Trump, naturally, has a different take: He calls his rhetorical style "the weave," Margaret Hartmann said at New York magazine. "I'll talk about like nine different things, and they all come back brilliantly together," he said last month at a Pennsylvania rally, "and it's like, friends of mine that are, like, English professors, they say, 'It's the most brilliant thing I've ever seen.'" (...) Trump's campaign insists his speaking style is proof of rhetorical mastery. "Unlike Kamala Harris," a campaign spokesperson told The New York Times, "President Trump speaks for hours, telling multiple impressive stories at the same time." But the former president has gotten defensive about how his remarks are reported. "The fake news, you know what they say? 'He rambled.'" Trump said this month. "That's not rambling." The skeptics remain. "He is trying to pretend there is a strategy or logic behind it," said one biographer, "when there isn't." }}

On September 12, 2024, the Poynter Institute defined "sanewashing" as "the act of packaging radical and outrageous statements in a way that makes them seem normal," and proposed ways to avoid doing it.{{cite web |url=https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2024/sanewashing-meaning-donald-trump-journalists/ |title=How to avoid sanewashing Trump (and other politicians) |author=Kelly McBride |publication-date=September 12, 2024 |publisher=Poynter Institute |access-date=September 12, 2024 |quote=There's been a lot of chatter about how the press—maybe deliberately and maybe inadvertently—makes Trump sound more coherent and normal. The clever word to describe this: sanewashing. Like greenwashing (taking superficial actions in the name of helping the environment), or sportswashing (using sporting events to burnish one's reputation and gloss over corruption or human rights abuses), sanewashing is the act of packaging radical and outrageous statements in a way that makes them seem normal.
Critics accuse many in journalism of doing just that. }} On October 6, 2024, The New York Times published an article reviewing Trump's public statements. A computer analysis found out that Trump's speeches last longer, and include more all-or-nothing, negative, and curse terms, all of which point at cognitive changes since 2015. The analysis found that the complexity of Trump's speeches remained relatively steady in recent years, at a fourth-grade level (equivalent to a nine- or ten-year-old child). The article presents testimonies of former collaborators and acquaintances, plus comparisons of his present addresses with recordings from years earlier, "clearer and more comprehensible than now, and balanced with flashes of humor." The article notes that the Trump campaign has refused to release his medical records, and ends with a quote of his from a rally: "Trump is never wrong. I am never, ever wrong."{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/06/us/politics/trump-speeches-age-cognitive-decline.html |url-access=subscription |title=Trump's Speeches, Increasingly Angry and Rambling, Reignite the Question of Age |author=Peter Baker, Dylan Freedman |publication-date=October 6, 2024 |work=The New York Times |access-date=October 8, 2024 |quote=With the passage of time, the 78-year-old former president’s speeches have grown darker, harsher, longer, angrier, less focused, more profane and increasingly fixated on the past, according to a review of his public appearances over the years. [Includes short videos] }}{{cite AV media |people=Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough, Peter Baker |date=October 7, 2024 |title=How Trump's speeches reignite the question of age |medium=Internet video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiCVnkkJoSM |access-date=October 8, 2024 |publisher=MSNBC |quote=[Interview with Peter Baker about his article] }} On October 15, The Washington Post noted that recent polls showed that Trump's age and mental acuity were of increasing concern for voters, though it is not clear whether the same applies to swing voters.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/15/how-big-problem-is-mental-acuity-trump/ |title=How big a political problem is mental acuity for Trump? |author=Aaron Blake |publication-date=October 15, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=October 15, 2024 |quote=How concerned are Americans about Trump’s mental faculties?
The answer appears to be: increasingly concerned, and large numbers of people have long doubted his stability. But it’s not clear that swing voters are overly concerned, and Trump’s numbers in that realm are nowhere close to Biden’s.
Let’s take that first part. Few polls have regularly tested views of Trump’s age and mental faculties. But the ones that do have shown a modest but steady erosion for Trump on those measures. [Pollers: Reuters/Ipsos, Pew Research Center, Marquette University Law School (Wisconsin), Marquette's national polling.] (...) That gets at the potential danger for Trump. He benefits in some respects because people have come to expect the bizarre from him. But we’ve also seen how his chaotic style — including after the 2020 election — can give people real pause. He’s more popular today than he was during his presidency, but casual voters are starting to see more of him and consuming more of his strange behavior.
That has not generally been a recipe for his success; it’s why Harris’s campaign has repeatedly urged people to watch Trump’s rallies and is now playing his remarks on big screens at her rallies. (...) }}

After the election, mainstream media continued to be criticized and accused of sanewashing Trump's most controversial statements.Multiple sources:

• {{cite web |url=https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2024/what-to-expect-next-trump-presidency-media/ |title=Opinion. Donald Trump and the media: a look back and a look ahead to the next four years. Four media experts and analysts discuss how the press covered Trump in this election cycle and what to expect going forward |author=Tom Jones |publication-date=November 8, 2024 |publisher=Poynter Institute |access-date=February 12, 2025 |quote=The bubble of conservative-oriented media has distorted what many people even believe is fair news coverage and increased the amount of misinformation and disinformation in the public space. But I think one of the biggest problems facing mainstream news outlets now is the belief among nonconservative consumers that coverage of this election cycle let them down by “sanewashing” and normalizing Trump’s excesses. Traditional journalists who have already lost the confidence of conservative consumers are now facing diminishing trust from the news consumers who are left, which is not a great combination. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/how-to-think-about-covering-trump-2-0.php |title=How to Think About Covering Trump 2.0 |author=Jon Allsop |publication-date=November 11, 2024 |publisher=Columbia Journalism Review |access-date=February 12, 2025 |quote=As I wrote earlier this year, the debate as to how the press ought to handle such rhetoric has gone back and forth for so long because, in part, there isn’t a satisfying answer: filter audiences’ exposure to Trump, and they don’t see what he’s really like (enter sanewashing); do the opposite, and you hand him a free platform to mislead and antagonize. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-cabinet-media |title=NPR Hard at Work Normalizing Trump's Far-Right Cabinet Picks. When John Bolton is the most aggressive critic of the incoming administration, you know we have a problem. |author=Julie Hollar |publication-date=November 23, 2024 |publisher=Common Dreams |access-date=February 12, 2025 |quote=It wasn’t just Morning Edition sanewashing Trump’s picks at NPR. In a piece (NPR.org, 11/15/24) about Trump’s selection of RFK Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services, NPR‘s headline and opening framed the anti-science conspiracy theorist as just a guy who “Wants to ‘Make America Healthy Again,'” but who “Could Face a Lot of Pushback.” }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-sanewashing-greenland-panama-canal/ |title=The Trump Sanewashing Begins Anew. New year, same media strategy: Downplay Trump’s most dangerous, extreme ideas as “trolling” or even “branding.” |author=Joan Walsh |publication-date=January 8, 2025 |publisher=The Nation |access-date=February 12, 2025 |quote=(...) it’s starting again: Major media figures insisting Trump’s not going to do what he claims, letting him off from being a madman who’s capable of almost anything. (I don’t know why I added “almost.”) Some analyses of the 2024 election posit that Americans just didn’t believe he is that crazy, or dangerous, because of this media “sanewashing.” Many such voters chose Trump, or decided to stay home on Election Day. }}
• {{cite web |url=https://uclpimedia.com/online/are-journalists-engaging-in-sanewashing-when-reporting-trump/ |title=Are Journalists Engaging in ‘Sanewashing’ When Reporting Trump? |author=Jow Whiteman |publication-date=December 8, 2024 |publisher=UCL Pi Media |access-date=February 12, 2025 |quote=How can ‘Trump the populist’ present himself as the people’s president with so little to his credit? He lacks the military accolades of Caesar, magnanimity of F.D.R or youthfulness of Kennedy. The crux of this is found in the dreaded, so-called ‘mainstream media’, that we hear so much about. Centre-left media has been accused of ‘sanewashing’ Trump; they arguably present his claims as more credible than they really are, or at least cherry-pick the most coherent content within them. }}

File:MLWA Sign.png displays a sign endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 Presidential Election which parodies "Make America Great Again" as "Make Lying Wrong Again" in response to Trump's record of misinformation.]]

A June 2019 Gallup poll found that 34% of American adults think Trump "is honest and trustworthy".{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |last2=Rizzo |first2=Salvador |last3=Kelly |first3=Meg |title=The central feature of Trump's presidency: False claims and disinformation |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-fact-checker-book/2020/06/01/c6323b88-a435-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html |access-date=June 9, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 2, 2020}}

A March 2020 Kaiser Family Foundation poll estimated that 19% of Democrats and 88% of Republicans trusted Trump to provide reliable information on COVID-19.{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/business/2020/03/democrats-republicans-coronavirus-trump.html |title=Democrats Are Being Much, Much More Careful About the Coronavirus Than Republicans |first=Jordan |last=Weissmann |date=March 17, 2020 |website=Slate |access-date=June 9, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200525183718/https://slate.com/business/2020/03/democrats-republicans-coronavirus-trump.html |archive-date=May 25, 2020 |quote=Notably, 88 percent of Republicans told Kaiser that they thought Trump was a reliable source of information on the virus, versus 19 percent of Democrats.}}

A May 2020 SRSS poll for CNN concluded that 36% of people in the U.S. trusted Trump on information about the COVID-19 outbreak: 4% of Democrats compared to 84% of Republicans.{{cite news |last1=Agiesta |first1=Jennifer |title=CNN Poll: Negative ratings for government handling of coronavirus persist |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/12/politics/cnn-poll-federal-government-handling-of-coronavirus/index.html |access-date=May 13, 2020 |work=CNN |date=May 12, 2020 |archive-date=October 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014230153/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/12/politics/cnn-poll-federal-government-handling-of-coronavirus/index.html |url-status=live }}

In April 2022, Trump stated at a rally in Selma, North Carolina: "I think I'm the most honest human being, perhaps, that God ever created," prompting laughter from the crowd.{{Cite web |date=April 10, 2022 |title=Donald Trump suggests he is 'perhaps the most honest human being' ever created |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-most-honest-human-b2055097.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220811/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-most-honest-human-b2055097.html |archive-date=August 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=May 30, 2022 |website=The Independent |language=en}}

In two 2023 polls, Trump was thought to be "honest" by 29% of respondents (March 2023; a low since Quinnipiac University first asked this question of registered voters in November 2016){{cite web |title=Mixed Signals On Trump: Majority Says Criminal Charges Should Disqualify '24 Run, Popularity Is Unchanged, Leads DeSantis By Double Digits, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds |url=https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3870 |publisher=Quinnipiac University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110095124/https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3870 |archive-date=January 10, 2024 |date=March 29, 2023 |url-status=live }} and 36% of respondents (November 2023; George Washington University Politics Poll).{{cite web |title=GW Politics Poll Finds Americans Concerned about Biden's Leadership and Age, Trump's Moral Character |url=https://mediarelations.gwu.edu/gw-politics-poll-finds-americans-concerned-about-bidens-leadership-and-age-trumps-moral-character |publisher=George Washington University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209045140/https://mediarelations.gwu.edu/gw-politics-poll-finds-americans-concerned-about-bidens-leadership-and-age-trumps-moral-character |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |date=November 28, 2023 |url-status=live }}

In a September 2024 Associated Press/NORC at the University of Chicago survey, a majority (57%) of Americans believed that claims from Trump and his campaign are "rarely" or "never" based on facts.{{Cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=2024-09-16 |title=Analysis {{!}} The staggering reach of Trump's misinformation—not just on Haitian migrants |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/16/staggering-reach-trumps-misinformation-not-just-haitian-migrants/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}[https://apnorc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/State_of_the_facts_2024_final.pdf State of the Facts 2024] (September 2024). The Associated Press/Norc at the University of Chicago.

{{portal|Politics}}

{{div col|colwidth=19em}}

• Post-truth politics
• Reality distortion field
• Trump derangement syndrome
• Trumpism
• Truth sandwich
• Veracity of statements by Boris Johnson

{{div col end}}

{{reflist}}

Books

• {{cite book |last=Reilly |first=Rick |title=Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump |publisher=Hachette Books |year=2019 |isbn=978-0316528085 }}
• {{cite book |last=McAdams |first=Dan P. |title='Truth', The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning |chapter=Truth |publisher=Oxford Academic |year=2020 |pages=96–118 |doi=10.1093/oso/9780197507445.003.0006 |isbn=978-0-19-750744-5 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197507445.003.0006 }}
• {{cite book |last=Res |first=Barbara A. |title=Tower of Lies: What My Eighteen Years of Working With Donald Trump Reveals About Him |publisher=Graymalkin Media |year=2020 |isbn=978-1631683046 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Kessler |editor-first=Glenn |last1=Rizzo |first1=Salvador |last2=Kelly |first2=Meg |title=Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth: The President's Falsehoods, Misleading Claims and Flat-Out Lies |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2020 |isbn=978-1982151072 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Buettner |first1=Russ |author-link1=Russ Buettner |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author-link2=Susanne Craig |date=September 17, 2024 |title=Lucky Loser. How Donald Trump Squandered His Father's Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success |publisher=Penguin Random House |isbn=9780593298657 }}

Papers and chapters

• {{cite book |last=Pfiffner |first=James P. |date=July 5, 2019 |editor-last1=Lamb |editor-first1=Charles M. |editor-last2=Neiheisel |editor-first2=Jacob R. |series=The Evolving American Presidency |title=Presidential Leadership and the Trump Presidency. Executive Power and Democratic Government |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |pages=17–40 |chapter=The Lies of Donald Trump: A Taxonomy |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-18979-2_2 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18979-2_2 |isbn=978-3-030-18979-2 }}
• {{cite journal|last=Sceats |first=Sophie |title=A Legacy of Lies: Examining Donald Trump's Record-Breaking Dishonesty |journal=WWU Honors College Senior Projects |issue=486 |date=Spring 2021 |url=https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1487&context=wwu_honors }}
• {{cite book |last=Barkho |first=Leon |date=November 30, 2023 |editor-last=Akande |editor-first=Adebowale |series=Springer Studies on Populism, Identity Politics and Social Justice |title=The Perils of Populism. The End of the American Century? |publisher=Springer Publishing |pages=259–278 |chapter=A Critical Inquiry into US Media's Fact-Checking and Compendiums of Donald Trump's Falsehoods and "Lies" |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-36343-6_11 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36343-6_11 |isbn=978-3-031-36343-6 }}

• [https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/ Donald Trump] at PolitiFact
• [https://www.factcheck.org/person/donald-trump/ Donald Trump] at FactCheck.org
• [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/category/donald-trump/ Donald Trump] at The Washington Post
• [https://projects.thestar.com/donald-trump-fact-check/index.html Donald Trump] at Toronto Star

{{Donald Trump}}

Category:Articles containing video clips

Category:Criticism of Donald Trump

Category:Disinformation operations

Category:Donald Trump controversies

Category:Lying

Category:Trump administration controversies

Category:Trumpism