In the first eight months of his presidency, President Trump made 1,137 false or misleading claims, an average of five a day. In October, as he barnstormed the country holding rallies in advance of the midterm elections, the president made 1,205 claims — an average of 39 a day.
Combined with the rest of his presidency, that adds up to a total of 7,546 claims through Dec. 20, the 700th day of his term in office, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president.
The flood of presidential misinformation picked up dramatically as the president campaigned across the country, holding rallies with his supporters. Each of those rallies usually yielded 35 to 45 suspect claims. But the president often tacked on interviews with local media (in which he repeats the same false statements) and gaggles with the White House press corps before and after his trips.
The second biggest month was November, with 866 claims, and that’s largely because of the president’s rallies just before the Nov. 6 election. Four of his five most prolific days for falsehoods fell in November.
Nov. 5 , when he held rallies in Fort Wayne, Ind., Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Cleveland: 139 claims.
, when he held rallies in Fort Wayne, Ind., Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Cleveland: 139 claims. Nov. 3 , when he held rallies in Pensacola, Fla., and Belgrade, Mont.: 130 claims.
, when he held rallies in Pensacola, Fla., and Belgrade, Mont.: 130 claims. Nov. 2 , when he held rallies in Indianapolis and Huntington, W.Va.: 97 claims.
, when he held rallies in Indianapolis and Huntington, W.Va.: 97 claims. Nov. 26, when he held two rallies in advance of a special election in Mississippi: 90 claims.
More than a quarter of Trump’s claims, 2,032, came during campaign rallies. An additional 1,921 came during remarks during press events, and 1,266 were the result of the president’s itchy Twitter finger.
The president’s proclivity to twist data and fabricate stories is on full display at his rallies. He has his greatest hits: 124 times he had falsely said he passed the biggest tax cut in history, 110 times he has asserted that the U.S. economy today is the best in history, and 92 times he has falsely said his border wall is already being built. (Congress has allocated only $1.6 billion for fencing, but Trump also frequently mentioned additional funding that has not yet been appropriated.) All three of those claims are on The Fact Checker’s list of Bottomless Pinocchios.
In terms of subjects, false or misleading claims about immigration top the list, totaling 1,076. Claims about foreign policy and trade tied for second, with 822 claims, followed by claims about the economy (765) and jobs (741).
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Minotaur11 on December 21st, 2018 at 12:40 UTC »
Sometimes I wonder if he even realizes how much he lies. I mean, I'm sure that somewhere deep inside the dark recesses of his mind, a rational version of himself knows he's spewing a constant stream of bullshit, but it's encased in a thick, almost impenetrable layer of malignant narcissism and insecurity.
He's gotten away with this nonsense his entire life; just telling lies without ever having to keep track of them or being called on them. That's over 7 decades of zero consequences. He had the means and the upbringing to ensure that he could surround himself with groveling sycophants who had a vested financial interest in never telling the emperor that he was actually naked. Even his many financial failures he just passed off responsibility and blame while relying on his family wealth and brand name to survive.
Any reporter or news organization who dared challenge him were bullied or threatened with libel suits, or Trump would do his usual schtick and just double and triple down on the bullshit. Because it worked.
It worked because no one actually cared if Donald Trump was full of shit and a pathological liar. He was a Manhattan real estate "mogul" who became a walking punchline to gross excess and 80s sleaze.
It was only once he decided to run for President that suddenly a lifetime's worth of lies, corruption, and fraud had consequences.
But all he knows how to do is lie, double down, attack, and threaten. I don't even know if he can tell what the truth actually is anymore. He just tells people what's convenient for his current reality and whatever suits his momentary needs. Keeping track of all the bullshit, especially the bullshit that contradicts his past bullshit, is probably just beyond him at this point.
Edit: a word
MattIles on December 21st, 2018 at 12:20 UTC »
That's an average of about 10 lies per day. From an adminstration that doesn't give regular briefings or statements, and has no other substantive contact with the press or public. Astounding.
PMmeSquattyPotty on December 21st, 2018 at 11:35 UTC »