During the campaign, Trump tweeted a mocking photo of his wife alongside Ted Cruz’s, with the test “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Trump defended himself three days later, and repeated his claim that no one has more respect for women than him.
USA Today – After insulting tweet, Cruz tells Trump: Leave my wife ‘the hell alone’
Ironically, the questions Trump was complaining about when he made the remark were about other insults towards women.
Trump later said that “only a deviant” would think he was referring to menstruation, and that “I cherish women.” However, due to past actions like insulting the appearance of Ted Cruz’s wife and GOP primary candidate Carly Fiorina, in addition to the infamous “grab them by the pussy” remark, when he later claimed “no one has more respect for women than I do,” he was met with laughter.
Time – Trump: Debate Moderator Had ‘Blood Coming Out of Her Wherever’
The Telegraph – Donald Trump: I cherish women and ‘only a deviant’ would think I was talking about Megyn Kelly’s period
John McCain served as a pilot in the Vietnam War and was shot down, captured, and tortured. He broke both arms and a knee when ejecting from his plane.
McCain was held at the infamous Hanoi Hilton prisoner camp for five and a half years. He only received life-saving treatment for his injuries when his captors discovered that he was the son of an admiral. They offered McCain early release, which he turned down knowing it would be used as propaganda. He suffered permanent injuries, including the inability to raise his arms above his head.
McCain died in 2018, having served as a US Senator for Arizona for three decades.
During Trump’s campaign, he rebuffed the assertion that McCain was a war hero:
He hit me, he’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, okay? I hate to tell you.
Trump avoided the military draft for Vietnam five times and called dodging STDs his “personal Vietnam.”
Politico – Trump attacks McCain: ‘I like people who weren’t captured’
Time – Inside John McCain’s Journey From Annapolis to the Hanoi Hilton: How He Became a Prisoner of War
Wikipedia – John McCain (Prisoner of War)
Trump first made the claim in a phone interview with Fox News:
His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald’s being – you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous.
Trump defended his remark, saying, “All I did is point out the fact that on the cover of the National Enquirer there was a picture of him and crazy Lee Harvey Oswald having breakfast…This was a magazine that, in many respects, should be well respected. I mean if that was The New York Times, they would have gotten Pulitzer Prizes for their reporting.”
Trump also attacked Cruz’s wife’s appearance on Twitter.
BBC News – Trump links Cruz’s father to Kennedy assassination
Politico – Trump revives rumor linking Cruz’s father to JFK assassination
Trump had never held elected office or worked as a public servant in any capacity.
Nonetheless, Trump has a vast list of things he claims to be the biggest of, the best at, and know the most about.
To learn more about how well Trump knew the system and how well he was able to fix it, please see the rest of this site.
USA Today – Donald Trump accepts GOP nomination, says ‘I alone can fix’ system
As Trump accepted the support of the NRA during the 2016 campaign, he claimed that Clinton was seeking to let violent criminals out of prison and take away the guns of law-abiding citizens.
“Hillary Clinton wants to abolish the second amendment, remember that. We’re not talking about change it, she wants to abolish the second amendment,” Trump alleged. He also claimed that she would “release the violent criminals from jail.”
Although Clinton called for tightening restrictions on guns, she never suggested overturning the Second Amendment or letting violent criminals out of prison.
In the same speech, Trump sparked outrage with a depiction of a French mass shooting. During his first year in office, he suggested taking guns from citizens without due process.
The New York Times – Donald Trump Tells N.R.A. Hillary Clinton Wants to Let Violent Criminals Go Free
Tampa Bay Times – Trump tells NRA Clinton wants to let violent criminals go free (w/video)
CNN – Trump says Clinton wants to abolish the 2nd Amendment
A few minutes later, he interrupted Clinton to refer to her as “such a nasty woman.”
Trump also claimed no one has more respect for women then he does after he insulted Ted Cruz’s wife’s appearance. He similarly insulted GOP primary candidate Carly Fiorina.
Trump has also prompted laughter from the United Nations, though he attacked Obama by saying the US needed a President who wasn’t “a laughing stock.”
Alongside a Rolling Stone journalist, Trump commented on rival Carly Fiorina when she appeared on television. “Look at that face!” he exclaimed. “Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?”
The comment drew outrage, as Trump had previously made disparaging remarks about women.
Trump similarly insulted Ted Cruz’s wife. He also infamously commented about grabbing women “by the pussy,” and said that commentator Megyn Kelly had “blood coming out of her wherever” when she questioned him about yet other remarks about women.
USA Today – Donald Trump on Carly Fiorina: ‘Look at that face!’
The Hill – Trump mocks Fiorina’s physical appearance: ‘Look at that face!’
Schwartz elaborated, “the millions of people who voted for him and believe that he represents their interests will learn what anyone who deals closely with him already knows—that he couldn’t care less about them.”
Trump claimed at an Alabama rally that he watched thousands cheer on 9/11, ostensibly Muslims.
I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering.
He later doubled down on his claim when questioned about its validity, citing a 2001 Washington Post story by Serge Kovaleski.
In Jersey City, within hours of two jetliners’ plowing into the World Trade Center, law enforcement authorities detained and questioned a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding tailgate-style parties on rooftops while they watched the devastation on the other side of the river.
Serge Kovaleski retorted that his writing of the alleged “number of people” was not the hundreds and thousands Trump claimed, nor would it be possible for Trump to have personally witnessed as much.
At a subsequent rally, Trump launched into an attack on Kovaleski, mocking him so as to seemingly imitate Kovaleski’s disability.
Now, the poor guy, you’ve got to see this guy: “Uhh, I don’t know what I said. Uhh, I don’t remember,” he’s going like “I don’t remember. Maybe that’s what I said.”
Trump repeated the claim about mass celebrations in New Jersey several times, including during an interview with Alex Jones. He also famously bragged about his building being the tallest on 9/11, though his claim was untrue.
The Washington Post – Trump’s outrageous claim that ‘thousands’ of New Jersey Muslims celebrated the 9/11 attacks
The Guardian – Donald Trump: I was ‘100% right’ about Muslims cheering 9/11 attacks
Politifact – Fact-checking Trump’s claim that thousands in New Jersey cheered when World Trade Center tumbled
