Remember when Trump…

created a commission to expose mass voter fraud, which then found none?

Immediately after the 2016 election, Trump claimed that he lost the popular vote because of undocumented immigrants and widespread voter fraud.

After taking office, Trump formed the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity by executive order to investigate the alleged mass fraud. Vice President Mike Pence led the commission.

Trump Signs Executive Order establishing a voter fraud commission on May 11, 2017. Wikipedia

Multiple lawsuits were filed by organizations including the ACLU and Electronic Privacy Information Center, as well as one of the commission’s own members. The suits alleged lack of transparency and blatant partisanship.

The commission ran from May 11, 2017 to January 3, 2018, when it was disbanded after having found no evidence of the claimed voter fraud.

The commission member who filed suit, Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, later explained, “even though the idea was to investigate voter fraud, it is pretty clear that the purpose of the commission was to actually affirm and validate the president’s claims whether or not we had any evidence of any such voter misconduct.”

Nevertheless, Trump continued to repeat his claims of mass voter fraud. The same year that the commission was disbanded, Trump justified voter ID laws by claiming that Americans need photo ID even to buy groceries. He also later accused mail-in-voting as being a vehicle for fraud, alleging that implementing such measures amid the COVID-19 crisis would mean no Republican would ever be elected again.

The New York Times – Trump Disbands Commission on Voter Fraud
Associated Press – Report: Trump commission did not find widespread voter fraud
Politico – Trump voter fraud panel sued by its own member
The New York Times – Trump Disbands Commission on Voter Fraud
NPR – Member Of Disbanded Trump Voter Fraud Commission Speaks Out
Wikipedia – Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity

falsely claimed that he had the largest inaugural crowd size ever?

Trump made the claim immediately after his inauguration. All evidence pointed to the contrary. Sean Spicer defended the claim the day after, as well as other unfounded claims about voter fraud.

Spicer was replaced by Anthony Scaramucci six months later.

Image result for crowd size inaugural comparison

The Atlantic – Trump’s Press Secretary Falsely Claims: ‘Largest Audience Ever to Witness an Inauguration, Period’
Politico – Trump fumes over inaugural crowd size
Vox – Photos: the crowd at Donald Trump’s inauguration vs. Barack Obama’s
The Hill – Trump admitted he was wrong over inauguration crowd size fight: book

justified voter ID laws by claiming that you need ID to buy groceries?

His complete remarks were,

“We believe that only American citizens should vote in American elections. Which is why the time has come for voter ID, like everything else. Voter ID. You know, if you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID. You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture. In this country, the only time you don’t need it, in many cases, is when you want to vote for a President, when you want to vote for a Senator, or a governor or Congressmen, it’s crazy. It’s crazy.”

Critics of voter ID laws often describe legislation as attempts to suppress voters. Trump has also claimed that he only lost the 2016 popular vote because of widespread voter fraud. Despite creating a commission to investigate, no evidence has been found. Years later, amid the COVID19 pandemic, Trump asserted that efforts to fund mail-in voting meant no Republican would again be elected.

At the same rally, Trump claimed that he could be more Presidential than anyone “except for maybe Abe Lincoln with the big hat.”

Associated Press – Promoting voter ID, Trump claims ID needed to buy groceries
The New York Times – Trump Says You Need an ID to Buy Groceries. Shoppers Say, ‘Huh?’
Time – President Trump Said ‘You Need an ID to Buy Groceries.’ The Internet Went to Town
USA Today – Trump Claims Americans Need ID to Buy Groceries

said he could be more Presidential than anyone, “except for possibly Abe Lincoln with the big hat”?

Trump made the remarks at a Tampa rally, which was also noted for the number of QAnon conspiracy theorists in attendance.

Trump also claimed at the rally that Americans need photo ID to purchase groceries.

An Economist/YouGov weekly tracking poll found in November, 2019 that 53% of Republicans considered Trump to be a superior President to Lincoln.

The Washington Post – ‘We are Q’: A deranged conspiracy cult leaps from the Internet to the crowd at Trump’s MAGA tour
The New Yorker – TRUMP’S INCREASINGLY WEIRD ATTEMPTS TO COMPARE HIMSELF TO LINCOLN
Reuters – Trump defends trade and tariff policies at Tampa rally
The Hill – Poll: Majority of Republicans say Trump better president than Lincoln

crammed five typos into one tweet?

In trying to reproduce a quote from a Fox News guest, Trump tweeted,

Special Council is told to find crimes wether crimes exist or not. I was opposed to the the selection of Mueller to be Special Council, I still am opposed to it. I think President Trump was right when he said there never should have bee a Special Council appointed because…..,

He misspelled “counsel” three times, and included “wether” and “the the” in his tweet. The tweet was immediately mocked across social media.

He soon after deleted and remade the tweet, though it still used “council” instead of “counsel.”

Regarding the claims that there was no justification to create the Special Counsel, the Department of Justice’s inspector general later found it both justified and without political bias.

Trump has also misspelled his officials’ name, his wife’s name, and his own name.

The Independent – Donald Trump may have ‘best words’, but spelling mistakes are commonplace among President and team
The Wrap – Trump Just Deleted ‘Special Council’ Tweet With 5 Typos
Real Clear Politics – Jeffrey Toobin vs. Dershowitz: Why Have You Been Carrying Water For Trump?; “This Is Not Who You Used To Be”

rolled back regulations on coal pollution?

The Trump administration rolled back one of the most comprehensive Obama-era regulations with the hope of reviving the flailing coal industry. It erased regulations that required each state to meet certain carbon emission targets, and eased the environmental requires on waste from coal and fossil power plants. It also removed requirements for existing plants to upgrade to more efficient systems. The regulations were first instituted in response to a 2008 disaster in which over a billion gallons of waste from a coal ash pond flooded a Tennessee town, and another 2014 spill in North Carolina had millions of gallons pour into a river.

Trump, who has called climate change a “Chinese hoax,” has also overseen the rollback of protections for endangered species and regulations for offshore rigs.

New York Times – E.P.A. to Roll Back Rules to Control Toxic Ash from Coal Plant
Politico – Trump rolls back Obama’s biggest climate rule
US News & World Report – EPA Moves to Rollback Coal Power Plant Waste Rules
Market Watch – Trump administration rolls back Obama-era regulations on coal pollution

cast doubt on the future of NATO?

During his campaign, Trump said that the US should only come to the defense of its NATO allies if it can expect those allies to reimburse the US for any incurred costs.

After his nomination as Republican candidate for President, when asked about NATO, Trump said that the US would only intervene if other NATO nations “fulfilled their obligations to us.”

NATO, a mutual defense pact, treats an attack on one member as an attack on all. Only the United States has invoked it, following the 9/11 attacks. During his first NATO summit, Trump simultaneously dedicated a monument to those lost fighting in Afghanistan, including US allies, while also chastising NATO members for not meeting spending targets.

A map of Europe with eight colors that refer to the year different countries joined the alliance.
European NATO members as of 2020. Wikipedia

Trump has called NATO “as bad as NAFTA,” an unrelated trade agreement, and suggested that one of its newest members Montenegro could start World War 3.

The New York Times – Donald Trump Sets Conditions for Defending NATO Allies Against Attack
NPR – Casting Doubt On U.S. Commitment To Mutual Defense, Donald Trump Unsettles NATO Allies
The Atlantic – Trump Remains a NATO Skeptic

suggested that Montenegro could start World War 3?

When asked by Fox News host Tucker Carlson why America should have to defend the country, Trump again cast doubt on the core tenet of NATO, the mutual defense of all member nations.

I understand what you’re saying. I’ve asked the same question. Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people. They’re very aggressive people. They may get aggressive, and congratulations, you’re in World War Three.

Montenegro is a Balkan nation of 630,000 people, and has been a NATO ally since 2017, officially joining during Trump’s presidency. Russia has behaved aggressively towards Montenegro, as it has with other neighbors, waging propaganda campaigns in the lead up to its joining NATO.

Trump infamously pushed the prime minister of Montenegro during a 2017 NATO summit.

Politico – Everything You Wanted to Know About Montenegro But Were Afraid to Ask
NBC News – Trump calls out ‘very aggressive’ Montenegro in latest NATO jibe
The New York Times – Montenegro: What to Know About the Tiny NATO Ally Trump Slighted
Wikipedia – Montenegro

pushed the leader of Montenegro?

During a May 2017 NATO summit, Trump pushed his way past the prime minister of Montenegro to stand in front of the group of leaders.

Trump has also referred to the people of Montenegro as “very aggressive,” and warned that the Balkan country of under 700,000 people could ignite World War 3.

The New York Times – Trump Appears to Push Aside the Leader of Montenegro
Associated Press – Trump pushes aside Montenegro leader who calls it natural
BBC News – Trump pushes past Montenegro’s PM

weakened protections for endangered species?

The Endangered Species Act has had broad partisan support since being instituted in 1973. It has been credited with saving the bald eagle and grizzly bears, and continues to protect some 1600 species. The UN has determined that some 1 million plant and animal species are endangered.

The Trump administration’s changes to the Endangered Species Act include allowing consideration for economic factors, will no longer offer the same protections to “threatened” species as it does “endangered,” and removes any uniform interpretation of what risks species face in the foreseeable future.

His administration has rolled back several other regulations, including for offshore rigs and coal pollution.

NPR – 1 Million Animal And Plant Species Are At Risk Of Extinction, U.N. Report Says
NPR – Trump Administration Makes Major Changes To Protections For Endangered Species
The New York Times – Trump Administration Makes Major Changes To Protections For Endangered Species
Time – The Trump Administration’s Changes to the Endangered Species Act Risks Pushing More Species to Extinction

More assuredly to come soon

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