Remember when Trump…

rolled back offshore drilling regulations?

Obama tightened offshore drilling regulations after a the 2010 Deepwater Horizons oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which resulted in 11 dead and 200 million gallons of oil being released.

Since taking office, Trump steadily undid various regulations on offshore drilling. The changes included relaxed testing requirements on equipment, decreased frequency of visits by inspectors, and eased safety requirements during active production of oil or gas.

Trump also disparaged renewable energy sources, including claiming that windmills cause cancer. His administration has rolled back several other regulations, including for endangered species and coal pollution.

NPR – Trump Administration Moves To Roll Back Offshore Drilling Safety Regulations
Time – The Trump Administration Is Rolling Back Offshore-Drilling Regulations
The Hill – Trump officials ease offshore safety rule
The Hill – Trump administration eases Obama-era offshore drilling safety rules

withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement?

With 197 signatory nations, of which only 10 have yet to ratify, the Paris Agreement sought to bring the world together in limiting greenhouse emissions. Trump decided to withdraw from the agreement because he believed that the stipulations were unfair to US businesses and taxpayers.

While Trump announced his decision during his first year in office, the process for withdrawal must begin three years after the agreement was adopted, and requires an additional year after notice is given to be official. That places the final official withdrawal date at November 4, 2020.

Trump has long been skeptical of the international consensus on climate change. He has referred to climate change as a “Chinese hoax” and claimed that windmills cause cancer, while rolling back regulations. His administration has rolled back several regulations, including for endangered species, offshore rigs, and coal pollution. Nevertheless, the Department of Defense has asserted that climate change remains a national security issue.

The New York Times – Trump Serves Notice to Quit Paris Climate Agreement
BBC News – Paris climate accords: US notifies UN of intention to withdraw
Foreign Policy – Is the United States Really Leaving the Paris Climate Agreement?
NPR – U.S. Formally Begins To Leave The Paris Climate Agreement
Climate Change News – Which countries have not ratified the Paris climate agreement?
US Department of Defense – DoD Releases Report on Security Implications of Climate Change

reached $100 million in taxpayer costs to play golf?

Trump reached broke an estimated $100 million for golf travel and security costs midway through his third year, having logged over 170 days playing, or roughly 1 in every 5 days in office. He regularly played at various resorts outside DC, which requires a contingent of Secret Service to travel with him, even on the course. Though Trump repeatedly attacked Obama for his frequent golf trips, the Obama administration spent $114 million for total travel costs over 8 years.

Trump Golf Count
Forbes – Trump’s Golf Trips Could Cost Taxpayers Over $340 Million
Business Insider – Trump’s golf outings have reportedly cost taxpayers more than $100 million
Newsweek – TRUMP’S GOLFING HAS COST TAXPAYERS $102 MILLION, JUST $12.7 MILLION BEHIND OBAMA’S TRAVEL DURING ENTIRE PRESIDENCY
The Hill – HuffPost says president’s golfing trips to Trump properties cost taxpayers over $100 million in travel and security expenses

reached a half million dollars in taxpayer costs for golf cart rentals alone?

The Secret Service is obligated to follow Trump to his private resorts and across golf courses. He played golf for approximately 20% of all days spent in office, racking up over $100 million in travel costs by his third year. Trump had repeatedly attacked Obama for his own golfing habits.

Quartz – Trump’s golf cart rental expenses set to surpass $500,000
Yahoo Finance – Trump golf cart rentals have now cost US taxpayers more than half a million dollars
The Golf News Net – The Secret Service has spent almost $550,000 on golf carts to protect Donald Trump

attacked Obama repeatedly for playing too much golf?

Trump tweeted over two dozen times deriding Obama’s for playing golf. Nonetheless, by his third year, Trump had spent 1 in 5 days in office playing golf, accumulating over $100 million in travel costs, nearly as much as Obama spent for all travel costs over both terms.

Despite all the tweets attacking Obama, there was one oddly friendly one:

Trump Twitter Archive

claimed the death toll in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria was a Democrat conspiracy?

Trump claimed that the death toll in Puerto Rico following the devastating disaster was an inflated figure advanced by Democrats to make him look bad. Confused by how the count rose from the day of the hurricane, he did not seem to understanding that more victims were found in the following days, and that the death toll also included those who died as a consequence of the aftermath, like through lack of power or clean water. Even as the death toll continued to rise, Trump’s administration continually delayed aid funding, though he has also asserted that he’s the best thing that ever happened to the island.

The final death toll has been pegged at 2,975. 2,977 died across the attacks on 9/11 and 2,403 in Pearl Harbor.

The Hill – Trump says Puerto Rico death toll inflated by Democrats: ‘3000 people did not die’
The Wall Street Journal – Trump Denies Heavy Death Toll in Puerto Rico From Hurricane Maria
NPR – Trump Denies Almost 3,000 Died In Puerto Rico, Falsely Claims Democrats Inflated Data

drove a golf cart on the greens?

Trump broke golf etiquette when he drove a cart across the greens at the Bedminister golf club in New Jersey. In fairness to the President, he owned the club, though others have noted that it is a regular habit. Even when meeting with other foreign leaders, he preferred taking a golf cart alone rather than walking with the others.

Despite regularly disparaging his predecessor for it, Trump golfed more often and more frequently at courses outside DC, costing taxpayers over $100 million by his third year in office.

The Washington Post – President Trump angers golf fans by driving golf cart on green. He apparently does this a lot.
Golf.com – WATCH: President Trump drives cart all over Bedminster green

described an inadequate military briefing used to justify an attack on Iran as the “best presentation they’ve ever seen”?

Trump justified a strike on a senior Iranian official and escalated tensions by claiming that he represented an imminent threat, possibly targeting up to four US embassies. At a briefing for Congressional representatives those present reported that they weren’t given any meaningful information, despite asking multiple times about the nature of the imminent threat. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah described it as “the worst briefing” he’d ever seen on a military issue.

When asked about this, Trump in typical fashion replied some people said that it actually the “best presentation they’ve ever seen.” He provided little further information on the nature of the imminent threat.

Axios – GOP Sen. Mike Lee calls Soleimani briefing the “worst” he’s ever seen
Roll Call – Trump to Lee: Other people called it ‘best presentation they’ve ever seen’

withheld relief aid from Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria?

Trump’s administration stalled relief funding to the island after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. Though Trump asserted that the figure was inflated by Democrats to make him look bad, 2,975 died in the disaster, while 2,977 died across the attacks on 9/11 and 2,403 in Pearl Harbor. The Department of Housing and Urban Development missed a congressionally mandated deadline to begin the process for approving and distributing aid. While HUD acknowledged they had no standing to do so, they said that it was due to concern over “Puerto Rico’s capacity to manage these funds.” He has also invented inflated the figures for funding provided to justify denying funding.

When he finally signed a delayed disaster relief bill, he commented, “Puerto Rico should love President Trump. Without me, they would have been shut out!” Nevertheless, Puerto Rico only received a third of the money Congress had allocated.

Trump made headlines when he was photographed throwing paper towels to hurricane victims. He has also asserted that he’s the best thing that ever happened to the island.

As a US commonwealth, Puerto Ricans have full US citizenship.

The Washington Post – Trump seems to inflate the price tag for Puerto Rico’s recovery to deny funding Puerto Rico’s recovery
The Washington Post – Trump signs disaster relief bill delayed for months by his opposition to Puerto Rico aid
NBC News – Trump administration doubles down on opposition to Puerto Rico funding, drawing criticism
NBC News – HUD officials knowingly failed ‘to comply with the law,’ stalled Puerto Rico hurricane relief funds

claimed he started out with just a small loan of $1 million?

Trump claimed that he only received a “small” loan of $1 million from his father to start his own businesses. Further, Trump said that he had to repay the loan with interest. He explained, “It has not been easy for me. It has not been easy for me.”

An investigation into his family’s finances later revealed that Trump was loaned $60 million from his father, and inherited $413 million, largely through fraudulent means.

Politico – Trump: My dad gave me a ‘small loan’ of a million dollars
CNBC – Trump claimed he turned a ‘small’ $1 million loan from his father into an empire. The New York Times says it was more like $60.7 million in loans
NPR – “I Started With A Million Dollar Loan.” Taking Apart Trump’s Taxes

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