Trump claimed repeatedly during his campaign and into his term that Mexico would pay for a wall along the 2,000 mile border between Mexico and the United States.
Over the course of his term, Trump backtracked from his statements, claiming instead that it would be indirectly be paid for with Mexico tariffs, or through solar power generated by the wall, or other vague means.
The New York Times was the first to report in 2017 that Trump watched between 4 and 8 hours of cable television per day. Trump dismissed the reports as fake news.
During a September 10, 2020 press conference in which Trump responded to claims that he called fallen US soldiers “suckers” and “losers,” he named some 8 hours of television programming he’d watched the day prior.
In a taped interview with Bob Woodward for an upcoming book, Trump said he knew that COVID-19 was transmitted through the air and was five times deadlier than the flu. The tapes, released September 9, 2020, were recorded during a February 9 interview. On the day the tape was released, the United States totaled 6,549,475 cases and 195,238 deaths.
It goes through air, Bob. That’s always tougher than the touch. The touch, you don’t have to touch things, right? But the air, 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 flus…This is more deadly. This is 5% versus 1%, and less than 1%. So this is deadly stuff.
In a response the same day, Trump said he downplayed concerns to prevent panic and to act as a cheerleader for the nation.
During a press conference the following day, Trump blamed Woodward for not releasing the tapes sooner if he believed that COVID-19 would be dangerous.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, leading epidemiology expert in the United States, also said in February that there was not yet any need to change habits over COVID-19. However, while his option changed as cases spread throughout the nation, Trump continued to dismiss concerns.
On September 14, 2020, another tape was released of an April conversion:
This thing is a killer if it gets you. If you’re the wrong person, you don’t have a chance…so this rips you apart.
On September 2, 2020, Trump told supporters in North Carolina that they should vote by mail, and then vote in person to ensure it counts. Because double voting in such a manner is felony fraud, the North Carolina Board of Elections issued a statement urging people not to follow Trump’s advice. Trump has alleged widespread fraud since the 2016 election, though an investigative commission found none.
…send it in early and then go and vote and if it’s not tabulated, you vote and the vote is going to count. You can’t let them take your vote away. These people are playing dirty politics, dirty politics.
So if you have an absentee ballot, or as I call it a solicited ballot, you send it in, but I would check it in any event. I would go and follow it and go vote.
When Trump repeated his suggestion via Twitter, the company flagged the tweet with a special notice:
We placed a public interest notice on two Tweets in this thread for violating our Civic Integrity Policy, specifically for encouraging people to potentially vote twice. https://t.co/UU9kJfqptz
In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Trump’s Attorney General William Barr evaded questions on the issue by claiming that he didn’t know state voting laws well enough to comment.
On September 1, 2020, the Trump administration announced that it would not join international efforts to develop a vaccine. Managed by the World Health Organization, contribution nations would have access to a portfolio of potential vaccines to ensure access to whichever ones are deemed most effective. In a worst case scenario, if US efforts to develop a vaccine were to fail, they would be left without an alternative.
The administration announced its withdrawal from the WHO the previous July, due to their belief that the organization is too “China-centric.”
On the day the decision was announced, the United States totaled 6,247,527 cases and 188,874 deaths.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer, alleged that Trump made a variety of racist remarks. While driving through a struggling Chicago neighborhood, Trump commented that “only the blacks could live this way.” Trump went on to say that they wouldn’t vote for him to be President because of their stupidity.
An Atlantic report from September, 2020 revealed that, while in France, Trump refused to visit a cemetery of American soldiers from World War I. It was raining, and Trump reportedly didn’t want to get his hair, wet, something he has voiced concern about elsewhere. During the trip, Trump remarked, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” In a separate conversation he referred to them as “suckers.” Publicly, Trump claimed that he couldn’t visit the cemetery because of extremely poor weather, though other major political figures like the President of France were able to attend.
The Atlantic report also noted that Trump refused to lend any support to late US Senator John McCain’s funeral, and was angered that flags were flown at half-staff, saying, “What the f-ck are we doing that for? Guy was a f-cking loser.” Trump famously said he didn’t consider McCain a war hero because he was captured, and attacked him repeatedly for his vote against repealing the Affordable Care Act.
Senior Defense officials also confirmed the accuracy of the Atlantic article to the Associated Press. They also noted that during a 2017 visit to the Arlington Cemetery Trump asked his then-Chief of Staff, “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”
Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin also confirmed some details of the Atlantic story, but could not confirm the specific point on “suckers” and “losers.” Still, Trump called for her to be fired for her reporting on claims made.
Osama bin Laden’s niece, Noor bin Laden, voiced support for Trump, claiming that only he could prevent another terrorist attack like 9/11. On the day of 9/11, Trump bragged about the height of his Manhattan tower.
Noor, born in Switzerland, is a vocal fan of American conservative news and talk show hosts, naming Fox News’ Tucker Carlson to be her favorite television personality. She has also voiced support for the QAnon conspiracy theory. Trump has voiced support for other politicians who have espoused the conspiracy.
Trump first voiced the unsound claim that vaccines cause autism during a 2007 interview with the Orlando Sun-Sentinal. Trump said his then-infant son Barron was being given vaccinations over a prolonged period of time, explaining, “When I was growing up, autism wasn’t really a factor. And now all of a sudden, it’s an epidemic. Everybody has their theory. My theory, and I study it because I have young children, my theory is the shots.”
In a 2009 Fox News segment, Trump called to say, “I think the vaccines can be very dangerous. And, obviously, you know, a lot of people are talking about vaccines with children with respect to autism.” He reiterated the claim again in a 2012 interview with Fox News on Autism Awareness Day.
Trump has also voiced this belief via Twitter.
Massive combined inoculations to small children is the cause for big increase in autism….
During the 2015 Republican Presidential Primaries, Trump said he was supportive of vaccines, but again stated his belief that the dosages should be smaller and administered over a longer period of time.
The Hatch Act, passed in 1939, prohibits executive branch public servants from using their position to engage in political activity like campaigning, or the use of public locations to do so. While the President and Vice President are except, Trump’s administration has violated the Hatch Act several times over his tenure.
The Office of the Special Council, an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency, recommended Kellyanne Conway’s removal in June 2019 due to her violations of the Hatch Act. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a lawsuit in December of 2019 that alleged over 60 violations by Kellyanne Conway alone. She dismissed accusations of violating the Hatch Act as trying to silence her, saying, “Blah, blah, blah…Let me know when the jail sentence starts.”
Further accusations of violations have been levied against Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, trade adviser Peter Navarro, economic adviser Larry Kudlow, Vice Presidential chief of staff Marc Short, and former UN Ambassaor Nikki Haley.
Among the most open and breach of the Hatch Act was the use of the White House, also referred to as “the people’s house,” as the centerpiece location for the 2020 Republican National Convention. The fourth and final day of the RNC featured several speakers, including the President himself, on the White House lawn.
Day 4 of RNC 2020. Alex Wong/Getty Images
The day after, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows dismissed concerns, saying “Nobody outside of the Beltway really cares”
