On October 9, 2020, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said, “Trump might be ridiculous for the rest of the world, but he is sane and wise man for the Taliban.”
Mujahid explained their support: “We hope he will win the election and wind up U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better.”
Two days prior to the endorsement, Trump tweeted that all remaining US personnel in Afghanistan should be home by Christmas.
We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas!
In October 2020, a March remark by Dr. Anthony Fauci was used in a Trump campaign advertisement. Fauci immediately condemned its use, saying it was taken out of context, and noted that he had never publicly endorsed a candidate.
Trump defended the advertisement on Twitter:
They are indeed Dr. Fauci’s own words. We have done a “phenomenal” job, according to certain governors. Many people agree…And now come the Vaccines & Cures, long ahead of projections! https://t.co/ANqKL4eBqJ
Dr. Fauci subsequently supported pulling the advertisement altogether.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says “it’s really unfortunate and really disappointing” that the Trump campaign featured him in an ad touting the President’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the first presidential debate on September 29, 2020, Trump was asked by moderate Christopher Wallace to unequivocally denounce white supremacist groups. Instead of doing so, he told once such group – the Proud Boys – to “stand back and stand by.”
WALLACE: You have repeatedly criticized the vice president for not specifically calling out antifa and other left-wing extremist groups. But are you willing, tonight, to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha and as we’ve seen in Portland? Are you prepared to specifically do that?
TRUMP: Sure, I’m prepared to do that. But I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right wing. If you look, I’m willing to do anything. I want to see peace.
WALLACE: Then do it, sir.
BIDEN: Do it. Say it.
TRUMP: You want to call them? What do you want to call them? Give me a name, give me a name, go ahead — who would you like me to condemn?
WALLACE: White supremacists, white supremacists and right-wing militia.
TRUMP: Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what: Somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left. Because this is not a right-wing problem — this is a left-wing problem.
The Proud Boys, which is designated as a far-right hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, called the president’s comment a tacit endorsement.
The following January, the leader of the Proud Boys was banned by a judge from Washington DC for weapons and vandalism charges.
It was believed that his infection originated from a September 26 ceremony held in the Rose Garden, where Trump announced a Supreme Court nominee in front of over 180 people.
The announcement was two days after the first presidential debate, during which Trump mocked Biden for wearing masks.
Additionally, none of his family members in attendance wore masks.
Trump’s family during the first presidential debate.
The day after Trump announced he had contracted COVID-19, he was transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in what the administration described as a precautionary measure. By then, 11 total cases stemming from the debate alone were confirmed.
Marine One lands on the South Lawn to transport Trump to Walter Reed. J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press
The following day, Trump tweeted he was doing well.
Doctors, Nurses and ALL at the GREAT Walter Reed Medical Center, and others from likewise incredible institutions who have joined them, are AMAZING!!!Tremendous progress has been made over the last 6 months in fighting this PLAGUE. With their help, I am feeling well!
More confirmed COVID-19 cases among Trump’s family and administration also emerged, including wife Melania, campaign manager Bill Stepien, U.S. Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, and Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Three days after being admitted, Trump announced that he would be leaving Walter Reed, saying “Don’t be afraid of Covid” despite the United States having suffered over 200,000 deaths.
I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!
In September 2020, the New York Times obtained and reported on years of Trump’s tax returns. They found that Trump paid $750 in income taxes for 2015 and 2016, and paid no taxes in 11 of 18 years examined due to large reported losses. Such tax write offs included $70,000 for hair styling during his time hosting The Apprentice, and $750,000 in consultant fees to his daughter Ivanka, despite her being a member of his company. The returns have been characterized as aggressive, but legal.
The New York Times also reported that Trump has $421 million in loans, with most coming due within the next four years.
Trump has given many excuses over the years as to why he wouldn’t release his tax returns, breaking with tradition.
On September 26, 2016, in the first of three debates with Hillary Clinton, Trump retorted to a claim that he paid no taxes by replying, “that makes me smart.”
Even after the election, Trump claimed he was withholding his tax returns from the public because he was under audit. However, in 2019, he sued to keep them being being obtained.
In September 2020, it was revealed that he paid a total of $750 in taxes for that year.
Trump announced payroll tax deferments on August 8, 2020 for financial relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He promised to make the cuts permanent if reelected.
If I’m victorious November 3rd, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax. I’m going to make them all permanent…I may extend and terminate. In other words, I’ll extend it beyond the end of the year and terminate the tax.
The following week, Trump reiterated that if reelected, he would terminate the payroll tax entirely.
And the payroll tax — we’ll be terminating the payroll tax after I, hopefully, get elected. We’ll be terminating the payroll tax, so that will mean anywhere from $5,000 to even more per family, and also great for businesses and great for jobs. A lot of people will be very happy to hear that. A lot of the great — certainly, conservative economists will be great to have — they think that’s the greatest thing we can do. That’s better than the payments; that’s better than anything else.
Payroll taxes are responsible for funding Social Security, a monthly stipend for senior citizens instituted in 1935. As of June 2020, 64 million Americans collected Social Security. Eliminating payroll taxes, which as of 2019 funded 89% of Social Security, could be an existential threat to the program. It also contributes to Medicare, which provides healthcare to some 60 million beneficiaries.
Trump denied that he would institute any cuts to the programs, saying that instead they would be paid for through the general fund, potentially adding their cost to the deficit.
During a Fox and Friends interview on September 15, 2020, Trump claimed that many nations, like Austria, had “forest cities” and had more “explosive” trees than the American West Coast, which was suffering from widespread forest fires.
Well look, Brian, you have forests all over the world. You don’t have fires like you do in California, you know. In Europe, they have forest cities. You look at — you look at countries — Austria. You look at so many countries, they live in the forest. They’re considered forest cities — so many of them.
And they don’t have fires like this and they have more explosive trees. They have trees that will catch easier. But they maintain their fire. They have an expression, they thin the fuel. The fuel is what’s on the ground — the leaves.
In response, an Austrian minister of agriculture made a statement correcting Trump, and emphasizing how the country lives “in a close, sustainable relationship with the natural environment.”
San Francisco’s red sky during the wildfires. Brittany Hosea-Small / AFP
Trump twice tweeted a doctored video of Biden playing N.W.A.’s anti-police protest song “F*ck tha Police.” The account that originally posted the video that Trump retweeted was suspended.
