Trump has also had several tweets flagged by Twitter, including for misinformation about COVID-19 and spreading manipulated media of political opponent Joe Biden. In another instance, he tweeted false claims about Biden linked to Russian misinformation campaigns.
Amid wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington that claimed dozens of lives, Trump visited the governor of California on September 14, 2020.
While being briefed on the fires, which left 10% of Oregon’s population under an evacuation order, Trump shrugged off concerns about climate change, saying instead that it would get cooler.
CROWFOOT: …I think we want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forests and actually work together with that science, that science is going to be key, because if we ignore that science and put our head in the sand and think it’s all about vegetation management, we’re not going to succeed together protecting Californians.
TRUMP: Okay. It’ll start getting cooler.
CROWFOOT: I wish-
TRUMP: You just watch.
CROWFOOT: I wish science agreed with you.
TRUMP: Well, I don’t think science knows, actually. Tom, please.
The Defense Department long produced annual reports on climate change, acknowledging it as a national threat. The 2019 report specifically notes that “climatic factors including increased wind and drought can lead to an increased severity of wildfire activity.”
The year prior to the exchange, threatened to withhold federal emergency funding from California because its Democrat governor was following “what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him.” Trump has rejected climate change repeatedly, referring to it as a “Chinese hoax.”
Associated Press – Trump spurns science on climate: ‘Don’t think science knows’
The New York Times – As Trump Again Rejects Science, Biden Calls Him a ‘Climate Arsonist’
NPR – ‘I Don’t Think Science Knows’: Visiting Fires, Trump Denies Climate Change
US Department of Defense – Report on Effects of a Changing Climate to the Department of Defense, January 2019
The award in question was a hand-painted of the Brigade 2506 shield, which Trump received in 2016 during a visit to Miami’s Bay of Pigs museum. Brigade 2506 was the CIA-sponsored group of Cuban exiles formed to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government.
International Business Times – Trump Mocked After Boasting About Fake ‘Bay Of Pigs Award’
The Independent – Trump claims he won non-existent ‘Bay of Pigs’ award – and says Biden won Nobel Peace Prize
The Guardian – Trump boasts about getting ‘Bay of Pigs award’ – which doesn’t exist
Pop Culture – Donald Trump Blasted After Boasting About Receiving Non-Existent ‘Bay of Pigs’ Award
Wikipedia – Brigade 2506
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.
Trump diverted billions of dollars from the Department of Defense to pay for the wall, which ultimately led to few new miles of wall and primary replaced preexisting fencing.
BBC News – Donald Trump: ‘Mexico will pay for the wall’
Politifact – Build a wall, and make Mexico pay for it
The Washington Post – There’s new wall on 194 miles of the border. Sixteen miles didn’t have a barrier before.
Los Angeles Times – Trump campaigns on new border wall. There’s not much of it.
Politifact – “On the Southern border, as you know, the wall is going up, it’s going up very rapidly. We’re at 182 miles.”
USA Today – A 2,000-mile search for answers
It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.
On February 28, 2020, the day of his remark, Trump held a rally in South Carolina. The United States had 63 cases of COVID-19.
Trump claimed dozens of times that the virus would “disappear,” and repeatedly dismissed concerns about COVID-19 as it spread throughout the United States.
Politico – ‘It’s going to disappear’: Trump’s changing tone on coronavirus
The Washington Post compiled multiple instances up to 2019, including one in which he expressed admiration for China’s lack of term limits:
Trump retweeted a claim that he should have two years added to his term because of the Mueller investigation.
In a deleted tweet, Trump reiterated the sentiment that two years had been “stollen”:
He reiterated the suggestion a month later.
The remarks on additional terms resurfaced as the 2020 election neared. Trump tweeted a meme about his never ending presidency:
On August 17, 2020, Trump said that he wanted a third term because of the Obama administration’s supposed spying on his campaign. The conspiracy theory, often referenced as Obamagate or Spygate, has been debunked.
Trump reiterated the claim on August 24, the first day of the Republican National Convention. He suggested 12 more years “because we caught them doing very bad things in 2016.”
The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution states, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
Politico – Trump again jokes about extending his term past 2024
Politico – Trump: 2 years of my term were ‘stollen’
News18 – Donald Trump Tweets How Two Years of his Term were ‘Stollen,’ Which Is a German Bread
The Hill – Trump retweets Jerry Falwell Jr. suggesting his term should be extended by two years
Rolling Stone – Trump Says He’ll Seek a Third Term Because ‘They Spied On Me’
Wikipedia – Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution
There was no proof or elaboration on the claim.
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, part of the executive branch. The head of the FDA, Stephen Hahn, was nominated by Trump on November 5, 2019.
At the time of his tweet, the United States totaled 5,861,632 cases and suffered 180,202 deaths.
Trump has referred to the “deep state” in the past, including the “Deep State Department,” prompting Dr. Anthony Fauci to struggle in holding his laughter.
Reuters – Trump says without proof that FDA ‘deep state’ slowing COVID trials
The Hill – Democrats tear into Trump’s ‘deep state’ tweet: His ‘lies and recklessness’ have ‘killed people’
Wikipedia – Food and Drug Administration
Wikipedia – Commissioner of Food and Drugs
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States
Ahead of the election, Goodyear Tires banned its employees from having any kind of clothing with political messaging or slogans.
In response, Trump called for a boycott on Goodyear via Twitter.
Goodyear is located in Akron, Ohio, and employees approximately 65,000 people. Both the Mayor of the city and Goodyear itself responded via tweet:
Politico – Trump calls for Goodyear boycott after company bans MAGA attire among employees
CBS News – Trump calls for boycott of Goodyear, claiming company banned MAGA hats
Raw Story – Ohio Republicans doing damage control after Trump ‘assault’ on Goodyear infuriates workers: report
On the day of his tweet, the United States had 541 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Trump dismissed concerns about COVID-19 for months as it spread across the United States.
Boston Globe – Trump tweets a meme of himself fiddling, drawing a comparison to Roman emperor Nero
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States
Trump made the tweet four days after openly admitting to withholding funds from the USPS in order to prevent mail-in voting. Trump also selected Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General, who has been accused of conflicts of interest and working to degrade the USPS’ operations.
CBS17 – ‘SAVE THE POST OFFICE!,’ tweets President Trump amid recent USPS controversy
Politico – Voters sue Postal Service and Trump over changes ahead of election
