promised to end payroll taxes, which funds Social Security and Medicare?

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.

The majority of federal payroll taxes go towards funding Social Security

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.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities – Policy Basics: Top Ten Facts about Social Security 
Social Security Administration – How is Social Security financed?
Associated Press – Trump’s suggestion to eliminate payroll tax doesn’t add up
CNN – Eliminating payroll tax could deplete Social Security by 2023, chief actuary warns
Forbes – Biden Claims Trump Has ‘Planned Cuts To Social Security’ By Killing The Payroll Tax. What Are The Facts?
USA Today – Fact check: President Trump has not said he will terminate Social Security

said Austrians live in “forest cities” with “more explosive trees”?

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 previously suggested “raking and cleaning and doing things” to prevent forest fires and threatened to deny federal emergency funds for assistance. He also called climate change a Chinese hoax, and said he doesn’t think “science knows” while visiting California during the wildfires.

Snopes – Did Trump Say Wildfires Are Caused by Exploding Trees?
The Washington Post – Austrian minister to Trump: No, we do not live in forests
Independent – Austrian minister to Trump: No, we do not live in forests

retweeted a doctored video of Biden playing “F*ck tha Police”?

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.

In the unaltered video, Biden played “Despacito.”

Trump long accused Biden of wanting to defund police, though Biden never made any such suggestion.

Trump previously tweeted another doctored video and Russian propaganda against Biden.

USA Today – Biden goes viral after playing ‘Despacito’ at Florida campaign stop, as he tries to win Latino voters
The Washington Post – Trump shares manipulated video of Biden, replacing ‘Despacito’ with N.W.A’s anti-police anthem
Reuters – Twitter labels video of Biden shared by Trump ‘manipulated media’
Variety – Trump Tweets Faked Video of Biden Grooving to NWA’s ‘F— tha Police’
Associated Press – Joe Biden did not call for defunding the police

said COVID-19 affects “virtually nobody”?

Trump made the claim at a September 21, 2020 rally in Ohio.

You know, in some States, thousands of people, nobody young below the age of 18, like nobody. They have a strong immune system. Who knows? Take your hat off to the young because they have a hell of an immune system, but it affects virtually nobody. It’s an amazing thing. By the way, open your schools. Everybody open your schools.

However, in a taped February conversation, Trump said the virus was five times more deadly than the flu, referring to it as “deadly stuff.”

Trump immediately after went on to claim that “Joe Biden wants to impose a $4 trillion tax site, ban American energy, destroy the suburbs, give free healthcare to illegal aliens” and that the left was going to “indoctrinate your children with poisonous anti-American lies.”

On the day of the rally, the United States totaled 7,067,486 cases and 204,525 deaths.

The New York Times – Trump falsely says the coronavirus pandemic ‘affects virtually nobody,’ as U.S. death toll nears 200,000.
Politico – ‘It affects virtually nobody’: Trump downplays virus threat to young people
Rev – Donald Trump Swanton, Ohio Campaign Rally Transcript September 21
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

announced a “patriotic education” commission?

On September 17, 2020, Trump decried efforts to educate American children about the nation’s history with native and African peoples. After alleged an ongoing Marxist effort to indoctrinate children against America, he announced a commission to investigate shifting to a more “patriotic education” in schools.

Critical race theory, the 1619 Project, and the crusade against American history is toxic propaganda, ideological poison that, if not removed, will dissolve the civic bonds that tie us together. It will destroy our country.

The 1619 Project, named for year of enslaved Africans’ first arrival in North America, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning project by the New York Times. It aims to “reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of [the United States’] national narrative.”

The Washington Post – Trump alleges ‘left-wing indoctrination’ in schools, says he will create national commission to push more ‘pro-American’ history
NPR – Trump Announces ‘Patriotic Education’ Commission, A Largely Political Move
Wikipedia – The 1619 Project

said COVID-19 deaths would be low “if you excluded blue states”?

During a September 16, 2020 press conference, Trump blamed blue states for inflating US COVID-19 death figures.

…the blue states had tremendous death rates. If you take the blue states out, we’re at a level that I don’t think anybody in the world would be at. We’re really at a very low level. But some of the states, they were blue states and blue-state-managed.

The Northeast and West Coast saw the first major outbreaks of COVID-19. On the day of his remarks, the United States totaled 6,855,605 cases and 201,351 deaths.  Only counting states that voted for Trump in 2016, there was a total of 96,407 deaths.

Of the 10 states with the most COVID-19 deaths (NY, NJ, TX, CA, FL, MA, IL, PA, MI, GA) half had Republican governors (TX, FL, MA, PA, GA) and half voted for Trump in the 2016 election (TX, FL, PA, MI, GA).

Axios – Trump blames “blue states” for high coronavirus cases in U.S.
New York Magazine – Trump Says U.S. COVID Response Would Improve ‘If You Took the Blue States Out’
ABC News – Trump called ‘demented’ after blaming ‘blue states’ for coronavirus death toll
WhiteHouse.gov – Remarks by President Trump in Press Briefing | September 16, 2020
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

boasted about genes and invoked “racehorse theory”?

Throughout his life, and into his presidency, Trump voiced his belief that genes allowed for inherent superiority of some over others. He has invoked “racehorse theory” in relation to these beliefs, referencing the selective breeding of horses.

He reiterated these beliefs at a Minnesota rally on September 18, 2020:

This state was pioneered by men and women who braved the wilderness and the winters to build a better life for themselves and for their families. They were tough, and they were strong. You have good genes, you know that, right? You have good genes. A lot of it’s about the genes isn’t it, don’t you believe? The racehorse theory you think was so different? You have good genes in Minnesota.

The application of “racehorse theory” to people is known as eugenics, which has been the motivation behind a wide swath of crimes against humanity, from forced sterilizations to genocide.

While Trump frequently claimed that his genes were largely responsible for his skills and success, over $400 million was inherited by Trump using various tax evasion schemes, and one of his former professors referred to him as “the dumbest goddamn student I ever had.”

Time – Donald Trump Loves to Talk About His ‘Good Genes’
Business Insider – Trump told a crowd of nearly all white supporters that they have ‘good genes’
The Daily Beast – Trump Rambles About ‘Good Genes’ and ‘Racehorse Theory’ at Minnesota Campaign Rally

included his name on COVID-19 stimulus checks and sent signed letters to recipients?

After a $1200 stimulus for each American was granted as part of the CARES Act in March, 2020, Trump required that all checks include his name. The last-minute decision likely slowed the sending of paper checks, though a large number of payments were done through direct deposit. This marked the first time a President’s name appeared on any IRS check.

Trump also wanted to have his signature on each check, but is not legally authorized to do so.

Example of stimulus check with Trump’s name in the memo. CNN

The White House also sent a letter, signed by Trump, to approximately 90 million Americans.

Trump’s stimulus letter. Stuttershock

The Washington Post – His name on stimulus checks, Trump sends a gushing letter to 90 million people
The Washington Post – In unprecedented move, Treasury orders Trump’s name printed on stimulus checks
The New York Times – Getting a Stimulus Check? Trump’s Name Will Be on It
CNN – Trump’s name will be added to stimulus checks
CNN – Here’s what the stimulus checks with Trump’s name may look like

scuttled a deal to lower drug prices because he wanted pharmaceutical companies to mail cash cards ahead of the election?

In August, 2020, Trump’s administration was nearing a deal with the pharmaceutical industry in which companies would spend $150 billion to address out-of-pocket costs and cover part of co-payments for seniors. However, the Trump administration demanded that the companies also send $100 cash cards to every senior in America ahead of the election. While the administration claimed that they wouldn’t place Trump’s signature on the cards, COVID-19 relief checks included letters with such signatures.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

The vice president of public affairs at PhRMA, the industry’s largest trade group, explained, “We could not agree to the administration’s plan to issue one-time savings cards right before a presidential election,” going on to dismiss the real effectiveness of one-time cash cards.

Trump instead issued an Executive Order requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to “immediately take appropriate steps to implement his rulemaking plan to test a payment model” that would benefit American drug prices. Opposed by the pharmaceutical industry, it was unclear how long, or whether at all, the Executive Order would have any effect.

Trump also included his name on COVID-19 stimulus checks and sent signed letters to recipients.

The New York Times – A Deal on Drug Prices Undone by White House Insistence on ‘Trump Cards’
Business Insider – The White House botched a deal to lower prescription prices because drug companies wouldn’t budge on its request to pay for $100 gift cards that would’ve been mailed to seniors before the election
NPR – Trump Signs New Executive Order On Prescription Drug Prices 

said that herd immunity, “like herd mentality,” could solve COVID-19

During a September 16, 2020 town hall hosted by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, Trump said COVID-19 would go away quickly, even without a vaccine, due to herd immunity.

TRUMP: I’m not looking to be dishonest. I don’t want people to panic. And we are going to be OK. We’re going to be OK, and it is going away. And it’s probably going to go away now a lot faster because of the vaccines.

It would go away without the vaccine, George, but it’s going to go away a lot faster with it.

 

STEPHANOPOULOS: It would go away without the vaccine?

 

TRUMP: Sure, over a period of time. Sure, with time it goes away.

 

STEPHANOPOULOS: And many deaths.

 

TRUMP: And you’ll develop — you’ll develop herd — like a herd mentality. It’s going to be — it’s going to be herd-developed, and that’s going to happen. That will all happen.

But with a vaccine, I think it will go away very quickly.

The threshold for herd immunity, and how long natural antibodies last, were still unclear. However, with the United States’ 3% death rate, half the population contracting COVID-19 corresponds to approximately 5 million deaths.

During the same interview, Trump blamed political opponent Joe Biden for failing to implement a mask mandate, despite only being a candidate.

On the day of the town hall, the United States totaled 6,855,605 cases and 201,351 deaths.

ABC News – Trump’s ABC News town hall: Full transcript
The Washington Post – The problem with Trump’s ‘herd mentality’ line isn’t the verbal flub. It’s the mass death.
The New York Times – What if ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Closer Than Scientists Thought?
The Hill – Trump defends claim coronavirus will disappear, citing ‘herd mentality’
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

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