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“Earlier this year, in Saudi Arabia, I spoke to the leaders of more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations about our strategy to defeat terrorists by stripping them of financing, territory, and ideological support. And I urged the leaders to drive out the terrorists and extremists from their societies. Since that time, we have dealt ISIS one crushing defeat after another.”
Repeated 13 times
Dec 27, 2017Nov 29Nov 15Nov 5Oct 25Oct 13Oct 10Sep 19Sep 15Sep 7Jul 18Jul 12Jul 6

Topic: Terrorism

Source: Prepared speech

Full story

By just about every metric, this is not correct. Obama set up virtually all the structure that did the key fighting against ISIS under Trump, and more land was captured, fighters trained and munitions dropped under Obama than under Trump. The basic plan of attack in 2017 was also developed under Obama, though Trump appears to have speeded up the tempo.

Ever wonder what it says about someone that they're so happy to have elected a completely incompetent moron and their joy is only heightened by people's dismay that the country is now run by a completely incompetent moron?

I think it says a lot about a person. I think it means you're a troll.

You and others whined for 8 years about obama... complained about tan suits, about whether he played golf about any myriad of non-consequential things.

Yet never did I read a post by an obama supporter claiming to have enjoyed your (and others) misery at the election.

Either they were better people than you are Quack, or they were at least better at hiding it.

this victor chap sounds like a real plonker

“We actually sold $300 billion worth of equipment and other things. And I think that number is going to be quadrupled very quickly. So that's over a trillion dollars' worth of stuff.”
Repeated 6 times
Dec 8, 2017Nov 29Nov 20Nov 14Nov 14Nov 13

Topic: Economy

Source: Remarks

This is not accurate. Many of the arrangements are non-binding memorandums rather than legal contracts, valued at $250 billion. Still, it remains to be seen if the initial contracts will come to fruition let alone generate a trillion dollars as Trump claims. And despite the claims of success, the trade deficit with China has grown 7 percent from January to October, according to a December report from the Commerce Department.

The gift that just keeps on giving! Seven more years?! Yes please!

“We then go to the Philippines, which was a rough trip the last time. That was a rough presidential trip, but this won't be.”
Repeated 2 times
Nov 14, 2017Nov 14

Topic: Foreign policy

Source: Remarks

Full story

This is a bizarre claim. Trump appears to be confusing a presidential visit with President Barack Obama's decision to cancel a meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, after he called Obama the "son of a whore." Obama's two visits to the Philippines, in 2014 and 2015, when Benigno S. Aquino 3rd was president, were unremarkable.

“Because of the lack of a relationship that we have with Russia because of this artificial thing that's happening with this Democratic-inspired thing, we could really be helped a lot, tremendously, with Russia having to do with North Korea....this artificial Democratic hit job gets in the way. It gets in the way. And that's a shame because people will die because of it. And it's a pure hit job. And it's artificially induced.”
Repeated 38 times
Jan 6, 2018Jan 6Jan 5Dec 28, 2017Dec 28Dec 28Dec 15Dec 12Nov 26Nov 11Oct 27Oct 25Oct 25Oct 18Oct 16Oct 11Oct 10Sep 22Sep 22Aug 3Jul 29Jul 23Jul 12Jul 9Jun 22May 12May 10Apr 28Apr 5Apr 1Mar 20Mar 20Mar 20Mar 20Feb 26Feb 24Feb 16Feb 7

Topic: Election

Source: Remarks

Trump repeatedly claims the Russia investigation is made up or "Democratic-inspired," but the information on Russian efforts to sway the 2016 election was developed by the intelligence community and published in a declassified report, in which the agencies said they had "high confidence" it was correct. Whether or not there was collusion is still under investigation.

“Believe it or not, even when I'm in Washington and New York, I do not watch much television.”

Topic: Biographical record

Source: Remarks

This is not a believable statement. Trump clearly watches a lot of TV, judging from his Twitter feed.

“We have a $30 billion trade deficit with South Korea.”

Topic: Economy

Source: Remarks

Trump, as is his practice, inflates the size of the trade deficit by only counting goods, not good and services. The 2016 trade deficit with South Korea was $17 billion.

“I don’t blame China, I blame the incompetence of past Admins for allowing China to take advantage of the U.S. on trade leading up to a point where the U.S. is losing $100's of billions. How can you blame China for taking advantage of people that had no clue? I would've done same!”

Topic: Economy

Source: Twitter

Trump blasts previous administrations for letting trade deficits with China to climb. But the United States is not losing "100s of billions of dollars" on trade deficits. That reflects a fundamental misunderstanding. A trade deficit simply means that people in one country are buying more goods from another country than people in the second country are buying from the first country. Americans want to buy these products from overseas, either because of quality or price. If Trump sparked a trade war and tariffs were increased on Chinese goods, then it would raise the cost of those products to Americans. Perhaps that would reduce the purchases of those goods, and thus reduce the trade deficit, but that would not mean the United States would “gain” money that had been lost.

Even the once exalted/now disgraced Steve Bannon didn't think Trump had more than a 30% chance of finishing his first term, let alone run for a second...

“Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!”

Topic: Election

Source: Twitter

Trump, who tweeted repeatedly in favor of Gillespie, ignores a House race in which the Republican lost.

“The U.S., under my administration, is completely rebuilding its military, and they're spending hundreds of billions of dollars to the newest and finest military equipment anywhere in the world, being built right now. I want peace through strength!”
Repeated 14 times
Nov 7, 2017Nov 7Nov 5Oct 17Aug 22Jul 25Jul 12Jun 21May 27May 21May 17Mar 15Mar 2Feb 28

Topic: Foreign policy

Source: Twitter

This is false. Trump's proposed ten percent increase is actually relatively modest. In the past 30 years, at least one-third of the time the core defense budget was boosted more than Trump's request--in some cases more than double the percentage requested by Trump.

“In 2005, after years of diplomacy, the dictatorship agreed to ultimately abandon its nuclear programs and return to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation. But it never did. And worse, it tested the very weapons it said it was going to give up.”

Topic: Foreign policy

Source: Prepared speech

The agreement reached in the Six-Party talks was more ambiguous than Trump indicates, as it suggested that the parties would provide North Korea with light-water nuclear reactors. (That was certainly Pyongyang's interpretation.) Indeed, the statement said the regime would "abandon" its weapons rather than the American-preferred phrase of "dismantle." In any case, the agreement quickly fell part largely because the U.S. Treasury targeted a bank in Macao that handled cash for the North Korean leadership. The North Korean test convinced the George W. Bush administration to get serious about negotiations -- and to abandon the Treasury actio

“I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing. Some of those they are harshly treating have been “milking” their country for years!”

Topic: Foreign policy

Source: Twitter

Trump praises an extrajudicial action in Saudi Arabia, which ordinarily the State Department would say was troubling. The arrests and detentions were down under the guise of thwarting corruption, but that's just a fig leaf that Trump appears to endorse.

“The state of Virginia economy, under Democrat rule, has been terrible.”

Topic: Election

Source: Twitter

Virginia has among the lowest unemployment rates in the United States -- lower than the rest of the country.

“You saw Broadcom is coming in -- top 100 company -- they announced on Thursday from the Oval Office.”
Repeated 2 times
Nov 2, 2017Nov 2

Topic: Miscellaneous

Source: Prepared speech

Broadcom was once on the Fortune 500, but fell off in recent years.

“On regulations, while I've reduced regulations terrifically. It would take, as an example, to build a highway -- it would take 17 to 20 years to get approvals. And at the end of 20th year, in many cases, they voted it down. Do you approve? No. So they wasted tens of millions of dollars. There's a highway in Maryland where it took exactly 17 years. And the original numbers were very little, and it ended up costing hundreds of millions of dollars for a very small, short highway. And we can't have that.”

Topic: Environment

Source: Prepared speech

Trump is referring to the Intercounty Connector, an 18.8-mile six-lane toll highway that cost $2.4 billion and was revived in 2003 and completed in 2014, though sections began opening in 2011. So that's either 8 or 11 years. There had long been controversy over the proposed highway, dating back to 1975, with opposition from local government officials, the Maryland general assembly and environmental groups. Trump is being misleading by attributing the delays to government regulations.

“Our system knocked the missile out of the air. That’s how good we are. Nobody makes what we make, and now we’re selling it all over the world.”

Topic: Foreign policy

Source: Remarks

Reporting by The New York Times indicated that Trump is wrong and in fact the missile’s warhead flew unimpeded over Saudi defenses and nearly hit its target, Riyadh’s airport.

“Would very much appreciate Saudi Arabia doing their IPO of Aramco with the New York Stock Exchange. Important to the United States!”

Topic: Foreign policy

Source: Twitter

The reason for the Saudi reluctance is because of passage of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which could result in the seizure of Saudi assets. During the campaign, Trump strongly supported JASTA and blasted Obama for vetoing it. (Congress overturned Obama's veto.)

“Donna Brazile just stated the DNC RIGGED the system to illegally steal the Primary from Bernie Sanders. Bought and paid for by Crooked H. This is real collusion and dishonesty. Major violation of Campaign Finance Laws and Money Laundering.”
Repeated 1 time
Nov 2, 2017

Topic: Election

Source: Twitter

Trump is referring to a financial arrangement the Clinton campaign had with the Democratic National Committee, which was similar to one the Trump campaign had with the Republican National Committee. It's no coincidence Trump would raise false charges of money laundering shortly after his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was indicted for money laundering.

I don't think any president in nine months has done the job that we've done, and that includes bills being passed by Congress. You look at what's passed by the Senate, by the House, I think we're close to 70 bills, maybe over 70 bills. It almost a record.”
Repeated 15 times
Dec 27, 2017Dec 23Dec 22Dec 22Dec 8Nov 29Nov 26Nov 5Nov 2Oct 17Aug 22Aug 11Jul 25Jul 19Jul 17

Topic: Biographical record

Source: Interview

Trump, unlike many presidents in their 10th month, has signed no major legislation. When Trump made his remarks, he has signed 82 bills, most of which were minor. Just among recent presidents, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton had signed more bills than Trump at this point in their presidencies.

“I think for $18 billion or less, we're gonna have a great wall.”

Topic:

Source: Interview

Full story

During the campaign, Trump said the wall would cost $8 billion -- and Mexico would pay for it. Most private estimates say it will cost $20-25 billion.

“The terrorist came into our country through what is called the 'Diversity Visa Lottery Program,' a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based.”

Topic: Immigration

Source: Twitter

Full story

Schumer did advocate for the diversity visa program in 1990, but Trump’s tweets entirely miss the context in which the program was created (mainly to help the Irish). Moreover, Schumer he helped craft a bill that would have eliminated it 23 years later.

“We also have to come up with punishment that’s far quicker and far greater than the punishment these animals are getting right now. They’ll go through court for years. And, at the end, they’ll be — who knows what happens. We need quick justice and we need strong justice — much quicker and much stronger than we have right now. Because what we have right now is a joke and it’s a laughingstock. And no wonder so much of this stuff takes place.”