Fact check: Trump makes more than 18 false claims at news conference

Former President Donald Trump made over 18 false claims during a recent news conference. These inaccuracies included claims about Vice President Kamala Harris and California’s theft laws, where he incorrectly stated that Harris was responsible for a policy allowing theft under $950 without legal consequences. In reality, theft under $950 is still illegal, and the policy was signed into law by a Republican governor, not Harris.

Trump also made misleading statements about various other topics, including mortgage rates, U.S. energy production, and the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling. For example, he falsely claimed mortgage rates are “now at 10%” when they were actually around 6.49% at the time.

Additionally, Trump exaggerated his role in ending the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, inaccurately described his civil fraud case, and misrepresented his administration’s actions regarding tariffs on China. His repeated falsehoods highlight a continued pattern of dishonesty, with many of these claims having been debunked repeatedly in the past.

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Donald Trump :

The claims you mentioned from Trump’s recent news conference contain several inaccuracies, as detailed in the fact-checking analysis you provided. Here are the key points:

1. Kamala Harris and California Theft Law: Theft under $950 in California is still illegal, contrary to Trump’s claim. The increase in the threshold for felony theft to $950 was enacted under Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and later reaffirmed by California voters through Proposition 47 in 2014. Kamala Harris did not initiate or publicly support this change.
2. Minnesota Bathrooms and Tampons: The Minnesota law does not mandate that all boys’ bathrooms provide tampons. It requires that menstruating students have access to them, and how this is implemented is left to school districts’ discretion.
3. Supreme Court Ruling on Immunity: The Supreme Court did not grant Trump blanket immunity. It ruled that a president is immune for official acts but not for unofficial ones.
4. US Energy: The claim that the US “doesn’t have energy” is false. The US continues to be a leading producer of crude oil.
5. Mortgage Rates: The mortgage rates Trump mentioned were significantly exaggerated. The actual rates were around 6.49%, not 10%.
6. Inflation Under Trump: While inflation was low when Trump left office, it wasn’t nonexistent.
7. Civil Fraud Case: Trump did not win his civil fraud case at the appeals court as he claimed.
8. Harris’ Role in Immigration: Harris was tasked with leading diplomatic efforts on Central American migration, not border security.
9. 2020 Election Votes: While Trump did receive more votes in 2020 than in 2016, there are no “other votes” that were excluded from his total.
10. Foreign Criminals and Immigrants: Trump’s claim that foreign governments are sending criminals to the US remains unsupported by evidence.
11. Iran, China, and Hamas: Funding for Hamas from Iran did not cease during Trump’s presidency, and China continued to buy oil from Iran.
12. Nord Stream 2: Trump did not end the Nord Stream 2 pipeline; sanctions he signed into law came late in the project’s timeline.
13. Military Equipment in Afghanistan: The value of equipment left in Afghanistan was about $7.1 billion, not $85 billion as Trump claimed.
14. Money from Russia: Trump’s claim about Biden receiving $3.5 million from a Russian source is unsubstantiated and incorrect.
15. Chris Wallace’s Debate Role: Chris Wallace did not prevent Trump from discussing the alleged Russian payment; he was moderating the debate.
16. Tariffs on China: The claim that Trump collected “hundreds of billions” from China through tariffs and that no previous president had done so is incorrect. The costs of the tariffs were largely borne by Americans.
17. Trade Deal with China: China did not meet the purchase commitments outlined in Trump’s trade deal.
18. Deportations Under Obama: The story Trump tells about deportations to Central America under Obama is inaccurate; these countries were cooperative in 2016.

The analysis reveals that many of Trump’s statements were either misleading or entirely false, reflecting a pattern of inaccuracies in his public communications.