politics

Former President Donald Trump was found to have made an astonishing 162 “lies and distortions” during a recent press conference, according to NPR’s comprehensive fact-check. This press conference coincided with Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly chosen running mate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, traveling across the country. During this period, Harris faced criticism from the media for not holding a press conference or granting interviews. Trump seized the opportunity to draw attention with a high-profile event at Mar-a-Lago.

The press conference, which lasted just over an hour, was rife with inaccuracies, potentially setting a new benchmark for falsehoods in modern political discourse. This address surpassed even the numerous misleading claims Trump made during his debate with President Joe Biden, where he was noted for approximately 50 falsehoods. NPR’s fact-checkers found that Trump’s recent briefing contained more than 2.5 inaccuracies per minute, underscoring a troubling pattern of misinformation. The sheer volume of these falsehoods not only raises serious concerns about the reliability of Trump’s statements but also may reflect deeper issues related to his current mental state. 

While exaggerations and errors are not uncommon in political discourse, Trump’s performance on Thursday appeared to surpass the typical boundaries of political misinformation. The NPR fact-checking highlights the crucial need for vigilance and scrutiny regarding public statements, especially when they come from individuals seeking to lead at the highest levels. The extensive inaccuracies in Trump’s statements raise concerns about the reliability of information presented by prominent figures.

In his first press conference since Kamala Harris was officially nominated as the Democratic candidate for president, Trump also announced his intention to debate Harris on September 10 and called for two additional debates. During the briefing, Trump discussed a range of national issues and responded to reporters' questions. However, many of his statements were found to be false or misleading, with some previously addressed, further emphasizing the importance of accountability and accurate information in public discourse.

Here is a small sampling of some of the falsehoods from Trump's address:

Crowd Sizes

Trump claimed, “The biggest crowd I’ve ever spoken — I’ve spoken to the biggest crowds. Nobody’s spoken to crowds bigger than me. If you look at Martin Luther King when he did his speech, his great speech, and you look at ours, same real estate, same everything, same number of people, if not we had more. And they said he had a million people, but I had 25,000 people.”

This comparison is flawed. Trump was referring to his speech on January 6, 2021, and comparing it to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech from August 28, 1963. Estimates indicate that King’s speech drew approximately 250,000 attendees, a number significantly higher than the estimated 53,000 people who attended Trump’s address. Additionally, Trump spoke at the Ellipse near the White House, whereas King spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

January 6 Events

Trump asserted, “Nobody was killed on Jan. 6.” This statement is inaccurate. Five people died as a result of the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. This includes Ashli Babbitt, who was shot by police while attempting to breach a Capitol door, and Brian Sicknick, a police officer who died the following day after engaging with the rioters. Additionally, four officers who responded to the riot died by suicide in the months following the event.

Democratic Nomination Process

Trump claimed, “The presidency was taken away from Joe Biden, and I’m no Biden fan, but I tell you what, from a constitutional standpoint, from any standpoint you look at, they took the presidency away.” There is no constitutional prohibition against the Democratic Party nominating Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris was nominated through a Democratic National Committee process, receiving nearly unanimous delegate support after President Biden withdrew from the race on July 21.

Economic Claims

Regarding the economy, Trump remarked, “You wouldn’t have had inflation. You wouldn’t have had any inflation because inflation was caused by their bad energy problems.” This assertion oversimplifies the complex causes of inflation. Factors such as increased consumer spending during the pandemic, disrupted supply chains, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine all contributed to inflation. While the Biden administration has implemented various measures, including record oil production, inflationary pressures were influenced by a range of global and domestic factors. Trump’s support for stimulus checks was also part of the broader discussion on inflation.

Immigration Figures

Trump alleged, “Twenty million people came over the border during the Biden-Harris administration — 20 million people — and it could be very much higher than that.” This figure is not supported by available data. From January 2021 to June 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded 7.1 million arrests for illegal crossings. This number includes multiple crossings by some individuals due to pandemic-era asylum restrictions. Additionally, CBP reports 1.1 million encounters at official crossings and about 500,000 migrants admitted under specific conditions. The total number of unique individuals is lower than the number of encounters.

Trump also claimed that Vice President Harris was “the border czar 100% and all of a sudden for the last few weeks she’s not the border czar anymore.” Harris was appointed to address the root causes of migration rather than directly manage border operations.

New York Cases

Trump claimed, “The New York cases are totally controlled out of the Department of Justice.” This is incorrect. The cases against Trump in New York involve separate legal entities: a civil case initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James and a criminal case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The civil case resulted in a $454 million penalty for alleged financial misrepresentations, while the criminal case led to Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts related to illegal campaign activities.

The Helicopter Ride

Donald Trump claimed he once survived a helicopter emergency with Willie Brown, describing it as a near-disaster and alleging that Brown criticized is ex-girlfriend, Kamala Harris, during the flight:

“Well, I know Willie Brown very well. In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought maybe this is the end. We were in a helicopter going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing. This was not a pleasant landing, and Willie was, he was a little concerned... but he told me terrible things about her."

However, the story was swiftly debunked. Willie Brown and others clarified that Trump had conflated events, including a helicopter ride with then-Governor Jerry Brown during a wildfire inspection. Brown also asserted that he had never discussed Kamala Harris with Trump. 

Trump’s press conference not only exposed a troubling array of falsehoods—162 lies and distortions in a single briefing—but also highlighted a broader issue of misinformation in political discourse. This volume of inaccuracies represents a stark deviation from the standards of truthful communication expected from public figures, especially those running for the highest office. The misleading claims made by Trump, from exaggerated crowd sizes to false assertions about January 6 and immigration, underscore the critical need for transparency and accuracy in political rhetoric. As Trump continues to seek debates and engage in public discourse, it is essential to hold him accountable for his statements to ensure voters receive accurate information. This incident reflects Trump's ongoing pattern of spreading misleading narratives, often targeting political opponents, and raises serious concerns about his reliability and mental fitness as a presidential candidate.