From FactCheck.org · Paul Cuno-Booth, Robert Farley, D'Angelo Gore, Lori Robertson · · 4m
Trump's post-election claims fact-checked
The president made false or misleading statements about the economy, immigration, Russia sanctions and crime in a CBS interview after Democrats won the midterms.
In brief
The president made false or misleading statements about the economy, immigration, Russia sanctions and crime in a CBS interview after Democrats won the midterms. Trump made repeated false claims about stock market losses, his net worth, gas prices, deportations and Washington D.C. crime in his first post-election…
Trump blames Republicans' midterm losses
After Democrats retook control of both the House and Senate in the midterms, President Trump blamed Republicans' poor showing on bad messaging rather than policy failures.
Interview aired after midterm elections
Trump's first sit-down interview since the midterms was conducted on November sixth with Ross Douthat of CBS News' sixty minutes and aired two days later.
Trump falsely claims stock market losses
Trump said the stock market lost almost two thousand points because of Democratic victories. The Dow Jones was actually slightly higher on November ninth than on Election Day.
“The market lost almost 2,000 points because of the Democrats.”
S&P 500 down less than one percent
The S&P five hundred is down slightly, less than zero point three percent, since Election Day, contradicting Trump's claim of massive market losses from Democratic midterm wins.
Trump's net worth increase sources
Trump claimed his three billion dollar net worth increase came from stock market gains. The New York Times reported at least two point two billion came from cryptocurrency ventures and licensing deals.
Trump falsely claims unique salary sacrifice
Trump said he is the only American president to forego his annual four hundred thousand dollar salary. Presidents Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy also donated their salaries.
“I don't take a salary. Every other president took their salary.”
Trump's business ventures unprecedented
Trump claimed his situation is no different from past presidents. Historians say no other president launched new business ventures before taking office and profited from them while leading.
Obama Netflix deal occurred after presidency
Trump claimed Barack Obama got one hundred million dollars from Netflix during his presidency. Obama and Michelle signed the deal in two thousand eighteen, more than a year after leaving office.
Trump denies lifting Russia diesel sanctions
Trump denied lifting diesel sanctions on Russia. The Treasury Department issued a temporary license on October ninth exempting Russian diesel fuel imports from sanctions until April.
“I didn't lift diesel sanctions.”
Trump waived Graham Act sanctions
Trump signed an executive order on October sixteenth waiving sanctions and tariffs from the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of two thousand twenty-six.
Gas prices lower than Trump claimed
Trump said gas in Iowa was one dollar eighty-five before the Iran war. AAA data shows the cheapest average in Iowa during Trump's term was two dollars thirty-two on January fifth.
“In Iowa, it was $1.85 a gallon.”
Current gas prices higher than Obama's
Trump claimed current gas prices are lower than under Obama. The national average was four dollars the week ending November ninth, higher than Obama's final year average of two dollars fourteen.
Trump exaggerates deportation as fringe view
Trump said a far right faction wants everyone deported. He has repeatedly stated since two thousand sixteen that all immigrants in the country illegally should be deported.
Trump inflates crime statistics for D.C.
Trump claimed crime in Washington D.C. is down eighty-nine percent and said we haven't had a murder in a long time. City data shows nine homicides in the last thirty days.
“The crime rate in Washington, D.C., is down 89%. We haven't had a murder in a long time.”
D.C. homicides down but still significant
Homicides in Washington D.C. dropped from one hundred nineteen to eighty-eight this year, a twenty-six percent decrease. The eighty-eight homicides as of November tenth equal roughly two per week.
Unemployment rate below historical median
Trump highlighted October's one hundred sixty-five thousand jobs created and a four point one percent unemployment rate. The rate is below the median since nineteen forty-eight of five point four percent.
Job growth lags prior twenty-one months
Trump claimed more jobs created than ever before. Over twenty-one months in office, Trump's second term created one million twenty-five thousand jobs versus two point six million in the prior twenty-one months.
Inflation worsened under Trump
Trump said we have historically good economic numbers but avoided discussing inflation. The Consumer Price Index rose three point seven percent in the twelve months before November, up from three percent when he took office.
Trump misrepresents Ohio Senate race
Trump claimed Jon Husted was down fifteen points and almost won. Polls showed Democrat Sherrod Brown leading by two to three points by Election Day, and Brown won by four point eight percentage points.
What to remember
Trump made repeated false claims about stock market losses, his net worth, gas prices, deportations and Washington D.C. crime in his first post-election interview.
