Trump told more than 8,000 falsehoods in 2 years, fact checker says
The most common subject areas where Mr Trump either said lies or made false statements are regarding his tax cuts, the US trade deficit, and special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential Russian election interference
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has made more than 8,000 misleading statements or blatant lies within his first two years of his presidential term, according to fact checkers.
The Washington Post’s Fact Checker tallied up the total of Mr Trump’s false statements and downright lies from Inauguration Day to January 20, 2019, and the number is astonishing: 8,158.
Furthermore, approximately 6,000 of the 8,158 false statements were made in 2018.
The number of lies piling on predicts the paths the 2020 election will take, according to New York Times reporter Astead Herndon.
“We know when this president comes under pressure, he usually lashes out and every time he leans into kind of his own messaging or off-the-cuff messaging, we get more and more falsehoods,” Mr Herndon told CNN.
Mr Trump then uses the disinformation “to rile up his base and whip up votes” for the next election.
Despite the president’s knack for not telling the truth, his backers still provide their unwavering support. At least that’s what CNN’s Chris Cillizza interprets from the data.
“It’s not close to what objective fact is, but we know from now years of experience that that doesn’t really matter to at least a significant chunk of people who support Donald Trump,” Mr Cillizza said while on “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.”
The political analyst suggests that Mr Trump’s objective is to make himself favorable to the public eye, or rather, his supporters.
“He tells himself a story of his life,” Mr Cillizza added. “Whether or not that story comports with facts is not his main concern. The main concern is that he looks tough, strong and that he’s winning.”
The most common subject areas where Mr Trump either said lies or made false statements are regarding his tax cuts, the US trade deficit, and special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential Russian election interference.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments