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Video: FactChecking Trump’s Big Speech


In this video, we review five false, misleading or exaggerated claims from President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech on Aug. 27 at the Republican National Convention.

Here are the claims that we cover in our video:

  • Trump falsely labeled COVID-19-related restrictions on flights into the U.S. from China and Europe as a “travel ban,” and falsely claimed the policies were put in place “very early.” A government study, for example, said the restrictions on Europe were too late to mitigate the introduction of the virus.
  • He exaggerated when he said “[w]e developed a wide array of effective treatments,” including convalescent plasma, which he claimed “will save thousands and thousands of lives.” There are only a few known treatments for COVID-19, and convalescent plasma has not yet been shown to be effective.
  • The president again falsely claimed that he built the “greatest” and “strongest” economy in “the history of the world.” The U.S. economy has grown faster under other presidents — and so have jobs.
  • Trump claimed that Biden has pledged “a $4 trillion tax hike on almost all American families.” Biden said he won’t boost income taxes for anyone making less than $400,000 a year.
  • The president falsely accused Biden of condemning rioters only after the Democratic convention. Biden repeatedly condemned violent protests before the convention.

For more information on these and other claims, please see “Final Night of the Republican Convention.”

Our coverage of the Republican National Convention can be found here. Our coverage of the Democratic National Convention, including a video, can be found here. 

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