In an Oct. 15 town hall on NBC News, President Donald Trump made false and misleading claims on the coronavirus, the economy and more.
FactChecking Trump’s Town Hall
Issues: coronavirus
Trump Distorts WHO’s Lockdown Comments
At campaign rallies and in tweets, President Trump falsely said the World Health Organization changed its position and “admitted that Donald Trump was right” about lockdowns. But the agency has said no such thing.
Atlas, Paul Mislead on Preexisting COVID-19 ‘Immunity’
Coronavirus task force member Dr. Scott Atlas and Sen. Rand Paul have misleadingly suggested that much of the U.S. population has immunity to the coronavirus due to previous exposure to similar viruses. But scientists say any possible protection is theoretical.
Video Shows Arrest at a Protest, Not a Church Service
A tweet, shared by President Donald Trump, mischaracterizes a video that purports to show “Americans being ARRESTED for holding outdoor church services.” The video actually shows a demonstration in Idaho against a public health order regarding COVID-19 requirements held by a church in a city hall parking lot.
Trump’s False Claim That Michigan Is ‘Closed’
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, President Donald Trump falsely claimed that the state of Michigan is “closed,” specifically and falsely mentioning churches and schools.
Trump Ad Lifts Fauci Praise Out of Context
A Trump campaign ad uses a clip of Dr. Anthony Fauci praising federal public health officials — saying that he “can’t imagine that … anybody could be doing more” — and makes it seem like Fauci was personally complimenting the president. Fauci says the ad lifted his words “out of context.”
Biden Misquotes Trump on Gold Star Families
On the subject of President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden misquoted Trump as saying, “I probably got it from Blue Star parents.” That’s not what Trump said.
Trump Overstates Status of COVID-19 Antibody Drugs
Calling investigational COVID-19 antibody drugs “cures” in a video posted to Twitter, President Donald Trump incorrectly said the therapies had been authorized and that “hundreds of thousands of doses” were nearly ready.
Trump’s Dubious Claim That He’s Not Contagious
Less than a week after being hospitalized due to COVID-19, President Donald Trump now says, “I don’t think I’m contagious at all.” But medical experts say he may very well be.
Viral Image Spreads Bogus Trump Quote on COVID-19 Recovery
A viral image on social media is spreading a fabricated quote attributed to President Donald Trump. There’s no evidence the president ever said that doctors have “never seen a body kill the Coronavirus like my body,” and that they “tested my DNA and it wasn’t DNA. It was USA.”