Trump’s August speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was packed with familiar factual distortions.
A Rally Filled with Repeats
Trump’s Mixed Messages on Russian Meddling
President Donald Trump thanked Fox News for airing a montage on July 19 that he said showed “Trump recognized Russian Meddling MANY TIMES.” But the video also shows Trump equivocating on the issue.
Video: Trump on DNC Server
In this week’s fact-checking video, CNN’s Jake Tapper reviews a statement that President Donald Trump made about the FBI investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
No Evidence Lisa Page Blamed Hacking on China
Q: Did former FBI attorney Lisa Page tell House lawmakers that China, not Russia, was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee?
A: There’s no evidence of that. Page’s attorney said stories making that claim are “completely false” and that Page testified that the “evidence demonstrated Russian interference in the election.”
FactChecking Russian President Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin made several false and misleading claims during his press conference in Finland with President Donald Trump and in an interview with Fox News.
Trump’s Remarks on Putin and the Russia Investigation
Asked whether he believed U.S. intelligence agencies or Russian President Vladimir Putin on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 election, President Donald Trump declined to directly respond. Instead, he raised questions about the Russia investigation.
Trump Misleads on IG Report
President Donald Trump said he thinks former FBI Director James Comey committed “very criminal acts.” But the facts don’t support the president’s opinion. Trump also claimed the inspector general’s report “totally exonerates” him, but the report didn’t evaluate the Russia investigation.
Was Mueller’s Appointment ‘Unconstitutional’?
In his latest attack on the Russia investigation, President Donald Trump tweeted, “The appointment of the Special Counsel is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL!” This amounts to Trump’s opinion, and is a matter of debate among constitutional scholars.
A Timeline of Trump Tower Meeting Responses
In a recently disclosed letter, President Donald Trump’s attorneys said the president “dictated” his son’s statement to the New York Times about a June 2016 meeting between top Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer. That contradicts earlier claims by Trump’s representatives.
Trump Misquotes Clapper on FBI ‘Spy’
In a morning tweetstorm on the Russia investigation, President Donald Trump misquoted James Clapper. Trump claimed the former intelligence director said, “Trump should be happy that the FBI was SPYING on his campaign,” when, in fact, Clapper said the FBI did not spy on his campaign.