In all, CNN counts at least 11 outright lies and a few more that are misleading or out of context.
Here’s a look at the president’s claims and the facts behind them.
Asked about the Black Lives Matter protests taking place in the US, Trump spoke of the federal repression of protesters who destroyed monuments and claimed: ‘We now have more than 1,000 people, federally, in jail. We persecute many people. ‘
Facts first: This is not accurate, based on data from Trump’s own Justice Department. Although it is not clear where the 1,000 numbers come from, the department reported that as of September 2, a total of 227 people have been charged in cities, including Minneapolis, Portland, Salt Lake City and Seattle. The charges range from arson to assaulting a federal officer.
Cancel culture
After a reporter asked for the president’s calls to investigate the use of the New York Times’ 1619 project to teach students about the country’s history of racism, Trump said he wants “everyone to know what they can in history, “and added that he” is not a believer in the cancellation culture. ‘
Facts first: It is false if Trump suggests that he does not like ‘canceling culture’, as he himself has on numerous occasions explicitly expressed cancellations, boycotts and dismissals for what he considers offensive words and deeds.
18 angry Democrats
Trump said the special council Robert Mueller’s team – which investigated Russian interference in the 2016 US election – included ’18 angry Democrats’.
Facts first: Mueller himself has been a Republican for many years. The majority of attorneys in his team have registered as Democrats, but not all.
In his testimony on July 24, 2019, Mueller said that he employs people for their abilities and integrity and that he ‘has not had a single opportunity to ask anyone about their political commitment’ in his 25 years he ‘in this business did not work ‘.
Cost of Mueller investigation
According to Trump, Mueller spent $ 48 million during his investigation.
Espionage
Trump has once again claimed that President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden spied on his 2016 presidential campaign.
History of rates
Trump has spent a long time on his achievements against China, namely that the US has taken billions from China under his government after never receiving as much as 10 cents.
Facts first: It is not true that the treasury has never received ’10 cents’ from China. The US has had tariffs on China for more than two centuries.
It is also misleading for Trump to indicate that the Chinese are paying for the tariffs. US importers pay the tariffs in the form of customs duties.
Turn off
Trump said Biden’s plan for the China virus is to shut down the entire U.S. economy.
Facts first: Biden did not announce such a plan to combat the coronavirus pandemic, but said he would be willing to stop it if scientists ordered it. It is also noteworthy that presidents cannot ‘lock’ the country alone.
Monuments
Trump has again claimed to have enacted a law that would send people to jail for ten years if they demolish a monument or statue.
Facts first: The president’s executive order does not create new laws or possible imprisonment, it has instructed the attorney general to apply existing laws.
These laws have been in the books for years. Trump did not recently authorize the Department of Justice to pursue these cases, but ordered the Attorney General to prioritize them.
Pillows and tank busts
Referring to US aid to Ukraine, Trump compares his record with President Obama.
“They used to send pillows and we sent a tank buster,” Trump said.
Facts first: While the Obama administration has been criticized for its refusal to provide lethal assistance to Ukraine, it has provided more than $ 100 million in security assistance, as well as a significant amount of defense and military equipment.
NATO expenditure
Trump has twice said that NATO member states increase their spending to $ 400 billion a year.
Facts first: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a meeting with Trump on December 3, 2019 that by 2024, non-US members would spend a total of $ 400 billion more on defense than they did in 2016 – not that they are going do not spend. $ 400 billion more ‘per year’. And since these predictions were made before the coronavirus, the potential impact of the current pandemic is not being taken into account, NATO spokesman Peggy Beauplet noted in an email to CNN in August.
WTO record
Trump said he was “looking at the World Trade Organization” out of concern that the US is not being treated fairly because “we never won anything”.
Facts first: Contrary to what Trump has repeatedly claimed, the US has long won cases at the World Trade Organization. Trump’s own Council of Economic Advisers even said in a February 2018 report that the US has won 86% of cases since 1995. The global average, according to the council, was 84%.
Case death rates
The president claims that the US has one of the lowest mortality rates for Covid-19 among developed countries.
Vaccination timeline
Trump has suggested that a vaccine may be approved before election day, November 3.
Sen Kamala Harris
Trump said Harris was “the most liberal person in Congress.”
Facts first: Harris’s record in the Senate is certainly one of the most liberal, although her record before the Senate is more moderate on some issues.
This story has been updated
CNN’s Maggie Fox and Chrstina Carrega contributed to this report.