Former President Donald Trump on Thursday gave his in as many weeks as he adjusts to a newly energized Democratic ticket ahead of next week's Democratic National Convention.
At his New Jersey golf club, the Republican nominee blended falsehoods about the economy with misleading statements and deeply personal attacks about his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Here's a closer look at the facts.
Inflation did not take the toll Trump claimed. Growth surged under Biden
TRUMP: 鈥淎s a result of Kamala鈥檚 inflation, price hikes have cost the typical household a total of $28,000. ... When I left office, I left Kamala and crooked Joe Biden a surging economy and no inflation. The mortgage rate was around 2%. Gasoline had reached $1.87 a gallon. ... Harris and Biden blew it all up.鈥�
THE FACTS: Trump made numerous economic claims that were either exaggerated or misleading. Prices did surge during the Biden-Harris administration, though $28,000 is far higher than independent estimates. Moody鈥檚 Analytics calculated last year that price increases over the previous two years were costing the typical U.S. household $709 a month. That would equal $8,500 a year.
Separately, the U.S. economy was growing quickly as it reopened from COVID in 2020, as Trump鈥檚 term ended, and it continued to do so after Biden took office. Growth reached 5.8% in 2021, Biden鈥檚 first year in the White House, as the rebound continued, faster than any year that Trump was in office. Mortgage rates were low when Trump left because of the pandemic, which caused the Federal Reserve to cut its key rate to nearly zero. Gas prices fell as the economy largely shut down and Americans cut back sharply on their driving.
鈥楩oreign born鈥� is not the same as 鈥榤igrants鈥�
TRUMP: 鈥淰irtually 100% of the net job creation in the last year has gone to migrants.鈥�
THE FACTS: This is a misinterpretation of government jobs data. The figures do show that the number of foreign-born people with jobs has increased in the past year, while the number of native-born Americans with jobs has declined. But foreign-born is not the same as 鈥渕igrants鈥� -- it would include people who arrived in the U.S. years ago and are now naturalized citizens.
In addition, the data is based on Census research that many economists argue is undercounting both foreign- and native-born workers. According to a report by Wendy Edelberg and Tara Watson at the Brookings Institution , native-born employment rose by 740,000 in 2023, while foreign-born rose by 1.7 million. Much of the disparity reflects the fact that the native-born population is older than the foreign-born, and are more likely to be retired. In addition, the unemployment rate for native-born Americans is 4.5%, lower than the 4.7% for foreign-born.
A thief is not allowed to steal up to $950
TRUMP: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e allowed to rob a store as long as it鈥檚 not more than $950. 鈥� If it鈥檚 less than $950 they can rob it and not get charged.鈥�
THE FACTS: Trump was referring to regulations in California that allegedly allow for theft under $950. But his claim is not correct 鈥� a 2014 proposition modified, but did not eliminate, sentencing for many nonviolent property and drug crimes.
raised the minimum dollar amount necessary for theft to be prosecuted as a felony, instead of a misdemeanor, from $400 to $950.
Alex Bastian, then-special adviser to Los Angeles District Attorney George Gasc贸n, who co-authored Prop 47, that the minimum was raised 鈥渢o adjust for inflation and cost of living,鈥� but that most shoplifting cases were already prosecuted as misdemeanors any since they didn鈥檛 exceed $400.
Prop 47 was enacted to comply with a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court order, which upheld that the state鈥檚 overcrowded prisons violated incarcerated individuals鈥� Eighth Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment. It instructed California to reduce its state prison population by 33,000 individuals within two years.
Harris has not said in this campaign she wants to defund police
TRUMP, on Harris: 鈥淵ou know, she wants to defund the police.鈥�
THE FACTS: Harris for the 鈥渄efund the police鈥� movement after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, questioning whether money was being effectively spent on public safety. However, she has not said during her current campaign that she is in favor of defunding law enforcement.
The Biden administration tried to overhaul policing, but the legislation stalled on Capitol Hill, and Biden ultimately settled for . It also pumped more money .
Trump did not win Pennsylvania in 2020
TRUMP: 鈥淚 won Pennsylvania and I did much better the second time. I won it in 2016, did much better the second time. I know Pennsylvania very well.鈥�
THE FACTS: False. Trump did win the state in 2016, when he beat Democrat Hillary Clinton to win the presidency. But to President Joe Biden, a Pennsylvania native. According to the , Biden and Harris received 3.46 million votes, compared to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence with 3.38 million votes, a margin of about 80,000 votes.
Oil production in U.S. hit record under Biden
Trump says he will bring energy prices down by reversing President Joe Biden鈥檚 policy of encouraging renewable energy at the expense of fossil fuels.
TRUMP: 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to drill baby drill, we鈥檙e going to get the energy prices down, almost immediately.鈥�
THE FACTS: Oil production in under Biden鈥檚 administration.
The U.S. Department of Energy reported in October that U.S. oil production hit 13.2 million barrels per day, passing a previous record set in 2020 by 100,000 barrels. Department statistics also show that the U.S. has produced more crude oil per year than any other nation 鈥� for .
Economy has shown recent signs of strength, not evidence of collapse
TRUMP: 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have a crash like the 1929 crash if she gets in.鈥�
THE FACTS: The economy has shown 鈥� not evidence that America is on the edge of economic collapse.
the S&P 500 jumped 1.6%, its sixth gain in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also increased Thursday, as did the Nasdaq composite.
show that shoppers increased their retail spending last month and fewer workers sought unemployment benefits.
emerged last month following a sharp drop in hiring and higher unemployment rates. But those worries were assuaged earlier this month when better-than-expected jobless numbers led to Wall Street鈥檚 best rally since 2022.
Harris was not named border 鈥榗zar鈥�
TRUMP: 鈥淪he was the border czar but she didn鈥檛 do anything. She鈥檚 the worst border czar in history. ... She was the person responsible for the border and she never went there.鈥�
THE FACTS: Biden in 2021 to work with Central American countries to address the root causes of migration and the challenges it creates. Illegal crossings are one aspect of those challenges, but Harris was never assigned to the border or put in charge of the Department of Homeland Security, which .
Black unemployment is lower under Biden
TRUMP: 鈥淭he Black population had the best numbers they鈥檝e ever had on jobs, on income, on everything. The Hispanic population had the best numbers.鈥�
THE FACTS: It鈥檚 true that Black and Hispanic unemployment fell to then-record lows under Trump, but that was upended by COVID. When Trump left office, Black unemployment had soared to 9.3% and Hispanic unemployment to 8.5%. Under Biden, Black unemployment fell to a new record low of 4.8% in April 2023, while Hispanic unemployment in September 2022 matched the all-time low of 3.9% it had reached under Trump.
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Associated Press, The Associated Press
