FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — Former president Donald Trump held a rally Saturday in Florence which contained false and misleading claims.
Below is a look at some of the claims made during the rally.
Claim: The 2020 election was rigged
Facts: This is false.
During the rally, Trump said there’s overwhelming evidence the election was fraudulent, but offered no evidence. He also said republicans need a landslide win in the midterm elections, suggesting that the democrats would try cheat.
There was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election that would’ve changed the outcome. The Associated Press looked at election fraud in states where Trump claimed he won, even though he didn’t. In those states, the Associated Press found fewer than 475 instances of voter fraud, not nearly enough to change the outcome.
The Associated Press reported that not every instance of voter fraud discovered were votes for Biden and in most cases the fraudulent ballots were not even counted.
Claim: One million illegal immigrants entered the United States in the last fiscal year
Facts: This is misleading.
Brandon Judd, one of Trump’s guest speakers made this claim. According to NPR, 1.7 million migrants were apprehended at the border in the 2021 fiscal year, but that number may not represent the number of people who illegally entered the United States. NPR reports that migration patterns have changed over the last 20 years. NPR attributed the increase in people trying to cross more than once and said the number may not accurately account for people who crossed into the U.S. illegally.
Claim: Joe Biden is to blame for the increase in gas prices
Facts: This is false.
Multiple guest speakers and Trump himself made this claim. According to a report from the New York Times, there are numerous elements that affect gas prices, notably the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on the supply chain.
Rep. Russell Fry told Biden to open the Keystone XL Pipeline, however, the pipeline was never even built and the main Keystone Pipeline is still operating. GasBuddy head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan told the NYT that, to no fault of Trump, oil production also declined during his last eight months in office.
Also adding to the increase is the war in Ukraine, according to the NYT.
Claim: The United States was energy independent before Biden
Facts: This is misleading.
While the U.S. was energy independent, by definition, in 2020, according to Forbes — citing the Energy Information Administration — the United States still exported more energy products than it imported in 2021, which meets the definition of energy independent. The issue is complex and can fluctuate month-to-month.
Claim: There were more COVID-19 deaths in 2021 than in 2020
Facts: This is true.
More people died of COVID-19 in 2021 than in 2020, largely due to the Delta variant, according to a fact check from PolitiFact.
Claim: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine wouldn’t have happened if he were president
Facts: This is Undetermined.
According to The Hill, 62% of voters think Vladimir Putin wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine if Trump was president. However, that’s purely a hypothetical. We do know that Putin did not invade Ukraine during the time Trump was in office, but it’s impossible to know if Putin would have done so if Trump won a second term.
Trump made headlines last week after he called Putin “smart” and “savvy.” Trump’s first impeachment was over withholding aid from Ukraine to pressure them to dig up dirt on Trump’s political opponents, according to Politico. The Senate did not vote to convict Trump.
Claim: Border security was the strongest during the Trump presidency
Facts: This is Undetermined.
There is no real metric to determine the security of a border, however, according to PolitiFact, the spike in migrants coming to the border started in 2020 while Trump was still in office and climbed each month. Ultimately, there’s no way to say if it’s true or false because the immigration system is complex and what constitutes a secure border depends on who you ask.
Claim: Biden is to blame for supply chain issues
Facts: This is misleading.
While the supply chain issues have continued under Biden, the supply chain issues are largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in early 2020. According to the Associated Press, stimulus checks, the stock market and increased home equity have caused Americans to spend money, which affects global demand. The AP said many companies were caught off guard by how rapidly people resumed spending money.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism