Just hours ahead of the vice presidential debate, violence broke out once again at a Donald Trump rally. During a dark and disturbing campaign stop in Arizona, Trump supporters and a protester came to blows. Trump responded to the violence by flippantly claiming, “There is no place safer [than a Trump rally], believe me.” Things only went downhill from there. Trump singled out the press as his “enemies”, praised birther Sheriff Joe Arpaio and repeated his claim that “race riots” were breaking out across the country.
Good luck cleaning up this mess tonight, Governor Pence.
WATCH: Violence breaks out at #Trump rally.
Trump’s response; “There is no place safer, believe me.” pic.twitter.com/CozqpAf43m— Correct The Record (@CorrectRecord) October 4, 2016
TOP FOUR LIES IN PRESCOTT VALLEY, ARIZONA
LIE #1: Trump lies about self-funding his campaign
THE LIE: TRUMP: “These politicians, folks, don’t have a clue, and if they do they can’t do it because their donors won’t let them. Remember, I’m my donor. I’m my donor.” [Prescott Valley, Arizona, 10/4/16]
THE TRUTH: CNN Reality Check ruled a claim that Trump entirely self-funded his campaign as “false.” ”Trump has loaned his campaign 76% of the the $57.7 million that the campaign has received through the end of April, according to the Federal Election Commission. While he’s funded a vast majority of his campaign, he’s also taken millions from outside donors — not just funding entirely out of his own pocket. His son’s claim is false.” [CNN Reality Check, 7/19/16]
Through April, Donald Trump had received about $14 million in campaign contributions.” Although Trump has sunk a significant amount of his own money into his campaign, CNN has found that he received about $14 million in campaign contributions from 8,200 individual donors through the end of April.” [CNN Reality Check, 7/19/16]
LIE #2: Trump lies about being endorsed by ICE
THE LIE: TRUMP: “I want to thank the border patrol and ICE. Both of them gave us their endorsement. They’ve never done it to any presidential candidate before.” [Prescott Valley, Arizona, 10/4/16]
THE TRUTH: Trump incorrectly claims he was endorsed by ICE. “No, Donald Trump was not endorsed by an entire government agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was endorsed this week by a union of ICE employees, but that’s not the same. The National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council had never endorsed a candidate for president.” [Politico, 9/26/16]
LIE #3: Trump lies about refugees being admitted to U.S. with “no way to screen them”
THE LIE: TRUMP: “Thousands of refugees are being admitted with no way to screen them.” [Prescott Valley, Arizona, 10/4/16]
THE TRUTH: PolitiFact: “Refugees are subject to the highest level of security checks of any traveler category to the United States.” “Finally, we should note that refugees are subject to the highest level of security checks of any traveler category to the United States. So it ‘makes no operational sense’ for ISIS to take advantage of the refugee program, Anne Speckhard, a counterterrorism expert at Georgetown University, told us previously. ‘Given how easy it is to send a European extremist to the U.S. via Europe, why would an ISIS guy in Syria wait the three years it takes to get refugee status?’ Speckhard said.” [PolitiFact, 6/13/16]
New York Times: “Syrians must pass many layers of security checks before being admitted to the United States, a process that can take two years or longer.” “Syrians must pass many layers of security checks before being admitted to the United States, a process that can take two years or longer. In most cases, the refugees do not enter the United States until the very end. They are also subject to an additional layer of checks beyond those for refugees of other nationalities; after the Paris attacks, the House voted to further tighten screening procedures. Since 2011, the United States has admitted fewer than 2,000 Syrian refugees.” [New York Times, 11/20/15]
Associated Press: Refugee vetting is “a drawn-out process that includes in-person interviews overseas and involves multiple agencies, led by Homeland Security.” “Late last year, the Obama administration for the first time disclosed details about how refugees are investigated. Officials described a drawn-out process that includes in-person interviews overseas and involves multiple agencies, led by Homeland Security. Refugees must submit to interviews before they can come, and provide biographical details about themselves — their families, friendships, social or political activities, employment, telephone numbers, email accounts and more. They also provide biometric information, including fingerprints. Syrians are subject to additional, classified controls that officials have declined to describe specifically. Refugee processing generally takes 18 months to 24 months. It can be longer for Syrians.” [Associated Press, 6/19/16]
LIE #4: Trump lies about Obama and Clinton unleashing ISIS
THE LIE: TRUMP: “We’ve unleashed ISIS. That came out of the vacuum created by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the way they got the troops out.” [Prescott Valley, Arizona, 10/4/16]
THE TRUTH: Washington Post Fact Checker said Donald Trump’s claim that ISIS rose from Hillary Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s policies was “false and facile.” “‘The rise of ISIS is the direct result of policy decisions made by President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton.’ This is false and facile. The terrorist group is the direct result of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, as we explored in our interview with Washington Post reporter Joby Warrick, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his book on the rise of the Islamic State. (Trump, of course, supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003.) At best, one could argue that actions that Obama failed to take (over Clinton’s opposition) helped contribute to the growth of ISIS.” [Washington Post, 8/16/16]
TIME: “Of course, Obama did not found ISIS and has actually led a campaign that has killed thousands of ISIS militants.” “Donald Trump accused President Obama of being the ‘founder of ISIS’ Wednesday, the latest incendiary comment from a candidate in the middle of a meltdown. Of course, Obama did not found ISIS and has actually led a campaign that has killed thousands of ISIS militants.” [TIME, 8/11/16]