Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Breccia]

Our Ruling

Trump said that more than 100,000 people die from the flu and "in most populations, COVID-19 is far less lethal."

In the past decade, the average yearly death toll from the flu has been 35,900. About 50 years ago, 100,000 people died one year, but that was an anomaly.

Overall, the data show that COVID-19 is more deadly than the flu. By one estimate, it is 10 times more deadly.

Comparing death rates for age groups is more challenging, but the data shows that for everyone over 30, COVID-19 is deadlier than the flu.

We rate this claim False.

Our Ruling

President Trump said that the Commission on Presidential Debates wrote him an apology letter in 2016 over oscillating his microphone during the first general election debate against Hillary Clinton.

The organization released a one-sentence statement that noted that there was an issue with Trump’s audio that affected the sound level in the debate hall, but not his audio for Americans who watched the debate on TV.

The group was not forced to publicly apologize for the malfunction and we found no evidence that it sent Trump a letter doing so.

Trump’s claim is unsubstantiated. We rate it False.

Our Ruling

While claiming there is widespread mail voting fraud, President Trump said ballots in Wisconsin "are being dumped in rivers" or creeks.

In context, viewers were left with the impression that ballots were disposed of en masse in some sort of waterway. There’s no evidence of that.

We base our ratings on what is known at the time of the claim. And on Sept. 29, as is the case now, Trump’s statement was wrong in both the literal claim (a "river") and the implication (that this is evidence of fraud). A small number of ballots were found with hundreds of pieces of other mail, and authorities have said nothing to indicate election manipulation motivated the incident.

The information released after the debate — that no Wisconsin ballots were found — muddles the situation given the apparent conflict with earlier information. But it doesn’t change this rating.

We rate this claim False.

Our Ruling

Pence said Biden and Harris support abortion "up to the moment of birth."

Biden and Harris have not said they support abortion "up to the moment of birth." They say they support the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized abortion and allowed states to regulate it after fetal viability. They also say they are against state laws that conflict with the case, and would work to codify the ruling into law.

One expert said that Democrats’ intent to codify Roe could preempt state laws restricting abortion, and that a related case has a health exception broad enough to allow abortions "up to the moment of birth." But several other experts said that supporting Roe or related cases is not the same as supporting abortion "up to the moment of birth." They said that generally, people who support Roe mean they support the existence of a right to have an abortion or to not criminalize it.

Pence’s claim creates a wrong impression of Biden’s and Harris’ statements and of the common interpretation of cases that affirmed abortion rights.

We rate his claim False.

Our Ruling

Pence said in a Facebook ad that, as vice president, Harris would "defund, dismantle, and dissolve police departments."

That’s wrong.

Biden’s official campaign platform says his administration would not defund police departments. Harris’ press secretary said she does not support defunding the police. Her former presidential campaign platform did not mention it.

In media appearances, Harris has called for "reimagining" public safety across the country. But she hasn’t explicitly said she supports defunding police departments, and Harris has said she doesn’t want to get rid of law enforcement.

Pence’s ad is inaccurate. We rate it False.

Our Ruling

"DEMS WANT TO SHUT YOUR CHURCHES DOWN, PERMANENTLY," Trump tweeted Oct. 7. "HOPE YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING. VOTE NOW!"

Democrats are not calling for churches to be permanently closed.

Many states — including those governed by Republicans — have required residents to wear face coverings in public, banned large gatherings and ordered non-essential businesses to close. Some states exempted churches from their coronavirus restrictions.

Trump’s tweet is inaccurate and makes a ridiculous claim. We rate it Pants on Fire!

Trump lies all the time, about everything.

[YUPPIE]

it feels like if trump wins the election people are going to riot

[Breccia]

Ex-FDA chief: Trump "definitely missed the window" to mass produce antibody drug

We would have needed to take different steps in April and May to ramp up manufacturing capacity to have the drug available in larger quantities right now.

You'd probably need anywhere between 300,000 and 400,000 doses a month to supply it just for people who are indicated based on age alone

Yeah, that's Regeneron we're talking about.

[Felya]

all ill say to that whole post is ask if you can say biden is much better

Yes, Biden is much better than Trump...

Now say that Trump is just good, without comparing him to anyone else...

[Elegiac]

it feels like if trump wins the election people are going to riot

Shocking, Trump spending the past year spreading lies about electoral fraud while actively engaging in it has created an environment of uncertainty.

I do hope one day you wise up and realise you've been conned by the Republican Party and conservative ideology. It cares not a whit for you, and you will never be part of the 'club' that it actually does care about.

I don't think y'all will, though:

[Felya]

it feels like if trump wins the election people are going to riot

According to Trump, that means nothing would change.

[Breccia]

According to Trump, that means nothing would change.

Well he'd probably hide in his bunker again. You know, like last time.

[Thepersona]

it feels like if trump wins the election people are going to riot

Hey, are you going to respond anything, or just going to continue the low level trolling?

- - - Updated - - -

Yes, Biden is much better than Trump...

Now say that Trump is just good, without comparing him to anyone else...

Trump is like Mussolini, but much more incompetent to be honest.

[YUPPIE]

Shocking, Trump spending the past year spreading lies about electoral fraud while actively engaging in it has created an environment of uncertainty.

I do hope one day you wise up and realise you've been conned by the Republican Party and conservative ideology. It cares not a whit for you, and you will never be part of the 'club' that it actually does care about.

I don't think y'all will, though:

we'll see what happens when the moment of truth comes. I hope nothing like Belarus comes our way.

[TEHPALLYTANK]

we'll see what happens when the moment of truth comes. I hope nothing like Belarus comes our way.

Don't worry, nothing like Belarus will come our way because we don't share a land border with Russia and we're not a former Soviet-bloc state. There are more reasons than that, but those two are pretty major factors.

[Elegiac]

Hey, are you going to respond anything, or just going to continue the low level trolling?

Right wingers are more interested in engaging with a caricature of a "liberal" than enter actual discussion because entering discussion might challenge their beliefs rather than just create a neat foil by which one can aggrandize themselves.

I'm so beyond tired of machismo, like - we get it, no one to the political right of Joe Manchin has had a decent fuck since Reagan left office but y'all really need to stop taking it out on minorities.

[YUPPIE]

Don't worry, nothing like Belarus will come our way because we don't share a land border with Russia and we're not a former Soviet-bloc state. There are more reasons than that, but those two are pretty major factors.

I mean, I hope it's a vocal minority of places like reddit that rips into Trump. Because if it's a majority, people will tear down this country if he is re-elected. With that in mind, it's a lose-lose situation for Trump even if he wins so I hope it's not true.

[Breccia]

I'm so beyond tired of machismo

...the attitude or the poster with that handle?

[Elegiac]

...the attitude or the poster with that handle?

I mean in the sense that anarcho-capitalism is basically just fascism for the rich....yes?

12. "Machismo", which sublimates the difficult work of permanent war and heroism into the sexual sphere. Fascists thus hold "both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality."

[PhaelixWW]

all ill say to that whole post is ask if you can say biden is much better

Yes, unequivocally.

[Antiganon]

Right wingers are more interested in engaging with a caricature of a "liberal" than enter actual discussion because entering discussion might challenge their beliefs rather than just create a neat foil by which one can aggrandize themselves.

I'm so beyond tired of machismo, like - we get it, no one to the political right of Joe Manchin has had a decent fuck since Reagan left office but y'all really need to stop taking it out on minorities.

Yes, I too am tired of machismo.

Not @Machismo though, he has genuine discussions about policy and is internally consistent even if he is a pants-on-head libertarian. I can respect that.

[Breccia]

Now there are, of course, cries about him being censored lol

Then follow the rules.

[Breccia]

Gov. of Arkansas has second thoughts anout Trump rallies.

Certainly, we want to have an engagement in the presidential campaign this year. It is the topic, as it should be. But, yes, there should not be any mass gathering without social distancing. The social distancing is so important, or wear a mask. If you're going to sit next to somebody, wear a mask. And it's important that we have seen, by illustration, the challenge of the virus in a spreader event when you don't socially distance.

[Elegiac]

Twitter flagged a tweet from Trump a few hours ago about how he was given a clean bill of health and is "immune."



Now there are, of course, cries about him being censored lol

May also notice there are no replies or likes. First time I've seen Twitter block that on a flagged tweet, personally.

Looking forward to when this clown is out of office and Twitter can stop pretending the Emperor has clothes.

[Kaleredar]

on a positive note, is Donald Trump a leading example of a fulfilling human life? Being a billionaire and eventually becoming a world leader is pretty much a fantasy you made up as a kid that doesn't ever really become reality.

No; I hear tell from the prostitute he cheated on his wife with that he has a pretty small penis. It’s probably pretty tough to live with that.