Trump's Long Acceptance Speech Was Full Of Lies

Trump gave the longest acceptance speech in convention history, and as usual with his speeches, it was full of lies. ABC News points out the most egregious of his lies:

Border crossings

TRUMP CLAIM: Trump argued there was "a massive invasion at our southern border that has spread misery, crime, poverty, disease and destruction to communities all across our land." 

FACT CHECK: This is false. There is no evidence of a major surge in crime caused by recent arrivals and Trump's claims ignore the fact that crime is down across the country overall.

The border wall

TRUMP CLAIM: Trump said he would end the immigration crisis "by closing our border and finishing the wall, most of which I have already built. 

FACT CHECK: False. Contrary to Trump’s claim that he built more than 500 miles of border wall, by the end of his term, and after various funding fights in Washington, he had actually implemented roughly 450 miles of barriers – much of which was just upgrading existing barriers that already existed, according to the Government Accountability Office.

'Catch and release'

TRUMP CLAIM: While discussing the border and immigration, Trump said his administration "ended all catch-and-release." 

FACT CHECK: False, needs more context. Though Trump attempted to end the catch-and-release practice under his presidency, migrants were more likely to be "released" through this process under Trump compared to Biden, according to the libertarian Cato Institute. The Cato analysis found that Biden’s immigration authorities released 48.6% of individuals apprehended at the border, while the Trump administration released 52.2% over roughly a two-year period.

Trump’s tax legislation while in office

TRUMP CLAIM: Trump has repeatedly claimed the tax legislation passed during his presidency was the largest tax cut ever. 

FACT CHECK: Needs more explanation. Trump’s tax cut was, in inflation-adjusted dollars, the fourth-largest since 1940. And as a percentage of GDP, it ranked seventh.

The economy under Trump

TRUMP CLAIM: During his presidency, Trump said the U.S. had the best economy in the history of our country, "no inflation" and soaring incomes. 

FACT CHECK: False. One of the strongest ways to assess the economy is the unemployment rate, which fell during Trump’s presidency to levels untouched in five decades. But his successor, Joe Biden, matched or exceeded those levels.

The state of the auto industry

TRUMP CLAIM: Trump said he would reverse government regulations to encourage the development of electric vehicles, saying he’d be "saving the U.S. auto industry from complete obliteration, which is happening right now." 

FACT CHECK: False. During Biden’s presidency, employment in auto and parts manufacturing had risen by 127,800 jobs through December 2023.

Afghanistan exit

TRUMP CLAIM: Discussing U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, Trump said, “We also left behind $85 billion worth of military equipment.” 

FACT CHECK: False. That’s wrong. 

The United States spent $88.6 billion in Afghanistan providing security assistance over the course of two decades, and only a fraction of it was for hardware. The lion’s share of that is for salaries for members of the Afghan army and national police, FactCheck.org reported.

THE POLLS

TRUMP CLAIM: Trump claimed in his speech that he's leading in Nevada by 14 points. 

FACT CHECK: False. According to 538's polling average, he leads Biden by only 6 points in the Silver State. Even the best poll for Trump gives him only a 10-point lead in Nevada.

Inflation

TRUMP CLAIM: Trump said, "We’ve had the worst inflation we’ve ever had under this person [Biden]." 

FACT CHECK: False. Although inflation is still considered an economic problem for the U.S., the overall rate is nowhere near a record.

Taxes under Biden

TRUMP CLAIM: Trump said of Biden's administration, "This is the only administration that said we're going to raise your taxes by four times what you're paying now." 

FACT CHECK: False. Biden proposes a tax increase of roughly 7% over the next decade, not 300%, as Trump claims. About 83% of the proposed Biden tax increase would be borne by the top 1% of taxpayers, who earn just under $1 million a year in income.