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| President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, White House. January 20 | Photo: Reuters |
In his first interview since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump made several false claims during a conversation with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday.
The interview, conducted in the Oval Office, touched on topics such as the 2020 and 2024 elections, immigration, the Capitol riots, and more. Here are 11 notable falsehoods Trump stated during the interview:
11. Capitol Riot Investigation
Trump claimed that the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot deleted all its information, stating that their findings were untrue. However, the committee published an 800-page report and preserved testimony from 140 individuals, debunking Trump’s assertions.
10. Nancy Pelosi's Role
Trump alleged that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi admitted he offered 10,000 troops for January 6 and that her daughter had footage of it. This claim is baseless, as Pelosi has repeatedly denied receiving or rejecting such an offer.
9. Youth Voter Support
Trump claimed 36% support from young voters in the last presidential election. However, CNN exit polls revealed that voters aged 18 to 24 favored Kamala Harris over Trump.
8. 2020 Election Votes
Trump falsely stated he received 75 million votes in the 2020 presidential election. The official count was 74.2 million.
7. Election Legitimacy
Defending the Capitol attack, Trump described the riots as mere protests against a "rigged" election. He falsely claimed the 2020 presidential election was illegitimate, despite no evidence supporting election fraud.
6. Biden Administration and Fraud
Trump accused the Biden administration of electoral fraud and dishonesty. Yet, multiple investigations confirmed that the 2020 election was fair and secure.
5. Immigration Numbers
Trump claimed 21 million immigrants entered the US under Biden’s administration. The accurate figure is closer to 11 million, as of December 2024.
4. Foreign Prisoners
Trump alleged that countries like Venezuela emptied their prisons and sent inmates to the US. This claim lacks evidence and has been consistently disproven.
3. Congo Allegations
Trump made a similar baseless claim about Congo, accusing the country of sending prisoners to the US. Congolese officials have dismissed this as entirely unfounded.
2. Ukraine and Adam Schiff
Trump revisited his false narrative about Ukrainian President Zelensky, alleging that Democrat Adam Schiff fabricated stories about their conversations. However, no such phone call between Trump and Zelensky has been leaked or fabricated.
1. Tax Cuts
Trump claimed he implemented the largest tax cuts in US history during his first term. Experts refute this, noting that his 2017 tax cuts, while significant, were not the largest in history.
Trump’s interview reflects his continued use of falsehoods to shape political narratives, as he has done throughout his career. Critics argue that his pattern of spreading misinformation undermines public trust in government institutions and the democratic process.