Trump’s Biggest Lies to Virginians At Last Night’s Debate

Trump’s Biggest Lies to Virginians At Last Night’s Debate

RICHMOND – Last night, Virginians yet again heard even more lies from Donald Trump on the debate stage in what one fact checker called, “ an absolute avalanche of lying.” While Virginians continue to suffer from an unemployment rate twice as high as it was last year, rising COVID infection numbers, and a threat to their health care from a lawsuit to repeal the ACA Trump is backing, the president continued to lie about his agenda and failed to present any concrete plans to solve these problems.

“Virginians have come to expect lies from Trump because he’s been failing to deliver on his promises to our Commonwealth for years, whether it’s about the health care plan that he has still not produced, the economy he says is fantastic in the middle of the largest recession in nearly a century, or even the fact that the virus will just ‘disappear,’” said Hannah Muldavin, Press Secretary for the Democratic Party of Virginia. “Throughout his erratic debate performance Trump continued his egregious and consistent lies to the American people. With just 11 days until the election, Virginians know that there was only one person on the stage last night telling the truth about the plans he has to lead our country, and that was Joe Biden.”

Most Egregious Lies from Trump During the Debate Last Night

Trump said that “we’re rounding the turn” on COVID-19. 

THE REALITY: The numbers don’t lie. Trump’s failed response to the coronavirus has been a disaster for families across the country, and it’s getting worse: Thursday was the highest number of COVID cases reported this year. For months, Trump has downplayed the threat of the coronavirus, ignored the advice of medical experts, and failed to come up with a plan to contain the spread of the virus. Now, cases continue to surge, more than 400,000 small businesses have permanently closed, and millions of Americans are out of work. And all Trump has to say about it is, “we’re learning to live with it.”

• 220,000+: Total number of confirmed coronavirus deaths in America, the highest in the world.
• 8,400,000+: Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in America, also the highest in the world.
• 77,640: Number of new coronavirus cases reported on Thursday, a single-day record.
• 23 Million: Number of Americans receiving unemployment aid.
• 12 Million: Estimated number of Americans who have lost health insurance during the coronavirus pandemic.
• 400,000+: Number of small businesses that have permanently closed due to coronavirus.
• 8 Million: Number of Americans who were pushed into poverty during Trump’s failed coronavirus response.
• 7x: Americans have been seven times more likely to die from coronavirus than residents of other wealthy nations.

Trump is falsely trying to tout opportunity zones as a major accomplishment to helping Black communities. 

THE REALITY: Trump’s opportunity zones are not benefitting Black communities, and they aren’t spurring job creation or helping small businesses like he promised. Instead, they’ve primarily helped wealthy investors like Trump’s family and friends

• Opportunity zones are not benefiting Black communities.
• Opportunity zone tax breaks aren’t spurring job creation or helping small businesses.
• Instead, opportunity zones have been just another windfall for rich investors like Trump’s friends and family.

Trump claimed he has been great for businesses.

THE REALITY: The Trump economy is the worst in nearly a century and while the small businesses that need relief most suffer and shutter, Trump has been quick to give bailouts to wealthy donors and major corporations. 

• More than 400,000 small businesses have shuttered for good, thanks to Trump’s failure to respond to coronavirus and failure to support small businesses suffering from it.
• Trump botched the management of the Paycheck Protection Program, preventing many small firms and minority-owned businesses from getting the help they needed.

Trump repeatedly made false promises to present a health care plan that never fully materialized.

THE REALITY: Trump only announced a health care “vision” that amounts to nothing.

• Trump sought to eliminate the ACA in full, but refused to actually craft an actual replacement plan until after the election.

Trump claimed the U.S. has the cleanest energy and water. 

THE REALITY: The U.S. does not have the cleanest air or water in the world, and air pollution actually rose in the first two years of Trump’s presidency. 

• The 2020 Environmental Performance Index ranks the U.S. 26th in the world for sanitation and drinking water, and 16th for air quality.
• By dismantling clean air and water protections, Trump has done more to eliminate environmental protections than any other president.
• For four consecutive years, Trump proposed massive cuts to the agency responsible for reducing air and water pollution.

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