Hours before former Vice President Joe Biden was scheduled to give his prime-time speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination, President Donald Trump attacked him at length in a speech near Biden’s birthplace.
We’re still going through the transcript, but here are the ones we can tell you about so far: The fairness of the election Trump said of Democrats: « The only way they’re gonna win is by a rigged election. I really believe that. I saw the crowd outside. » Facts First: This is nonsense. Trump is trailing in every major national poll and in many polls of swing states. The existence of Trump supporters does not mean he cannot lose fairly. Biden’s availability to the media Trump said he had seen a news report that said Biden hasn’t taken questions from journalists since July 17. Facts First: We have no idea what Trump might have seen, but the July 17 date is incorrect. Biden took questions during a formal media availability on July 28. He also took questions from a group of four Black and Latino Hispanic journalists on August 4. And he has taken assorted other questions, including in a People magazine joint interview with Sen. Kamala Harris, his vice presidential selection, on August 14. Obama and ‘spying’ Trump repeated his familiar claim that former President Barack Obama got caught spying on his campaign. Facts First: Investigators engaged in lawful surveillance of Trump campaign advisers in 2016. But there is no evidence Obama had any role in this surveillance. Trump has used the word « spying » to describe lawful FBI surveillance of people affiliated with his campaign as part of its investigation into the Trump campaign’s relationship with Russia; the surveillance included court-approved wiretaps and the use of a secret FBI source who reached out to Trump advisers to try to arrange conversations and meetings.
