Live fact-checking thread of Trump’s Michigan rally 3/28/19

THREAD: We're fact-checking President @realDonaldTrump's speech tonight in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Trump is expected to cover AG Barr's summary of the Mueller report, increased apprehensions on the border and auto manufacturing #TrumpGrandRapids #GrandRapidsRally pic.twitter.com/VjL9tDj6a7
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) March 28, 2019

Fact check: At his Michigan rally, President Trump misstated the findings of the Mueller investigation, misleadingly promised to protect patients with pre-existing conditions and falsely described funding for a restoration program for the Great Lakes https://t.co/BwXEoUSckx
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 29, 2019

"If you wanted a taste of President Trump’s 2020 Make America Great Again Again pitch, you got a steaming farrago of it in Grand Rapids on Thursday: boasting, horseshit, and red meat, spiced with outright lies," writes @TheRickWilson https://t.co/hKdRGXGSXg
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) March 30, 2019

Eh they probably had a guess? https://t.co/GPujGOdcgm
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 28, 2019

Trump is out of control now that he thinks he has been cleared.

Trump says Democrats need to decide if they're going to continue to defraud the public "with ridiculous *bullshit*"
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) March 28, 2019

A disgrace. https://t.co/3WsrEHOW1x
— Nicholas Burns (@RNicholasBurns) March 29, 2019

President Trump made a lot of claims during his Grand Rapids rally, and not all of them were true: https://t.co/SoN5ksFzJi
— WOOD TV8 (@WOODTV) March 29, 2019

Fact check: President again twists truth and bends reality as supporters roar in key state https://t.co/Q3JEAJZEIj via @RollCall
— John T. Bennett (@BennettJohnT) March 29, 2019

Trump said Democrats want open borders. Here's our previous check on a similarly false claim https://t.co/oloyREp7rb
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) March 29, 2019

Less than two minutes into President Donald Trump’s speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he lied about special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report.https://t.co/EPVEJ8DzUj
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) March 30, 2019

Trump said last night he won Michigan even though Barack Obama "and Michelle" campaigned there at the last minute.

Michelle Obama didn't campaign there. This is the second place Trump has falsely said Michelle campaigned and lost, along with Georgia in the 2018 governor race.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 29, 2019

"Trump did not seem so much a vindicated president as a vengeful one, whose political calculus involved none of the reaching out to disaffected voters that more conventional politicians might attempt at such a moment," writes @sbg1 https://t.co/m9X1J8ECh6
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) March 29, 2019

This is the same crazy lie that Meghan Mccain was spouting on The View. https://t.co/ZsYSvshX6T
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) March 29, 2019

The State Department may have lied

Senate Foreign Relations Dems are calling for an investigation into the cancellation of @JessikkaAro's International Women of Courage Award and are calling into question the @StateDept explanation it was an error (w/ @mkraju) https://t.co/y1WecGLURN
— Jennifer Hansler (@jmhansler) March 28, 2019

Trump wants to destroy the ACA to please his base

He doesn’t care what happens to people who would be affected by the end of the ACA which include many of his cult members.

How did #Trump decide to have his administration support a wacky lawsuit to destroy the #AffordableCareAct?
"It does not appear that questions about the law or the real-world impact" of the lawsuit "weighed heavily on Trump’s mind."@ThePlumLineGS
Why does this not surprise us? https://t.co/Q8Wg0TrIEI
— EJ Dionne (@EJDionne) March 28, 2019

"Either Trump actually believes Republicans will come up with a plan to mitigate all this damage (in which case he’s dangerously incurious about the policy complexities involved), or he doesn’t care if they do not (in which case he’s dangerously venal and reckless)." https://t.co/e02sYdbmwT
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) March 28, 2019

White House has no 'fresh' health care proposal, but plans to send one to Congress this year https://t.co/MzlThQG7kL
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) March 28, 2019

The fate of Obamacare could — once again — hinge on the Supreme Court, which has installed two conservative justices since it voted to uphold the landmark health-care law. If the courts were to overturn the ACA, around 20 million Americans would lose their health coverage.
— Eugene Scott (@Eugene_Scott) March 27, 2019

BREAKING: ACA enrollment numbers are out just as Trump aims to eliminate it.

11.4 million enrolled. Rates down 1.5%.
— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) March 28, 2019

Trump won’t publicize the rate decrease.

Worth remembering that after the government shutdown + last failed ACA repeal vote, McConnell is happy to let Trump own his own thoughts. https://t.co/rS30r0Ymwh
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 28, 2019

Trump says he's asked a small group of senators including Barrasso, Cassidy and Scott to come up with a "spectacular" health care plan. Says plan is being worked on "now" but "there's no very great rush" as Texas Ocare case is still in court. https://t.co/BOgkLQYil4
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) March 28, 2019

Republicans have tried and failed to come up with a plan.

I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to protect the millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions, stabilize the ACA and make health care more affordable. With 6 bills advancing in @EnergyCommerce’s markup yesterday, we are fighting to #ProtectOurCare pic.twitter.com/20N8iqhQR4
— Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) March 28, 2019

Michigan, in your state:

✅618,000 have gained coverage from the ACA
✅4.1 mm have a pre-ex condition
✅Medicaid expansion has kept rural hospitals alive

Trump is holding a rally in MI tonight as he aims to end your coverage.

This will shadow Trump every place he goes. 👀
— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) March 28, 2019

One of Trump’s health-care initiatives intended to undermine Obamacare suffers a crucial defeat https://t.co/ltXoslpVUK
— Bloomberg (@business) March 28, 2019

In light of renewed ACA repeal talks, I looked at the most recent CCES data. (n=59,899).

Repealing the ACA is unpopular. Support among moderates is comfortably below 50% and only the most extreme conservatives support at a rate as intense as the least extreme liberals oppose. pic.twitter.com/PVj4i7We6v
— Faith Davenport (@faithjdavenport) March 28, 2019

More Trump lies

Trump made 57 false claims last week. He made 28 in a speech to workers at an Ohio tank factory. He got fact-checked by a cathedral. https://t.co/HyAGCTFowH
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 27, 2019

The thing that astonishes me still is that so many of the false statements are easily checkable. They are not complicated to check. https://t.co/vqXRZAV88K
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) March 28, 2019

The President’s campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, top national security advisor, personal lawyer and fixer, and even the “coffee boy”, all convicted of felonies. Roger Stone arrested and indicted. And @PressSec calls that vindication?
Is she high, or does she just lie?
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) March 26, 2019

This is a brazen lie. Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner spoke to a Kremlin emissary! Manafort spoke to a Russian intelligence associate!Michael Cohen spoke to Putin’s office! All secretly. And there were multiple lies about all this. All proven. She is gaslighting. https://t.co/qGx7xedMyU
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 26, 2019

How do they lie like this? The campaign had over 100 contacts with Russians. https://t.co/IaLqh7AO4R
— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) March 27, 2019

His staff lies like Trump

Without evidence, President Trump made a stunning insinuation today that he was illegally targeted by the Obama administration.

But the conspiracy theory falls apart because nothing about the FBI's case ever leaked. Voters did not know his campaign was under investigation. pic.twitter.com/NAfAc4XMzr
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) March 27, 2019

He’s told the wiretapping lie many times before.

The way Sean Hannity and Trump talk about the beginning of the Russia probe is pretty distant from what we actually know about it. https://t.co/LEcHkmJPvu
— Philip Bump (@pbump) March 28, 2019

They’re lying.

President @realDonaldTrump said of Michael Flynn: "The FBI said he wasn't lying."

The agents who interviewed Michael Flynn about his contacts with the Russian ambassador said he did not appear to be lying. But Flynn lied to them, he pled guilty to it. https://t.co/NPrDZfdkod pic.twitter.com/pe3gLWFRdE
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) March 28, 2019

The initial White House statement on the Barr letter argued that Barr’s decision amounted to an exoneration on obstruction even if Mueller himself refused to exonerate. Which is at least debatable.

Now Trump is simply lying that the Mueller report itself said “no obstruction.” pic.twitter.com/q3y5ACYRG9
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 26, 2019

https://twitter.com/Weinsteinlaw/status/1111392176448172032

"We're building massive, many, many miles of wall, right now," Trump lies. No new miles have been built, only replacement or reinforcement fencing.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 28, 2019

Trump lies that using BleachBit to delete emails, as Clinton's team did, is "a very expensive process." It is free software.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 28, 2019

Trump continues to lie that NBC deceptively edited or shortened his comments to Lester Holt about the Comey firing.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 28, 2019

New Trump cult cheer

She has become the new GOP bogeyman. Remarkable. https://t.co/3TQB7wdFRA
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) March 28, 2019

Trump and Republicans make unfounded attacks on Schiff

You know what? I'd rather stick my neck out, and be criticized by this president

than bury my head in the sand, and be judged by history.

If only more of my GOP colleagues could find the courage to do the same. https://t.co/vTRptPzIRD
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) March 29, 2019

They’re the liars. It’s pathetic how congressional Republicans just fall in line with Trump’s baseless attacks.

Trump’s the one loves Putin, our enemy. Schiff is a patriot.

I support Adam Schiff.

I say this to the President, and his defenders in Congress:

You may think it’s okay how Trump and his associates interacted with Russians during the campaign.

I don’t.

I think it’s immoral. I think it’s unethical. I think it’s unpatriotic. And yes, I think it’s corrupt. pic.twitter.com/nTdgRVfssQ
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 28, 2019

Trump is saying that it's okay for him to lie, but not for Schiff to lie.

This isn't hypocrisy that Trump inadvertently lapsed into by sloppily accusing someone else of something he does constantly. The declaration that the rules are different for him is *the whole point.* https://t.co/MCeipZo6ov
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) March 28, 2019

Dem. Rep. Jackie Speier reacts to Republicans calling for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff to resign: “I think that what happened today was a scripted program by the President of the United States who tweeted this morning about Mr. Schiff” https://t.co/TSghdWmL5t pic.twitter.com/I9FIvq61Qr
— CNN (@CNN) March 28, 2019

It's really very shocking to see someone like Will Hurd, who typically conducts himself with great deal of integrity, go along with signing a letter like this. https://t.co/Yvtcpj7EQ4
— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) March 28, 2019

I agree. I thought Hurd was better than this.

It takes remarkable bad faith to pretend to want to return to bipartisanship, after Rs weaponized this committee in a profound betrayal of the public trust, solely to harass a legitimate law enforcement investigation into an attack on our democracy, all to shield a GOP president. https://t.co/GtwMEotzB2
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) March 28, 2019

The typically soft-spoken Schiff responded angrily after Republicans called on the House intel chairman to step down, accusing them of ignoring evidence that the Trump team tried to accept Russia's help in 2016 https://t.co/wohWUaDOc9
— POLITICO (@politico) March 28, 2019

Adam Schiff goes off, lists the Trump Tower meeting, sharing of polling data, call to hack Clinton, Kushner back channel, and more: "You might say that's all OK … I think it's unpatriotic. And yes, I think it's corrupt and evidence of collusion." pic.twitter.com/ak4XxM6cvF
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 28, 2019

GOP on House Intel bashing Schiff at hearing, with all nine GOP signing letter saying he's "damaged the integrity" of committee and they have "no faith" in him

Schiff cites Trump Tower meeting, Manafort mtgs, Stone/WikiLeaks: "You might say that's OK .. I don't think that's OK"
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 28, 2019

Barr auditioned for the job with a memo saying a president cannot obstruct justice.

Last weekend, Barr did the job he was hired to do, and attempted to exonerate the President on obstruction.

The American people must see the full Mueller Report, not a biased summary. https://t.co/vXGPGEtNX3
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 27, 2019

Drunk shoppers spend $48 billion per year

Drunk shoppers are spending $48 BILLION per year. pic.twitter.com/HGINpfIpUL
— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) March 28, 2019

Trump inflated his net worth

This is a great investigation by the Washington Post. Trump lies and lies and lies.

NEW: How did @realDonaldTrump inflate his net worth to lenders?
–Added 10 stories to Trump Tower.
–Added 800 acres to his winery.
–Added 24 ready-to-sell lots to his property in CA.
We've got (some of the) inflated docs investigators now want to see. https://t.co/cNfKTsSlrW
— David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) March 28, 2019

Great tweet by Monica Lewinsky

if. fucking. only. https://t.co/6N7SFiKRln
— Monica Lewinsky (@MonicaLewinsky) March 27, 2019

Trump administration doesn’t have a replacement plan for the ACA (Obamacare)

Trump hates Obama so much he wants to get rid of the ACA even though it keeps increasing in popularity. They are fine with having millions of people lose health care. Fortunately, the public does not agree with the Republicans. This is a bad move for them (which is fine with me!)

It’s also alarming that the Justice Department is unwilling to support a law passed by Congress. Trump supporters are quick to say “elections have consequences” when we complain about their judicial picks but in this case the public elected the people who passed the ACA. The Trump administration couldn’t get Congress to overturn the ACA. The government should enforce the law.

"AG Barr was supposed to be a voice of reason … . An old Washington hand, he had the stature and the backbone to protect the Justice Dept from a White House that often seems to disdain the rule of law.

Turns out it isn’t so."

My latest, in @nytimes: https://t.co/Z0lANzCLrF
— Nicholas Bagley (@nicholas_bagley) March 27, 2019

A longer meditation on the GOP plan to let Democrats do 2018 all over https://t.co/zOnlONX7CR
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) March 26, 2019

A month ago, 2020 looked like it might be a referendum on single-payer. But with Trump shifting toward ACA repeal and more Democrats converging on a public option, it looks like it might be about Obamacare repeal versus Obamacare repair. https://t.co/2PUI3VXU9S
— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) March 27, 2019

"President Trump really has chutzpah to say 'oh well we're going to come up with an alternative plan that's better than Obamacare.' Really?" Zeke Emanuel, an Obamacare architect, says GOP "may very well" be handing 2020 to Dems with latest health care push https://t.co/EWZ9tUdWSx pic.twitter.com/JNfxRQlSaM
— CNN (@CNN) March 27, 2019

Republicans are horrified as Trump goes after Obamacare—again https://t.co/xcpvp7snIn
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) March 27, 2019

WATCH: Chief of Staff to Mike Pence Marc Short joins MTP Daily to discuss the White House pivoting to health care and says “you should rest assured that 20 million Americans will certainly not be without health insurance." #MTPDaily https://t.co/mCdDZJBM9s pic.twitter.com/PH0dBh2LqI
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 27, 2019

This is a lie. They have no plan.

Trump’s budget already has a plan- replace the #ACA with Graham – Cassidy block grants, block grant Medicaid and cut federal spending for both by $775 billion over ten years. Is that no longer operative three weeks later? https://t.co/hFCIAKiUSL
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) March 27, 2019

Here's the big question to Trump: How do you keep pre-existing conditions without a plan AND when you're trying to get rid of the law that protects that? https://t.co/uugqOPvlwz
— Chris Matthews (@HardballChris) March 27, 2019

ACA numbers are huge:
-More than 11 million people signed up for 2019 on Obamacare exchanges
-More than 12 million insured through Medicaid expansion
-52 million have condition that could have made them uninsurable before Obamacare took effect
All told, more than 1 in 5 Americans
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) March 27, 2019

After a heated meeting, Trump sided with Mulvaney over the concerns of Pence, Barr and Cipollone to press for court ruling overturning Obamacare. ⁦@maggieNYT⁩ ⁦@ropear⁩ https://t.co/2maCwZFsdx ⁦⁦
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) March 27, 2019

The Attorney General did not agree with the plan to eliminate Obamacare

Donald Trump pledged to have a plan “far better than Obamacare” should the Supreme Court rule in the White House’s favor and strike down the entire Affordable Care Act https://t.co/WyIzRliMuS
— POLITICO (@politico) March 27, 2019

He’s just being his usual huckster liar self

After golfing with Lindsey Graham & listening to Mulvaney, Trump wants to revive health care fight. Telling lawmakers it's his biggest vulnerability. GOP is not nearly as excited & is seeking to change his mind. White House has little plan. w/@rachaelmbade https://t.co/29d3N6lf7E
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) March 27, 2019

New from President Trump on health care:

"If the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, we'll have a plan that is far better than Obamacare," he says in the Oval Office per pooler @toddgillman

Note-there is NO Republican replacement plan at this time.
— Karen Travers (@karentravers) March 27, 2019

.@JoeNBC on health care: "The reason why Donald Trump should stay away from it – is because it is the one issue that has proven the intellectual bankruptcy of the Republican party – how they are void of ideas. They started running against Obamacare in 2009, a decade later." pic.twitter.com/EqRWaSjmDc
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 27, 2019