CNN Fact-Checker Daniel Dale Shreds Trump’s Wildest New Claims: ‘Did Not Happen!’

CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale on Sunday shredded the recent whoppers told by President Donald Trump, when he asked his audience, “Remember that?” Except, there was nothing to remember.

“So, Daniel, you’ve been digging into these claims,” began CNN anchor Erica Hill. “The most recent one from President Trump on Thursday saying, ‘Oh, remember when all the TVs went out because there was no wind to power the wind turbines that brought the electricity,” which was an event the president asked us to remember that never actually happened. And it’s not the first time he’s done this.”

“It’s not. The president is making stuff up again!” Dale exclaimed.

“So he’s asking people to recall this massive nationwide television outage caused by the wind not blowing on June 27th, 2024, when he debated Joe Biden,” Dale said. “Did not happen, obviously. He said, ‘Nobody could watch that debate.’ More than 51 million Americans watched that debate on television alone, including people, of course, in the state that produces by far the most wind power, and that is Texas — Republican dominated Texas — then and now the nation’s leader in wind.”

Dale continued:

So there have been at least a few times where he’s asked people explicitly to remember something that absolutely did not occur. For example, last year he said, “Remember when I was at my golf course in Scotland the day of the Brexit vote? And I correctly predicted that Brexit was going to pass in the referendum.’ In fact, he was at that golf course the day after. So obviously couldn’t make a prediction at the time.

And then he has repeatedly offered fake history. This month alone, he’s, at least on two other occasions, told stories that are also made up, one about George Washington and one about the construction of the Panama Canal.

CNN rolled tape of Trump in the Oval Office saying, “George Washington had two desks in his pre-White House. One was — and they were right next to each other — One was for business and one was for the presidency. He had two desks in the same room.”

“When President Trump started telling this, ‘George Washington had two desks‘ story during his first term, I reached out to a number of historians who were experts on George Washington,” Dale said. “They say they have no idea what the president is talking about. George Washington did not have two side-by-side desks, one for business, one for official matters”

Dale added, “So, president making up numbers, making up anecdotes, and making up things he’s asking people to remember even though he made them up.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!