Obviously, most Mexican immigrants are not rapists. And as for the accuracy of Donald Trump’s prediction that he can win the Latino vote, only time — plus a long-shot nomination — can tell. But are the rest of his statements true?
Here, we fact-check four assertions the billionaire businessman made to NBC’s Katy Tur on Wednesday.
1. “Nobody gets as many standing ovations [as I do].” Tur asked Trump why he’s in New York instead of spending time in swing states like his Republican rivals, to which Trump boasted about his familiarity with and popularity in states like Iowa and New Hampshire. But does Trump truly get more standing-Os than anyone else?
Ignoring that it’s a difficult figure to estimate, it has been alleged — and adamantly denied by Trump’s camp — that the former “The Apprentice” host hired actors to attend his presidential campaign launch last month. In an article for Medium.com, author Angelo Carusone cited as evidence anonymous sources and a now-deleted Instagram post that appears to show an actor attending the event. Additionally, a New York-based casting company allegedly sent out a casting call to those willing to wear shirts and hold signs as Trump’s announcement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
So, even if Trump’s assessment of his applause is accurate, it’s tainted by the allegation that his fandom is fake.
2. “I was actually getting more news coverage than anyone else by far.” In a follow-up question, Tur inquired, “[H]ow can anyone take you seriously?” given Trump’s relative lack of campaigning. Seemingly unfazed, Trump insisted that his television appearances rendered him just as competitive as his rivals. But can he accurately claim “more news coverage than anyone else”? Another difficult number to calculate. However, according to figures released by Google on Wednesday, Trump was the most searched 2016 presidential candidate between July 1 and July 7. So while “The Donald” may or may not be garnering more media attention than his GOP rivals, he has certainly captured the attention of the Googling public. RELATED: Trump: ‘I’ll win the Latino vote’ 3. “Yeah, I’m losing some contracts. Who cares?” The fallout from Trump’s comments about Mexican immigrants at his campaign kickoff last month is both undeniable and ongoing. On Wednesday, acclaimed chef José Andrés cancelled plans to open a Spanish restaurant at the upcoming Trump International Hotel at the Old Post Office Building in Washington, D.C. That announcement followed a deluge of backlash against Trump for his controversial remarks: Macy’s, Univision, Serta, and NBC Universal, the parent company of msnbc, have all cut ties with the businessman. Now we’re supposed to believe he doesn’t care. 4. “You wouldn’t even be hearing about immigration if it weren’t for Donald Trump.” Speaking about himself in the third-person, Trump claimed immigration wouldn’t even be a topic of discussion if not for him. If that’s true, it may have something to do with the diminishing border crisis. In the past year, the number of migrant kids fleeing Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador and crossing into the U.S. has been cut by half. Who deserves credit for the dramatic decrease? Certainly, some goes to the Obama administration. Since June 2014, when the surge of undocumented immigrants reached its peak, top administration officials including Vice President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson met with political leaders in those countries to address the border crisis while targeting the networks of smugglers promising, but rarely delivering, safe passage through Mexico.
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