AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s shaky claims on virus, Dem misfires

WASHINGTON (AP) — Impatient to return to the marketing campaign path, President Donald Trump dubiously claimed he’s totally recovered and immune from COVID-19, hailed a remedy that isn’t so and declared the coronavirus is “disappearing” whilst instances spiked.

The feedback over the weekend capped every week that featured the one vice presidential debate of 2020 and Trump’s hurried method to leaving his convalescence behind and getting on with the marketing campaign for the Nov. Three election.

With affirmation hearings starting Monday for Supreme Courtroom nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, made an unsubstantiated declare that Abraham Lincoln would’ve waited till after the election to fill the emptiness if he have been in Trump’s footwear.

A have a look at the claims and actuality:

CORONAVIRUS

TRUMP: “I’m immune … It could possibly be a lifetime.” — interview Sunday on Fox Information.

TRUMP: “A complete and full log off from White Home Medical doctors yesterday. Which means I can’t get it (immune), and may’t give it.” — tweet Sunday.

THE FACTS: That’s removed from sure, and Twitter later flagged his tweet with a fact-check warning.

Some medical specialists have been skeptical that Trump could possibly be declared freed from the chance of transmitting the virus so early in the midst of his sickness. Nor can he be utterly assured of immunity following his sickness.

Trump was referring to a memo launched Saturday by the White Home through which Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley stated Trump met the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention standards for safely discontinuing isolation and that by “at present acknowledged requirements” he was now not thought of a transmission danger. The memo didn’t declare Trump had examined unfavorable for the virus.

Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious illness specialist and division chairman on the Yale College of Public Well being, stated the White Home seemed to be following CDC pointers for when it’s applicable to finish isolation after delicate to average instances of COVID-19.

However Ko cautioned that those that have had extreme instances of the ailments ought to isolate for 20 days, not simply 10 days as Trump has finished. He famous that Trump was handled with the steroid dexamethasone, which is generally reserved for sufferers with extreme COVID-19.

Dr. Marc Lipsitch, an infectious illness professional on the Harvard College of Public Well being, stated the physician’s letter doesn’t present sufficient info to be assured that Trump can now not infect others. He stated Trump’s use of steroids may lengthen viral shedding so the CDC’s 10-day normal might not be sufficient.

As to immunity, whereas there’s proof that reinfection in unlikely for no less than three months even for these with a gentle case of COVID-19, only a few ailments depart folks utterly immune for all times. Antibodies are just one piece of the physique’s defenses, and so they naturally wane over time.

“Actually it’s presumptuous to say it’s a lifetime,” Ko stated.

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TRUMP, on the pandemic: “It’s going to vanish; it’s disappearing.” — remarks Saturday.

THE FACTS: There is no such thing as a signal the virus is “disappearing,” or “rounding a nook” as he generally places it, regardless of Trump’s repeated assertions since first making the declare in February, over 214,000 deaths in the past. And it’s actually not what his prime well being advisers say.

“I’m sorry however I’ve to disagree with that,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s prime infectious ailments professional, stated final month, when the U.S. was seeing 40,000 instances a day. The U.S. is now seeing over 57,000 new instances each day, with spikes in quite a few states.

Trump made the declare as he and several other of his aides search to get well from the coronavirus following a possible superspreader occasion final month the place Trump introduced his nomination of Barrett to the Supreme Courtroom. Greater than two dozen folks in attendance that day have since contracted the virus. Trump now plans to return to the marketing campaign path Monday, and officers have signaled Trump’s intention to journey almost on daily basis for the remainder of the marketing campaign.

Fauci has cautioned that individuals mustn’t underestimate the pandemic and they’ll “must hunker down and get via this fall and winter as a result of it’s not going to be straightforward.” He and different well being specialists, resembling Dr. Robert Redfield of the CDC, have warned of a doubtlessly unhealthy fall due to twin threats of the coronavirus and the flu season.

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TRUMP, on those that get COVID-19. “Now what occurs is you get higher. That’s what occurs, you get higher.” — to Fox Enterprise on Thursday.

THE FACTS: As a blanket assurance, that’s clearly false. Most individuals get higher. However greater than 1 million folks worldwide have died from the illness, greater than 214,000 of them within the U.S. The illness additionally might depart many individuals with long-term hurt that isn’t totally understood.

Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Conley, says Trump was exhibiting no proof of his sickness progressing or hostile reactions to the aggressive course of remedy prescribed by his docs. That doesn’t imply he’s over it.

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TRUMP, on the experimental antibodies he was administered: “We’ve a remedy. … I can inform you, it’s a remedy and I’m speaking to you at present due to it.” — chatting with Rush Limbaugh’s radio present by telephone Friday.

THE FACTS: We don’t have a remedy. His assertion is untimely at finest and will elevate false hope. And his current situation can’t be pinned on a selected medication within the mixture of medication he has been given.

Antibody medicine just like the one Trump was given are among the many most promising therapies being examined for treating and stopping coronavirus infections. However the medicines are nonetheless in testing; their security and effectiveness will not be but identified.

Trump was amongst fewer than 10 individuals who have been in a position to entry the Regeneron Prescription drugs drug with out having to enroll in a examine. Eli Lilly and Regeneron Prescription drugs Inc. are each asking the U.S. authorities to permit emergency use of their antibody medicine, which intention to assist the immune system clear the virus.

Trump has routinely made an excessive amount of of promising developments within the pandemic and given weight to bogus theories about easy methods to stop and deal with the illness whereas dismissing the significance of true preventives resembling sporting a masks and staying away from teams of individuals.

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TRUMP: “Flu season is arising! Many individuals yearly, generally over 100,000, and regardless of the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to shut down our Nation? No, we now have realized to dwell with it, similar to we’re studying to dwell with Covid, in most populations far much less deadly!!!” — tweet Tuesday.

THE FACTS: He’s contradicting science and himself.

First, he’s overstating the U.S. loss of life toll from the seasonal flu. The flu has killed 12,000 to 61,000 People yearly since 2010, not 100,000, a benchmark hardly ever reached in U.S. historical past. Greater than 214,000 People have died of COVID-19.

Second, well being officers extensively agree that the coronavirus appears to be no less than a number of occasions extra deadly than seasonal flu. At one level, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the Nationwide Institutes of Well being instructed Congress it could possibly be as a lot as 10 occasions extra deadly.

“There’s completely little question, little question in any respect, that this COVID-19 … is much extra critical than a seasonal flu, little question about that,” Fauci instructed MSNBC final week.

Trump’s tweet additionally flies within the face of what he instructed creator Bob Woodward in February, that the virus was much more lethal than “your strenuous flus,” even whereas suggesting publicly that the pandemic was akin to the flu season. “That is lethal stuff,” he instructed the creator.

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SUPREME COURT

HARRIS, citing precedent for ready to fill a Supreme Courtroom emptiness till after the November election: “Abraham Lincoln was up for reelection, and it was 27 days earlier than the election, and a seat turned open on america Supreme Courtroom. Abraham Lincoln’s get together was in cost, not solely within the White Home, however the Senate. However trustworthy Abe stated it’s not the proper factor to do. The American folks need to make the choice about who would be the subsequent president of america, after which that individual can choose who will serve for a lifetime on the best court docket.” — vice-presidential debate Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Her declare is unsupported.

It’s true that Lincoln didn’t instantly announce a nomination after the chief justice, Roger Taney, died Oct. 12, 1864, simply 27 days earlier than the presidential election.

However there’s no proof that Lincoln stated something as Harris described. His causes for delaying a nomination stay unclear.

“I’d describe Senator Harris’s interpretation as fanciful, primarily based on no proof that I’ve seen in my 36 years conducting analysis on — and writing about — Lincoln,” stated Michael Burlingame, the distinguished chair in Lincoln research on the College of Illinois-Springfield.

Burlingame instructed The Related Press in an e mail Saturday that Lincoln truly delayed a nomination for extra sensible causes — the Senate had been out of session for months when Taney died, and it was not scheduled to reconvene till December, after the election.

Along with his reelection probabilities already trying robust, Lincoln delayed saying his decide of Salmon Chase, a political rival identified for his anti-slavery views, to keep away from offending conservatives and moderates earlier than the election who didn’t share Chase’s “radical” Republican views, in line with Burlingame.

Republicans are pushing ahead with hearings Monday for Barrett, Trump’s decide to interchange the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died final month. Democrats say the Senate ought to wait till after the Nov. Three election to let the winner of the presidential election fill the emptiness. Clearly, they hope the winner might be Joe Biden.

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HEALTH CARE

TRUMP, on Democratic criticism that he has no plan to guard folks with preexisting circumstances: “They know that’s false. … We’re going to shield folks with preexisting circumstances, and so they’re going to pay quite a bit much less cash for the brand new well being care.” — interview Sunday on Fox Information.

THE FACTS: No, there is no such thing as a clear plan. Individuals with preexisting circumstances are already protected by the Obama-era Inexpensive Care Act, and if the Trump administration succeeds in persuading the Supreme Courtroom to overturn it, these protections might be in jeopardy.

Trump has signed an govt order declaring it the coverage of the U.S. authorities to guard folks with preexisting circumstances, however he must return to Congress to work out laws to interchange these “Obamacare” provisions.

Varied Republican approaches supplied in 2017 would have undermined the protections within the ACA, and Trump has not supplied particulars of how his plan would work. Though Trump has been in workplace almost 4 years, he has but to roll out the great well being care proposal he as soon as promised.

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ECONOMY

TRUMP: “The nation is doing properly. We’re trying like a brilliant V.” — Fox interview Sunday.

THE FACTS: Not so.

It’s too quickly to know the form of the restoration — issues are nonetheless fragile.

The Trump administration may level to the inventory market and argue a rebound that resembles a “V.” However the month-to-month job positive aspects have began to gradual in a approach that means the restoration is truly fizzling out with out further authorities support. The poorest People have but to return to work in substantial numbers, whereas the prosperous are doing higher. That has prompted some economists to say the U.S. is definitely in a “Ok-shaped” restoration with the paths diverging between the richest and the poorest.

What is obvious is that almost $Three trillion in authorities support cushioned the blow from the recession. Roughly two-thirds of People have described their private funds nearly as good in polling by AP-NORC Middle for Public Affairs, as direct checks and expanded jobless support helped. However these advantages have run out, inflicting doubts in regards to the trajectory of the economic system.

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FRACKING

TRUMP on Biden: “He will get up and he says, we’re not fracking. We’re not fracking. He was fracking. For six months he was fracking. He was elevating his — his very skinny hand and he was fracking. And now hastily he’s not fracking. … It’s ridiculous. He stated he’s not fracking.” — Thursday to Fox Information.

THE FACTS: It’s OK to be very confused by this.

What Trump was attempting to say is that Biden flip-flopped on whether or not he would ban fracking, although the president skipped the half about banning in his comment. Biden in a 2019 Democratic major debate stated he would ban fracking, however his marketing campaign shortly stated he misspoke and corrected the file. Biden helps banning new oil and fuel leases on public lands however says he doesn’t need a fracking ban and considers such a ban in all probability not possible.

Trump did add on the finish of extra fracking accusations, “They’re going to cease fracking the minute they get into workplace.” That’s false, however it’s the accusation Trump was attempting to make earlier than.

Biden didn’t flip-flop however fairly flubbed his place at one occasion, his marketing campaign stated.

Democrats are divided on fracking and never all of them appreciated the readability that Harris dropped at the problem within the vice presidential debate, when she stoutly declared a Biden administration wouldn’t ban fracking.

“Fracking is unhealthy, truly,” tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

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FROM THE DEBATE

CLIMATE CHANGE

PENCE: “The each of you repeatedly dedicated to abolishing fossil gas and banning fracking. … President Trump has made clear we’re going to proceed to take heed to the science” on local weather change.

THE FACTS: Along with being improper about Biden’s place on fracking, Pence is improper to say Trump follows the science on local weather change. He conspicuously doesn’t.

Trump’s public feedback as president all dismiss the science on local weather change — that it’s brought on by folks burning fossil fuels and it’s worsening sharply. As not too long ago as final month, Trump stated, “I don’t assume science is aware of” what it’s speaking about relating to international warming and the ensuing worsening of wildfires, hurricanes and different pure disasters. He’s ridiculed the science in lots of public feedback and tweets.

As for his actions, his regulation-cutting has eradicated key Obama-era efforts to scale back fossil gas emissions.

Pence is right when he says Harris supported banning fracking. That was when she was operating for president.

At a CNN local weather change city corridor for Democratic presidential candidates final 12 months, Harris stated, “There’s no query I’m in favor of banning fracking. Beginning with what we will do from Day One on public lands.” Now, as Biden’s operating mate, she is sure to his agenda, which is totally different.

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PENCE: The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration “tells us that, truly, as tough as they’re, there aren’t any extra hurricanes at present than there have been 100 years in the past, however lots of the local weather alarmists use hurricanes and wildfires to attempt to promote a invoice of products.”

THE FACTS: He’s evading what science truly says about local weather change and hurricanes. The principle research don’t assert Earth is seeing extra hurricanes than a century in the past. They discover that at present’s hurricanes are worse due to the warming local weather.

Analysis reveals that intensification of the storms has elevated tremendously because the 1980s within the Atlantic and the one rationalization is human-caused local weather change.

An evaluation of 167 years of federal storm knowledge by The Related Press in 2017 discovered that no 30-year interval in historical past has seen this many main hurricanes, with winds larger than 110 mph, this many days of these whoppers spinning within the Atlantic, or this a lot general vitality generated by these highly effective storms.

Such findings are what alarm scientists and a part of what Pence calls alarmist.

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TRADE and TAXES

PENCE: “Joe Biden desires to return to the financial give up to China, that once we took workplace, half of our worldwide commerce deficit was with China alone. And Joe Biden desires to repeal the entire tariffs that President Trump implement to battle for American jobs and American staff.”

THE FACTS: The tariffs weren’t the win claimed by Pence.

For starters, tariffs are taxes that customers and companies pay via larger costs. So Pence is defending tax will increase. The tariffs towards China did trigger the commerce deficit in items with China to fall in 2019. However that’s a Pyrrhic victory at finest as general U.S. financial development slowed from 3% to 2.2% due to the commerce uncertainty.

Extra essential, the Trump administration has not decreased the general commerce imbalance. For all buying and selling companions, the federal government stated the commerce deficit was $576.9 billion final 12 months, almost $100 billion larger than over the last 12 months of Barack Obama’s presidency.

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HARRIS, on Trump’s tax cuts: “On Day 1, Joe Biden will repeal that tax invoice.”

THE FACTS: No, that’s not what Biden proposes. He would repeal a few of it. Nor can he repeal a regulation on his personal, a lot much less on his first day in workplace. Harris additionally stated Biden won’t elevate taxes on folks making below $400,000. If he have been to repeal the Trump tax cuts throughout the board, he could be breaking that promise.

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PANDEMIC

PENCE, on the Sept. 26 Rose Backyard occasion after which greater than 11 attendees examined optimistic for COVID-19: “It was an out of doors occasion, which all of our scientists frequently and routinely advise.”

THE FACTS: His suggestion that the occasion adopted public well being security suggestions is fake. The occasion, introducing Supreme Courtroom nominee Amy Coney Barrett, drew greater than 150 folks and flouted security suggestions in a number of methods. And it was not all outdoors.

“We had a super-spreader occasion within the White Home,” Fauci instructed CBS Radio Information. “And it was in a scenario the place folks have been crowded collectively, weren’t sporting masks.”

The CDC says giant gatherings of people that have traveled from outdoors the realm and aren’t spaced no less than 6 ft aside pose the best danger for spreading the virus.

That’s precisely the kind of high-risk occasion the White Home hosted.

Company have been seated shut collectively, not 6 ft aside, in rows of chairs outdoors. Many have been captured on digicam clapping backs, shaking fingers and speaking, barely at arm’s size.

The CDC additionally “strongly encourages” folks to put on masks, however few within the Rose Backyard wore them. There was additionally a personal reception contained in the White Home after the Rose Backyard ceremony, the place some politicians, together with North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who has since examined optimistic, have been pictured not sporting masks.

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HARRIS on the virus: “The president stated it was a hoax.”

THE FACTS: That’s deceptive.

She’s referring to a Feb. 28 marketing campaign rally in South Carolina through which Trump stated the phrases “the coronavirus” and “that is their new hoax” at separate factors. Though his which means is tough to discern, the broader context of his phrases reveals he was railing towards Democrats for his or her denunciations of his administration’s coronavirus response.

“Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus,” he stated on the rally. “You understand that, proper? Coronavirus. They’re politicizing it.” He meandered briefly to the topic of the messy Democratic major in Iowa, then the Russia investigation earlier than returning to the pandemic. “They tried the impeachment hoax. … And that is their new hoax.”

Requested at a information convention the day after the rally to make clear his remarks, Trump stated he was not referring to the coronavirus itself as a hoax.

“No, no, no.” he stated. ”‘Hoax’ referring to the motion that they take to attempt to pin this on any person, as a result of we’ve finished such a superb job. The hoax is on them, not — I’m not speaking about what’s taking place right here. I’m speaking what they’re doing. That’s the hoax.”

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HARRIS, on the results of the pandemic: “One in 5 companies, closed.”

THE FACTS: That’s not correct, as of now. We don’t know but what number of companies have completely closed — or may accomplish that within the months forward.

What we do know is that the Nationwide Federation of Impartial Enterprise stated in August that 1 in 5 small companies will shut if financial circumstances don’t enhance within the subsequent six months.

Many small companies survived partly via the forgivable loans from the Payroll Safety Program. Bigger employers resembling Disney and Allstate insurance coverage have introduced layoffs, as have main airways. Eating places that survived the pandemic with outside consuming will quickly face the problem of chilly climate. So it’s too quickly to inform what number of companies have closed or will.

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Related Press writers Josh Boak, Ellen Knickmeyer, Seth Borenstein, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Colleen Lengthy and Amanda Seitz contributed to this report.

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EDITOR’S NOTE — A have a look at the veracity of claims by political figures.

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