30,573 lies? That's a high number, I don't care who you are.
According to The Washington Post, Donald Trump made more than 30,000 false or misleading claims during his presidency. This extensive tally was part of the paper’s Fact Checker database, which tracked false statements from politicians. By the time Trump left office in January 2021, the Post had logged 30,573 lies, a record-breaking figure for any U.S. president.
One notable pattern in Trump’s false claims was the way he repeatedly doubled down on misinformation, even after it had been fact-checked. His persistence in spreading these falsehoods shaped public opinion, often muddying the waters around important issues. The lies spanned a wide range of topics, from the economy and immigration to foreign policy and, most significantly, the 2020 presidential election.
Trump's most egregious lies began during the COVID-19 pandemic. From the outset, he downplayed the seriousness of the virus, claiming in February 2020 that it was "totally under control" and "will disappear... like a miracle." This messaging was consistently contradicted by public health experts and data, yet Trump’s statements contributed to confusion and a delayed national response. He also repeatedly promoted unproven treatments, like hydroxychloroquine, which was later shown to be ineffective against COVID-19. His false claims about the virus likely had severe consequences, contributing to the public’s misunderstanding of the pandemic's severity.
Perhaps the most dangerous series of falsehoods from Trump involved the 2020 presidential election. After losing to Joe Biden, Trump repeatedly and falsely claimed the election had been "stolen" from him. He pushed baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud and legal irregularities, despite numerous court rulings rejecting these claims. Trump's assertions of a rigged election culminated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, where his supporters attempted to stop the certification of electoral votes. His rhetoric about the election being stolen fueled anger and division, undermining trust in the U.S. electoral system. Even after the violence at the Capitol, Trump continued to repeat these lies, despite overwhelming evidence that the election had been free and fair.
Trump's repeated claims about illegal immigration were also particularly inflammatory. He frequently exaggerated or fabricated statistics about crime rates among immigrants, falsely suggesting that undocumented immigrants were responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime in the U.S. This false narrative helped bolster support for his immigration policies, such as building a border wall and banning travel from certain predominantly Muslim countries. Despite fact-checkers repeatedly debunking his statements, Trump continued to spread this misinformation, which further polarized the debate on immigration.
