Fact Checking Donald Trump's Defiant Speech

by JANE C. TIMM

OCT 13 2016

Donald Trump gave a lengthy speech on Thursday, lashing out at the media, rival Hillary Clinton, the U.S. government, and the financial industry for what he said is widespread conspiracy and corruption. He repeatedly claimed that what he was saying was true and factual, and arguing that his critics were incorrect.

But at least four of Trump's key claims were inaccurate.

1). "We've seen this first hand in the WikiLeaks documents, in which Hillary Clinton meets in secret with international banks to plot the destruction of U.S. sovereignty in order to enrich these global financial powers, her special interest friends and her donors. So true."

Clinton does not plot the destruction of the nation in any way during her paid speeches, which Trump inaccurately characterizes as secret. They were private. In one 2013 speech Clinton says her "dream" would be "a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders." She does not say that is her goal in office, or that she believes it could ever be realistic. Her actual proposals identify increased border security as a key goal.

2). "The establishment has trillions of dollars at stake. As an example, just one single trade deal they'd like to pass involves trillions of dollars controlled by many countries, corporations, and lobbyists," Trump said.

Trump says Clinton is at the center of this widespread establishment, but his rival opposes the big trade deal up for approval, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She supported it during negotiations, once calling it the "gold standard," but after the details were decided, she spoke out against it and said she would oppose it as president.

3). "Six months ago the failing New York Times wrote a massive story attacking me. The central witness they used said the story was false, that she was quoted inaccurately; she said that I was a great guy … and never made the remarks."

Rowanne Brewer Lane, the anecdotal lead to that New York Times story, did not dispute any of her quotes in the story; she disputed the characterization of her experience - when Trump asked her to put on a bathing suit and showed her off to friends - and said it was a positive interaction.

4). "The polls are showing us in a dead heat."

No, they don't. While some polls, like the Rasmussen one he cites, showed a dead heat, the majority of the public opinion polls show Trump down in many key states and nationally.