Fact-Checking President Trump’s Interview
Fact-Checking President Trump’s Interview
by Benjy Sarlin
President Donald Trump sat down with Fox's Tucker Carlson for an interview on Wednesday that touched on a variety of topics, from the current Republican push on health care to his unsubstantiated allegations against former President Barack Obama. Here are some of the highlights along with some background on what's going on beneath the surface.
TAX RETURNS
"I don't know where they got it. This guy's been following me for 25 years. He's — he's not much. And I don't know, I have no idea where they got it, but it's illegal, and you're not supposed to have it, and it's not supposed to be leaked."
Background: Trump is referring to David Cay Johnston, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who published portions of Trump's 2005 federal tax return that an unknown source mailed them to him. Trump notes they have a long history, which goes back to his casino days in Atlantic City. This is inconsistent with Trump's initial response to the disclosure, though, in which he called Johnston "a reporter who nobody ever heard of." As Trump notes, it is illegal to leak tax returns, but the courts have historically sided with the press in cases where outlets have published materials of public concern obtained illegally by others.
ECONOMY
"The country's doing, right now, really well. The level of optimism is up highest it's been in 15 years. You see the kind of numbers coming out, it's amazing the enthusiasm."
Background: Trump's correct that there's been a recent surge in consumer confidence, which hit its highest levels since 2001 last month. That said, few of Trump's policies have taken effect and he inherited an economy with a record 75 months of consecutive job growth heading into 2017.
READ MORE: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-hous...
by Benjy Sarlin
President Donald Trump sat down with Fox's Tucker Carlson for an interview on Wednesday that touched on a variety of topics, from the current Republican push on health care to his unsubstantiated allegations against former President Barack Obama. Here are some of the highlights along with some background on what's going on beneath the surface.
TAX RETURNS
"I don't know where they got it. This guy's been following me for 25 years. He's — he's not much. And I don't know, I have no idea where they got it, but it's illegal, and you're not supposed to have it, and it's not supposed to be leaked."
Background: Trump is referring to David Cay Johnston, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who published portions of Trump's 2005 federal tax return that an unknown source mailed them to him. Trump notes they have a long history, which goes back to his casino days in Atlantic City. This is inconsistent with Trump's initial response to the disclosure, though, in which he called Johnston "a reporter who nobody ever heard of." As Trump notes, it is illegal to leak tax returns, but the courts have historically sided with the press in cases where outlets have published materials of public concern obtained illegally by others.
ECONOMY
"The country's doing, right now, really well. The level of optimism is up highest it's been in 15 years. You see the kind of numbers coming out, it's amazing the enthusiasm."
Background: Trump's correct that there's been a recent surge in consumer confidence, which hit its highest levels since 2001 last month. That said, few of Trump's policies have taken effect and he inherited an economy with a record 75 months of consecutive job growth heading into 2017.
READ MORE: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-hous...
