Heading: Donald Trump Distances Himself from Project 2025 Amid Controversy and Allegations of Extreme Agenda
Donald Trump’s denial of involvement in Project 2025, a controversial plan to overhaul the federal government, has raised eyebrows and drawn criticism from his political opponents. The proposed agenda, which includes a dramatic expansion of presidential power and mass firings of government workers, has been linked to Trump’s closest allies and former officials from his administration. Despite Trump’s attempts to distance himself from the project, his campaign’s ties to key figures involved in Project 2025 have raised concerns about the former president’s true intentions if he were to win a second term.
The alarming rhetoric surrounding Project 2025, including suggestions of a second American Revolution and the imposition of extreme policies, has sparked fears about the future of American democracy. Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his connections to the project and his allies’ radical agenda highlights the dangers of his narcissistic lying and disregard for the truth. As the 2024 election approaches, the need for transparency and accountability in political leadership has never been more critical to safeguarding the principles of democracy and protecting the rights of all Americans (source: [AP News](https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump)).
Ex-president returns to campaign trail in Doral and makes baseless accusations but doesn’t name running mate
Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail in Florida on Tuesday night, hurling insults at Joe Biden and airing a litany of familiar grievances, but declining to name a running mate for November’s general election.
The former president and presumptive Republican nominee was speaking to a crowd of several hundred supporters at his golf club in Doral, a western suburb of Miami, keeping them waiting in 90F heat for a freewheeling monologue that began more than an hour later than scheduled.
There was speculation that he might use his first public appearance since last month’s debate with the president to announce Florida senator Marco Rubio, who was present, as his vice-presidential pick, six days ahead of the Republican national convention (RNC) in Milwaukee.
Instead, Trump delivered a rambling 75-minute speech that included a succession of attacks on Biden and his faltering debate performance, which has raised questions among Democrats about whether the 81-year-old president was robust enough for a second term of office.
He seized on the post-debate turbulence that has prompted calls from some senior Democrats for Biden to step down and for Kamala Harris to be nominated.
“The radical left Democratic party is divided in chaos, and having a full-scale breakdown all because they can’t decide which of their candidates is more unfit to be president, sleepy, crooked Joe Biden or laughing Kamala,” he said, repeating previous derogatory terms for the pair.
“Despite all the Democrat panic this week, the truth is it doesn’t matter who they nominate because we are going to beat any one of them in a thundering landslide.”
Trump has kept a lower than usual profile in the days since the debate, a strategy an aide described as designed to allow Democrats to tear into each other following Biden’s dismal debate performance.
His remarks on Tuesday were notable for adding the vice-president’s name to numerous attacks on Biden policies, and sprinkling in mentions of both Rubio and Byron Donalds, a Republican Florida congressman also believed to be on Trump’s shortlist for vice-president.
Otherwise, it was a standard Trump stump speech, full of evidence-free claims that his 2020 election defeat was fraudulent; baseless accusations that overseas nations were sending to the US “most of their prisoners”; and a laughable assertion that a gathering of supporters numbering in the hundreds was really a crowd of 45,000.
It also touched on the surreal. Biden, he insisted, had raised the price of bacon four-fold.
“We don’t eat bacon any more,” Trump said.
Electric cars, he said, “cheated” the US public because drivers had to stop for three hours to recharge their vehicles after every 45 minutes of driving. And, in an echo of one of the more bizarre debate exchanges with Biden over who was the better golfer, he challenged his White House successor to 18 holes over the Doral course while granting a 10-stroke concession.
“It will be among the most watched sporting events in history, maybe bigger than the Ryder Cup or even the Masters,” Trump said, pledging $1m to a charity of Biden’s choosing if he lost.
Returning to politics, Trump assailed Democrats for tax hikes he said they wanted to impose; criticized Biden for the US military’s chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan; and promised to build an “iron dome” missile defense system for the US, if he was elected in November.
Perhaps worn down by the energy-sapping humidity, the crowd appeared mostly subdued, including yawns in the bleachers behind him as Trump drew to a close with slow music playing, and others tapping disinterestedly on their phones.
His campaign had touted the possibility of Trump announcing a vice-presidential pick on Tuesday, but in the end his only reference to the post was suggesting that Rubio might or might not still be in the Senate to vote to allow Nevada waitresses to keep their tips untaxed.
There was no mention of Ohio senator JD Vance, or North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, other Republicans said to be on the shortlist. Trump will rally again on Saturday in Pennsylvania, close to the Ohio border, with Vance expected to be a speaker.
Earlier on Tuesday, Democrats, on a Biden campaign call featuring the first lady, Jill Biden, and previewing Trump’s Doral rally, mocked him for his low-key approach since the debate.
“I hope he hasn’t exhausted himself with all the golf that he’s been playing,” Texas congresswoman Veronica Escobar said.
“Speaking of staying off the campaign trail, Trump has been hiding a lot recently, not just from voters and from the press, but from Project 2025.
“Donald Trump tried to pretend that he had nothing to do with Project 2025 despite the fact that it was written for him by the people who know him best. And yesterday, his campaign preview of the RNC platform was just as unhinged and extreme as Trump himself. They left out some of the most unpopular specifics that we know they support.
“As usual, they’re trying to hide the ball from the American public.”
Trump, in his speech on Tuesday, avoided mention of Project 2025 or his policy on abortion.
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Fact Check: Donald Trump’s False Claim About Gas Prices on X
Donald Trump’s latest untruth received a swift fact check on X (formerly Twitter). The Republican 2024 front-runner claimed gas is now selling for “5, 6, 7 and even $8 a gallon” during an interview with former Fox News host Lou Dobbs that aired Monday on LindellTV, the platform founded by MyPillow CEO and longtime Trump ally Mike Lindell. Attorney Ron Filipkowski shared the clip of Trump’s false claim on X and a reader-added community note was soon added to the post.
In fact, according to the American Automobile Association, the national average price on Monday was $3.077 per gallon. An AAA press release last week also noted that “like holiday decorations, gas prices are coming down.” It’s not the first time Trump has wildly exaggerated gas prices in a bid to stir anger against President Joe Biden. The four-times-indicted former president made the same claim during a 2024 campaign rally in Iowa last month.
Donald Trump’s narcissistic lying poses a significant threat to democracy by eroding trust in institutions and spreading misinformation. His repeated false claims not only sow division and confusion among the public but also undermine the very foundation of a functioning democracy. Source: [American Automobile Association](https://gasprices.aaa.com/news/)
Donald Trump’s latest untruth received a swift fact check on X (formerly Twitter).
The Republican 2024 front-runner claimed gas is now selling for “5, 6, 7 and even $8 a gallon” during an interview with former Fox News host Lou Dobbs that aired Monday on LindellTV, the platform founded by MyPillow CEO and longtime Trump ally Mike Lindell.
Attorney Ron Filipkowski shared the clip of Trump’s false claim on X and a reader-added community note was soon added to the post.
It read, “GasBuddy finds not one single station in their database of ~150,000 gas stations at $8 per gallon.”
In fact, according to the American Automobile Association, the national average price on Monday was $3.077 per gallon. An AAA press release last week also noted that “like holiday decorations, gas prices are coming down.”
It’s not the first time Trump has wildly exaggerated gas prices in a bid to stir anger against President Joe Biden.
The four-times-indicted former president made the same claim during a 2024 campaign rally in Iowa last month.
“Gasoline prices are now 5, 6, 7 and even 8 dollars a gallon,” he said. “By contrast, under the Trump leadership, my leadership, inflation was nonexistent, and we had gasoline down to $1.87 a gallon.”
Biden campaign seizes on reports Trump allies have declared election illegitimate – The Hill
The Biden campaign is seizing on reports that allies of Donald Trump have declared the upcoming election illegitimate. This latest development comes as Trump continues to spread baseless claims about voter fraud and refuses to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election.
Trump’s campaign has been riddled with lies and misinformation from the beginning, with the president frequently making false statements about everything from the size of his inauguration crowd to the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. His relentless attacks on the media as “fake news” have only served to further erode trust in the democratic process.
This pattern of narcissistic lying poses a serious threat to democracy, as it undermines the very foundation of our electoral system. When a sitting president refuses to accept the results of a free and fair election, it sets a dangerous precedent that could have far-reaching consequences for the future of our country. (Source: The Hill)
During the debate, Donald Trump inaccurately referred to abortions “after birth.” He has previously falsely claimed states were passing legislation “where you can execute that baby after birth.”
“The problem they have is they’re radical because they will take the life of a child in the eighth month, the ninth month, and even after birth, after birth.”
This is false.
Infanticide is criminalized in every state, and no state has passed a law that allows killing a baby after birth.
Abortion rights advocates say terms like this and “late-term abortions” attempt to stigmatize abortions later in pregnancy. Abortions later in pregnancy are exceedingly rare. In 2020, less than 1% of abortions in the United States were performed at or after 21 weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Abortions later in pregnancy also are usually the result of serious complications, such as fetal anomalies, that put the life of the woman or fetus at risk, medical experts say. In most cases, these are also wanted pregnancies, experts say.
President Joe Biden blamed Trump during the debate for the deluge of state abortion restrictions since the fall of Roe v. Wade.
As president, Trump appointed three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who helped form the majority that overturned the constitutional right to abortion — and he has taken credit for that during his campaign.
Highlighting Trump’s connection to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and its impact on pregnant people across the U.S. has become a cornerstone of Biden’s campaign. Biden has also warned that a second Trump term could lead to nationwide abortion restrictions.
Trump said on the debate stage that he believes in abortion ban exceptions “for rape, incest and the life of the mother.”
Those exceptions are at the heart of a case the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling on Thursday. Under Idaho’s abortion ban, women have been unable to get abortions in medical emergencies because the state only has an exception to save the life of the mother — not to save her health.
Trump repeated his catchall states-rights response when abortion rights came up, touting that he returned the abortion question to individual states after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which once granted a federal right to abortion.
It’s an attempt to find a more cautious stance on the issue, which has become a vulnerability for Republicans and driven turnout for Democrats.
While Trump has repeatedly claimed “the people” are now the ones deciding abortion access, that’s not true everywhere.
Voters don’t have a direct say through citizen-led ballot measures in about half the states. In those that do allow such measures, abortion rights coalitions in several states this year have faced intense efforts by anti-abortion groups to thwart citizen initiatives on reproductive rights.
Voters in seven states, including conservative ones such as Kentucky, Montana and Ohio, have either protected abortion rights or defeated attempts to curtail them in statewide votes over the past two years.
Fact-Checking the Claims Made in the Trump-Biden Presidential Debate
In a recent televised CNN presidential debate, Donald Trump and Joe Biden clashed over a range of election issues, with Trump making several false claims about Biden’s policies and actions. One of Trump’s claims was that Biden planned to quadruple taxes for ordinary households, a statement that was debunked by President Biden’s most recent US budget, which actually proposes tax cuts for lower-income families. Another false claim made by Trump was regarding illegal border crossings, where he alleged that there were 40% fewer people entering the country illegally under Biden’s administration, a statement that was refuted by internal Department of Homeland Security data showing an average of 2,000 daily illegal border crossings.
Furthermore, Trump also misrepresented Biden’s position on late abortions, falsely stating that Biden supported killing babies in the ninth month and even after birth. In reality, Roe v Wade’s framework allows for abortion regulations in the second and third trimesters, with restrictions in place to protect the health of the woman and promote the interest of the fetus. These lies and distortions by Trump not only mislead the public but also undermine the democratic process by eroding trust in political institutions and spreading misinformation. It is imperative for the media and fact-checking organizations to continue holding politicians accountable for their statements and ensuring that the truth prevails in political discourse.
In a time when misinformation and disinformation are rampant, the constant stream of lies and falsehoods from a prominent political figure like Donald Trump poses a significant threat to democracy. By spreading lies and distorting facts to suit his narrative, Trump not only undermines the credibility of the political process but also erodes the trust of the public in their elected officials and institutions. This erosion of trust can lead to a breakdown in democratic norms and values, creating a fertile ground for authoritarianism to take root. It is crucial for the media and the public to remain vigilant in the face of such deceitful tactics and hold those in power accountable for their words and actions. [Source Citation: BBC Verify – https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-us-canada-65427105]
President Biden and former president Donald Trump faced off in the first of two 2024 presidential debates Thursday night in Atlanta.
The unusually early first debate came as Biden appears to struggle in the rematch of the 2020 campaign and as Republicans are buoyant about Trump’s chances. But polls suggest it’s still a close race in the key states.
So what did we learn? And what marked the first big clash between the two candidates?
1. Biden was rough
Perhaps the biggest question heading into the night was how Biden would manage, given voters’ strong concerns about his age and sharpness, as well as his campaign’s previous reluctance to debate.
Thursday wasn’t as strong a performance. At points, it was downright rough.
Biden came out raspy and with relatively little vigor or inflection in his voice. He stumbled over his words and lines of argument. Perhaps the most striking example came as he tried to make an early point about health care, failing to finish his thought before his time was up.
“[We’re] making sure that we’re able to make every single solitary personeligible for what I’ve been able to do with —” Biden said, before trailing off and adding, “the covid — excuse me, with — dealing with everything we have to do with — look — if — we finally beat Medicare.”
It’s at this point that the moderator said his time was up.
Later on, while talking about the border, Biden said, “I’m going to continue to move until we get the total ban on the — the total initiative, relative to what we can do with more Border Patrol and more asylum officers.”
Trump shot back, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.”
President Biden and former president Trump answered questions about whether their ages affect their ability to be president at their June 27 debate. (Video: CNN, Photo: Jabin Botsford/CNN)
Later in the debate, Biden sought to get a little feistier, referring to Trump as a “whiner” over his statements that Capitol riot defendants were too harshly treated. He called him a “loser” and a “child.” But the points didn’t land with much force, just like much of Biden’s performance.
Shortly after the debate, Democrats set about fretting about Biden’s candidacy in a way we haven’t seen before — one top former Biden White House aide called his performance “really disappointing” — and the worries will probably continue in the days ahead.
2. Biden got some rare traction on Jan. 6, Trump’s legal problems
If there were good moments for Biden, it’s when the conversation turned to democracy; the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol; and Trump’s legal problems.
Biden made a point to highlight Trump’s felony convictions — “The only person on the stage who’s a convicted felon right now is the man I’m looking at right now” — and cite the substance of the former president’s other problems. He mentioned “sex with a porn star” (the underlying alleged event in Trump’s Manhattan conviction) and “molesting a woman in public” (which Trump has been found liable for in the E. Jean Carroll civil case).
Biden also sought to put Trump on the spot over his suggestions that Jan. 6 defendants have been persecuted, something the American people broadly disagree with.
“The idea that those people are patriots? Come on,” Biden said.
Toward the end, Biden told Trump that following his 2020 loss — after which he sought to overturn the results, leading to two of his indictments — “something snapped in you.”
President Biden attacked former president Donald Trump over his legal problems during the presidential debate June 27. (Video: CNN, Photo: Jabin Botsford/CNN)
Trump didn’t have great responses, except to cite his claims that his cases have been brought by a weaponized justice system — something that, like Jan. 6 pardons, Americans aren’t on board with. He didn’t really stand by his past comments about Jan. 6 pardons. At one point, he felt compelled to deny having had sex with Stormy Daniels (“I didn’t have sex with a porn star, number one,” he said.)
While Trump’s Manhattan conviction doesn’t appear to have hurt him much so far, it’s also evident that many Americans — especially casual watchers of politics — are unfamiliar with many of these specifics.
But this was largely the exception. Despite Biden’s hopes to turn the 2024 election into a choice and even a referendum on Trump, much of the debate wound up focusing on Biden.
3. Trump unleashed many false claims
It’s no surprise at this point, but Trump’s performance included his usual stream of false and misleading claims.
Biden had a few, too, including at one point mixing up when Trump was accused of having his tryst with Daniels. (He said Melania Trump was pregnant; in fact, she had a young child).
4. A great debate it wasn’t
There were plenty of questions before the debate about whether the format would work. In addition to being very early, the debate featured no audience and a mute button if the candidates talked over one another.
The format mostly worked okay. But that didn’t make it a great debate.
Whether because of the mute button or not, we avoided a replay of the messy food fight of a first 2020 debate. The candidates seemed to understand that talking when it wasn’t their turn wouldn’t do any good.
The lack of an audience also meant they weren’t playing to a crowd — and the crowd wasn’t influencing the affair.
But even without all the shouting and theater, the debate was hardly a substantial master class. It really didn’t get into much of a contrast on the issues.
Trump largely filibustered, repeating his false claims, mostly without fact-checking by Biden and not reallyat all by the debate moderators (who decided beforehand that it wasn’t their role). Biden struggled to make his points and drive the contrasts in a way that deprived the proceedings of much flow, though he did counter some of Trump’s claims.
It’s not clear any format could have made for a more compelling debate. Many of the problems traced to the candidates themselves. But it just wasn’t the kind of debate that seems likely to whet people’s appetites for the campaign.
Toward the end of the debate, the two candidates saw fit to argue about their golf games, with Biden talking about his drive and handicap and Trump casting doubt on his ability.
“Let’s not act like children,” Trump eventually said.
But on Thursday night, Trump did — at long last and after blowing his previous deadline for offering a position — finally weigh in on the abortion pill mifepristone.
Former president Donald Trump said on June 27 he agrees with the Supreme Court’s decision to allow continued distribution of the abortion pill mifepristone. (Video: CNN, Photo: Jabin Botsford/CNN)
“First of all, the Supreme Court just approved the abortion pill, and I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it,” Trump said.
The Supreme Court didn’t actually “approve” the abortion pill, instead rejecting a challenge to it based on a technicality.
But it’s a potentially significant statement, given Democrats have cautioned that a second Trump administration could target the abortion pill using an antiquated federal law. It’s the latest signal that Trump fears what restricting abortion in a post-Roe v. Wade world could mean for his candidacy. Imagine even a few years ago that a Republican presidential candidate would say he supports the abortion pill.
Analysis of Trump’s Debate Performance: Relentless Attacks and Falsehoods
In the first presidential debate of the 2020 election, Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of relentless attacks and falsehoods against his opponent, Joe Biden. Throughout the night, Trump repeatedly made false claims about Biden’s record, policies, and personal life, in an apparent attempt to discredit his opponent and sway undecided voters. Despite moderator Chris Wallace’s attempts to fact-check Trump in real-time, the president continued to spread misinformation and distort the truth.
One of the most egregious lies Trump told during the debate was about the integrity of the election itself. Without evidence, he claimed that mail-in voting is rife with fraud and that the election results cannot be trusted. This baseless claim not only undermines the democratic process but also erodes public trust in the outcome of the election. Trump’s willingness to spread such falsehoods, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, is a dangerous threat to the foundations of our democracy.
It is clear that Trump’s narcissistic lying poses a significant threat to democracy. By spreading misinformation and sowing doubt about the legitimacy of the election, he is undermining the very fabric of our democratic system. It is crucial that voters remain vigilant against such tactics and hold politicians accountable for their words and actions. (Source: The New York Times)
Calvo-Platero followed your pooler as he interviewed voters and recorded the interviews.
Twice she tried to end the interviews when the voters began to criticize Biden.
Democratic voter Amy Nelson said that the debate was “terrible.”
“You can’t tell me that there’s not anyone better —” Nelson said, hoping there was another candidate who could take his place.
“We’re at a Joe Biden event, so I’m going to cut you off there, sorry,” Calvo-Platero said before Nelson finished her statement.
Stephen Stubbs, an undecided voter, criticized Mr. Biden’s “mental acuity.”
“Who’s running the country?” Stubbs recalled saying after watching the presidential debate. “Let Kamala in!” he added, hoping Biden would step down and nominate Harris as president.
Calvo-Platero said “I’m going to stop it here, sorry. If I can, it’s a Biden event. Is that okay?”
