AP FACT CHECK: Trump takes credit for Obama’s gains for vets
Trump said he passed a private-sector health care program, Veterans Choice, after failed attempts by past presidents for the last "45 years." That's not true. The Choice program, which allows veterans to see doctors outside the government-run
Trump's
The half-truths and exaggerations came in a week when selective accounting was a norm in Trump's rhetoric, extending into his trip to
A look at the claims, about the
VETERANS
TRUMP: "We passed VA Choice and VA Accountability to give our veterans the care that they deserve and they have been trying to pass these things for 45 years." —
THE FACTS: Wrong. Trump is not the first president in 45 years to get
Trump did expand eligibility for the program. Now, starting
Still,
Also key to the Choice program's success is an overhaul of
WILKIE: "The first thing I did was change out the leadership at
THE FACTS: It's true that a study by the medical association came out in January that found wait times at
In fact, in a
The study covered four specialties, primary care, dermatology, cardiology and orthopedics.
It found that in 2014, the average wait time at
According to the study, the number of patients seen yearly in
WILKIE: The
THE FACTS: Same-day mental health service started at
A
Trump selected Wilkie to be his
ECONOMY
TRUMP, on the unemployment rate: "With women, we have the best numbers we've had in now 71 years. That's going to be, very soon, a historic number, meaning the best ever." — remarks Saturday with Japanese business leaders in
THE FACTS: The unemployment rate for women is not the best in 71 years.
According to the
TRUMP: "
TRUMP: "Most successful economy, perhaps, in our country's history." — remarks to reporters Wednesday.
THE FACTS: The economy is solid but it's not one of the best in our country's history, no matter how many times he asserts it. Trump is also claiming full credit for an economic expansion that began under Obama in mid-2009.
The economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of this year. That growth was the highest in just four years for the first quarter.
In the late 1990s, growth topped 4 percent for four straight years, a level it has not yet reached on an annual basis under Trump. Growth even reached 7.2 percent in 1984.
While the economy has shown strength, it grew 2.9% in 2018 - the same pace it reached in 2015 — and simply hasn't hit historically high growth rates.
TRUMP claims "the best unemployment numbers in history." —
THE FACTS: The 3.6% unemployment rate in the latest report is not the best in history. It's the lowest since 1969, when it was 3.5%. The
TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS
TRUMP: "I don't do cover-ups." —
THE FACTS: Federal prosecutors may not agree with that assertion, which he made in response to House Speaker
Prosecutors' court filings in December said Trump directed his former personal lawyer,
In particular, the
Trump has said the payments were "a simple private transaction," not a campaign contribution.
Separately, the Mueller report found that Trump dictated his son
Cohen, who pleaded guilty last year to campaign finance crimes in connection with those payments, had previously implicated Trump. The department's filings backed up Cohen's claims.
The Mueller report said Trump learned in summer of 2017 that the news media planned to report on the meeting at
Trump directed aides not to disclose the emails setting up the meeting. Before the emails became public, the president also edited a press statement for
That episode was among 10 identified by the Mueller investigation of possible obstruction of justice by Trump. Mueller said in his report that he could not conclusively determine that Trump had committed a crime or that he hadn't.
TRUMP: "The greatest Hoax in American History." — tweet Wednesday.
THE FACTS: A two-year investigation that produced guilty pleas, convictions and criminal charges against Russian intelligence officers and others with ties to the Kremlin, as well as Trump associates, is not a hoax.
Mueller charged 34 people, including the president's former campaign chairman,
Five Trump aides pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with Mueller, and a sixth, longtime confidant
Mueller's report concluded that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was "sweeping and systematic." Ultimately, Mueller did not find a criminal conspiracy between
TRUMP ON BIDEN
TRUMP, on Democratic presidential contender
THE FACTS: It's true that
TRADE
TRUMP on his trade dispute with
THE FACTS: This is not true. The tariffs he's raised on imports from
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