U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C. on November 5, 2020. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski /AFP via Getty Images)
Nov 04, 2020
As President Donald Trump's lead in key battleground states narrowed on Thursday night following predictions from Joe Biden's campaign that the race will soon be called for the Democrat, the president delivered a lie-filled speech from the White House, prompting major networks to cut away and fact-check his remarks about the election.
In his first public remarks--besides posts on Twitter--since falsely declaring victory early Wednesday, Trump yet again baselessly attacked the security of mailed ballots, made unsubstantiated allegations about efforts to "steal" the election, suggested pre-election polls lead to voter suppression, and lied about winning various states.
\u201cTrump falsely claims elections apparatuses in all of the remaining close states are run by Democrats. Georgia is one of them, and the governor + secretary of state are Republicans. (Regardless, Democrats in other states aren't doing anything wrong. And counties count the votes.)\u201d— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1604620463
\u201cThere is no basis for Trump's suggestion there's something nefarious or "miraculous" about him losing his lead in various states.\n\nThe votes are being counted, the end.\u201d— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1604620315
"I've read or watched all of Trump's speeches since 2016. This is the most dishonest speech he has ever given," tweeted journalist Daniel Dale, who has gained national notoriety for fact-checking the president throughout his first--and possibly last and only--term in office.
"This is all anti-democratic trash," said Dale, who called out Trump's dishonesty during the address. "This is just an absolutely appalling and anti-democratic series of lies."
\u201cRepublicans blocked efforts in WI/MI/PA to count mail-in votes early as FL did and because of that gave the 'red mirage' that Trump was going to win on Tuesday.\n\nThey knew exactly what they were doing, and Trump is now inciting his supporters based on lies, lies, and more lies.\u201d— The Wokest Numbersmuncher (@The Wokest Numbersmuncher) 1604620807
In an apparent reference to Trump's speech, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)--who won reelection Tuesday as part of the expanded Squad--tweeted: "Pathetic, simply painful to watch."
New York Times media reporter Michael Grynbaum noted that major news networks cut away from the president to give viewers accurate information on the election:
\u201cMSNBC is not airing Trump live as Trump lobs false claims. The 3 big broadcast networks - ABC, CBS and NBC - are running a caption onscreen noting that votes are still being counted.\u201d— Michael M. Grynbaum (@Michael M. Grynbaum) 1604620285
\u201cNBC has also cut away, with Lester Holt telling viewers, "We have to cut away here because the president has made a number of false allegations."\u201d— Michael M. Grynbaum (@Michael M. Grynbaum) 1604620474
\u201cThe Big 3 broadcast networks -ABC CBS & NBC - have cut away from Trump's speech at the White House.\u201d— Michael M. Grynbaum (@Michael M. Grynbaum) 1604620615
The Daily Beastsummarized:
The president's address on Thursday evening was largely a recitation of every grievance and conspiracy theory that he has aired, in some form, since he first declared his candidacy for the presidency five years ago. He railed against Democrats, the media, pollsters, technology companies, and officials in cities around the country that have overwhelmingly backed his political opponents.
[...]
Though the text of his remarks were designed to convey triumphalism, Trump's demeanor, and the subtext of his comments, conveyed an understanding that all indications point to him being a one-term president. In the process of trying to delegitimize the election results, he acknowledged that Biden could or even would go ahead in several states where he is trailing. And he practically pleaded with the courts to intervene in response to the "tremendous amount of litigation" that his campaign is pursuing.
As Times reporter Adam Nagourney put it: "Trump's remarks had a farewell tone to them as he listed all the obstacles that he is blaming for any loss. The downbeat contrast from his election night tone was startling."
The Times had Trump with 214 electoral votes compared with Biden's 253, as of press time. The newspaper, along with many other outlets, hasn't yet called the race in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and North Carolina. However, both Fox News and the Associated Press have already called Arizona--which has 11 electoral votes--for Biden.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As President Donald Trump's lead in key battleground states narrowed on Thursday night following predictions from Joe Biden's campaign that the race will soon be called for the Democrat, the president delivered a lie-filled speech from the White House, prompting major networks to cut away and fact-check his remarks about the election.
In his first public remarks--besides posts on Twitter--since falsely declaring victory early Wednesday, Trump yet again baselessly attacked the security of mailed ballots, made unsubstantiated allegations about efforts to "steal" the election, suggested pre-election polls lead to voter suppression, and lied about winning various states.
\u201cTrump falsely claims elections apparatuses in all of the remaining close states are run by Democrats. Georgia is one of them, and the governor + secretary of state are Republicans. (Regardless, Democrats in other states aren't doing anything wrong. And counties count the votes.)\u201d— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1604620463
\u201cThere is no basis for Trump's suggestion there's something nefarious or "miraculous" about him losing his lead in various states.\n\nThe votes are being counted, the end.\u201d— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1604620315
"I've read or watched all of Trump's speeches since 2016. This is the most dishonest speech he has ever given," tweeted journalist Daniel Dale, who has gained national notoriety for fact-checking the president throughout his first--and possibly last and only--term in office.
"This is all anti-democratic trash," said Dale, who called out Trump's dishonesty during the address. "This is just an absolutely appalling and anti-democratic series of lies."
\u201cRepublicans blocked efforts in WI/MI/PA to count mail-in votes early as FL did and because of that gave the 'red mirage' that Trump was going to win on Tuesday.\n\nThey knew exactly what they were doing, and Trump is now inciting his supporters based on lies, lies, and more lies.\u201d— The Wokest Numbersmuncher (@The Wokest Numbersmuncher) 1604620807
In an apparent reference to Trump's speech, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)--who won reelection Tuesday as part of the expanded Squad--tweeted: "Pathetic, simply painful to watch."
New York Times media reporter Michael Grynbaum noted that major news networks cut away from the president to give viewers accurate information on the election:
\u201cMSNBC is not airing Trump live as Trump lobs false claims. The 3 big broadcast networks - ABC, CBS and NBC - are running a caption onscreen noting that votes are still being counted.\u201d— Michael M. Grynbaum (@Michael M. Grynbaum) 1604620285
\u201cNBC has also cut away, with Lester Holt telling viewers, "We have to cut away here because the president has made a number of false allegations."\u201d— Michael M. Grynbaum (@Michael M. Grynbaum) 1604620474
\u201cThe Big 3 broadcast networks -ABC CBS & NBC - have cut away from Trump's speech at the White House.\u201d— Michael M. Grynbaum (@Michael M. Grynbaum) 1604620615
The Daily Beastsummarized:
The president's address on Thursday evening was largely a recitation of every grievance and conspiracy theory that he has aired, in some form, since he first declared his candidacy for the presidency five years ago. He railed against Democrats, the media, pollsters, technology companies, and officials in cities around the country that have overwhelmingly backed his political opponents.
[...]
Though the text of his remarks were designed to convey triumphalism, Trump's demeanor, and the subtext of his comments, conveyed an understanding that all indications point to him being a one-term president. In the process of trying to delegitimize the election results, he acknowledged that Biden could or even would go ahead in several states where he is trailing. And he practically pleaded with the courts to intervene in response to the "tremendous amount of litigation" that his campaign is pursuing.
As Times reporter Adam Nagourney put it: "Trump's remarks had a farewell tone to them as he listed all the obstacles that he is blaming for any loss. The downbeat contrast from his election night tone was startling."
The Times had Trump with 214 electoral votes compared with Biden's 253, as of press time. The newspaper, along with many other outlets, hasn't yet called the race in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and North Carolina. However, both Fox News and the Associated Press have already called Arizona--which has 11 electoral votes--for Biden.
As President Donald Trump's lead in key battleground states narrowed on Thursday night following predictions from Joe Biden's campaign that the race will soon be called for the Democrat, the president delivered a lie-filled speech from the White House, prompting major networks to cut away and fact-check his remarks about the election.
In his first public remarks--besides posts on Twitter--since falsely declaring victory early Wednesday, Trump yet again baselessly attacked the security of mailed ballots, made unsubstantiated allegations about efforts to "steal" the election, suggested pre-election polls lead to voter suppression, and lied about winning various states.
\u201cTrump falsely claims elections apparatuses in all of the remaining close states are run by Democrats. Georgia is one of them, and the governor + secretary of state are Republicans. (Regardless, Democrats in other states aren't doing anything wrong. And counties count the votes.)\u201d— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1604620463
\u201cThere is no basis for Trump's suggestion there's something nefarious or "miraculous" about him losing his lead in various states.\n\nThe votes are being counted, the end.\u201d— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1604620315
"I've read or watched all of Trump's speeches since 2016. This is the most dishonest speech he has ever given," tweeted journalist Daniel Dale, who has gained national notoriety for fact-checking the president throughout his first--and possibly last and only--term in office.
"This is all anti-democratic trash," said Dale, who called out Trump's dishonesty during the address. "This is just an absolutely appalling and anti-democratic series of lies."
\u201cRepublicans blocked efforts in WI/MI/PA to count mail-in votes early as FL did and because of that gave the 'red mirage' that Trump was going to win on Tuesday.\n\nThey knew exactly what they were doing, and Trump is now inciting his supporters based on lies, lies, and more lies.\u201d— The Wokest Numbersmuncher (@The Wokest Numbersmuncher) 1604620807
In an apparent reference to Trump's speech, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)--who won reelection Tuesday as part of the expanded Squad--tweeted: "Pathetic, simply painful to watch."
New York Times media reporter Michael Grynbaum noted that major news networks cut away from the president to give viewers accurate information on the election:
\u201cMSNBC is not airing Trump live as Trump lobs false claims. The 3 big broadcast networks - ABC, CBS and NBC - are running a caption onscreen noting that votes are still being counted.\u201d— Michael M. Grynbaum (@Michael M. Grynbaum) 1604620285
\u201cNBC has also cut away, with Lester Holt telling viewers, "We have to cut away here because the president has made a number of false allegations."\u201d— Michael M. Grynbaum (@Michael M. Grynbaum) 1604620474
\u201cThe Big 3 broadcast networks -ABC CBS & NBC - have cut away from Trump's speech at the White House.\u201d— Michael M. Grynbaum (@Michael M. Grynbaum) 1604620615
The Daily Beastsummarized:
The president's address on Thursday evening was largely a recitation of every grievance and conspiracy theory that he has aired, in some form, since he first declared his candidacy for the presidency five years ago. He railed against Democrats, the media, pollsters, technology companies, and officials in cities around the country that have overwhelmingly backed his political opponents.
[...]
Though the text of his remarks were designed to convey triumphalism, Trump's demeanor, and the subtext of his comments, conveyed an understanding that all indications point to him being a one-term president. In the process of trying to delegitimize the election results, he acknowledged that Biden could or even would go ahead in several states where he is trailing. And he practically pleaded with the courts to intervene in response to the "tremendous amount of litigation" that his campaign is pursuing.
As Times reporter Adam Nagourney put it: "Trump's remarks had a farewell tone to them as he listed all the obstacles that he is blaming for any loss. The downbeat contrast from his election night tone was startling."
The Times had Trump with 214 electoral votes compared with Biden's 253, as of press time. The newspaper, along with many other outlets, hasn't yet called the race in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and North Carolina. However, both Fox News and the Associated Press have already called Arizona--which has 11 electoral votes--for Biden.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.