Fact Check: Trump Repeats Myth About Benghazi and More
— -- Donald Trump painted Hillary Clinton as a "world class liar" in a speech this morning but the irony is that many of his statements are either half-truths, unproven conspiracy theories or outright lies.
His characterization of Clinton's role in the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, was entirely erroneous.
“What she did with [Amb. Chris Stevens] was absolutely horrible,” Trump said. “He was left helpless to die as Hillary Clinton soundly slept in her bed -- that's right, when the phone rang, as per the commercial, at 3 o'clock in the morning, she was sleeping.”
The Defense Department’s own timeline of events shows the attacks started at 3:42 p.m. ET -- not in the middle of the night. Moreover, the attacks took place over the course of many hours, ending around 11:15 p.m. ET.
Watch Trump on Benghazi:
Clinton’s own email shows that she was still awake at that point and emailing about the attack with her daughter, Chelsea.
Trump also claimed that Clinton “started the war that put [Ambassador Stevens] in Libya.” But wars don’t put ambassadors overseas. If anything, ambassadors leave in times of conflict.
Trump was right, however, when he said Stevens and his team were denied requests by the State Department for more security in Benghazi, a far distance from the Embassy in Tripoli. But those requests did not number in the "hundreds and hundreds," as Trump alleged today.
ABC News fact-checked other statements Trump made today in New York.
"Clinton's Email Was Hacked" [FALSE]
Trump claimed in his speech today that Clinton's private email server was hacked by foreign adversaries.
"Her server was easily hacked by foreign governments, perhaps even by her financial backers in communist China," he said. "Sure they have it. Putting all of America and our citizens in danger, great danger."
But according to law enforcement sources and the State Department's inspector general, there is no evidence Clinton's email server has ever been hacked. The inspector general did acknowledge that hacking attempts have occurred but noted there is no evidence any were successful.
"Clinton Will Create Open Borders" [FALSE]
Trump said that Clinton’s immigration proposals would lead to open borders.
"She's pledged to grant mass amnesty and in a first 100 days end virtually all immigration enforcement and thus create totally open borders for the United States, totally open borders," the presumptive Republican nominee said.
Clinton’s plan does call for border enforcement, but the resources would be focused on "detaining and deporting those individuals who pose a violent threat to public safety.” As a senator, she voted to spend money on a barrier fence to prevent illegal immigrants from coming into the U.S.
Clinton’s Bosnia Story Was “Phony” [TRUE]
Trump began his speech by hitting Clinton for a statement she made in 2008 in reference to her 1996 trip to Bosnia as first lady.
“Her phony landing in Bosnia where she said she was under attack and the attack turned out to be young girls handing her flowers...a total and self-serving lie,” he said.
He is right; In 2008, Clinton recalled landing in Bosnia during sniper fire. But video of the event shows her landing on the tarmac and being greeted by a young girl with a poem. After standing by her comments, Clinton eventually admitted she “misspoke."
"We Are the Highest Taxed Nation in the World" [FALSE]
During his speech, Trump advocated for massive tax reform, saying, “We are by the way, the highest taxed nation in the world.”
Data from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that's simply not true. The U.S tax burden is in fact one of the lowest among the 34 countries that make up the OECD.
“Clinton Wants to Let in 550 Percent More Refugees” [TRUE]
Trump said during his speech that Clinton "supports a radical 550 percent increase in Syrian refugees coming into the United States and that's an increase over president Obama's already high number.”
This is accurate. During a September 2015 appearance on “Face the Nation,” Clinton said, "I would like to see us move from what is a good start with 10,000 to 65,000.” That's an increase of 550 percent.
Hundreds of Recent Immigrants Are "Convicted" Terrorists [FALSE]
Although he was right about Clinton's desire to bring in more Syrian refugees, Trump quickly strayed from the truth by arguing that many of them are convicted terrorists.
"Already hundreds of recent immigrants and their children have been convicted of terrorist activity inside the United States. The father of the Orlando shooter was a Taliban supporter from Afghanistan, one of the most repressive anti-gay and anti-woman regimes on earth," Trump said today.
There is no law enforcement data to support the claim that "hundreds of recent immigrants have been convicted of terrorist" activities. Although some U.S. officials have expressed concern about potential ISIS infiltration of the Syrian refugee population, none of the refugees in the U.S. who fled the Syrian conflict have been convicted of terror-related crimes. And for clarity, the Orlando shooter was born in America.
