Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Shepard Smith Fact-Checked Donald Trump's Oval Office Speech Live on Fox News, and It Was Brutal

Shepard Smith Fact-Checked Donald Trump's Oval Office Speech Live on Fox News, and It Was Brutal
Fox News

Ouch.

President Donald Trump gave his first Oval Office address Tuesday night as the third government shutdown of his presidency slugs through its third week.

Trump, desperate to have his campaign promise of a border wall with Mexico come to fruition, went on a gloomy ten-minute rant riddled with falsehoods, which Shepard Smith of Fox News fact-checked in real time.


Watch below:

First, Smith shredded Trump's false claims that undocumented immigrants have been responsible for tens of thousands of murders.

“Statistics show that there is less violent crime by the undocumented immigrant population than by the general population," Smith said. This is true.

Next, in his latest pitch for a border wall, over which Trump shut down the government on December 22, the president said drugs such as "meth, heroin, and cocaine" are pouring over the southern border between ports of entry.

Smith corrected Trump citing “government statistics" which "show much of the heroin actually comes not over the unguarded border but through ports of call," meaning places of legal entry into the United States.

Despite what Trump says, illegal border crossings have decreased over the last decade, Smith added. “There is more outward traffic than inward traffic," Smith said.

And then came the crux of this whole shutdown mess: funding for a border wall. Trump has demanded roughly $5 billion for a wall or barrier made of steel slats, which House Democrats have declared a non-starter.

This is, of course, the opposite of what Trump promised during the campaign; Mexico, he insisted, would pay for the wall. Now, the president boasted, Mexico will indirectly pay for the wall through the latest trade deal struck between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

Except not.

“As for the trade deal he mentioned with Mexico, which he said would pay for the wall,” Smith continued, “that trade deal is not yet complete.”

Last month, Trump said he would be "proud to shut down the government for border security," and as Smith correctly pointed out, it was Trump "himself who said he would own the shutdown.”

Trump also lied when he said law enforcement was requesting funding for a border wall.

The fact that Fox News held truth to power made a lot of people happy.

Like, really happy.

But also exasperated.

Could the right-wing media tide be turning on Trump? That remains to be seen.

Oh, and in case you missed it, Trump's reelection campaign sent out a fundraising email shortly before his Oval Office Address, proving once again that Trump is all about the show and siphoning attention from matters of actual importance - like the humanitarian crisis his administration has manufactured at the southern border.

This is not normal.

More from People/donald-trump

Barack Obama
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Obama Offers Iconic Reaction After He Accidentally Photobombed A Family's Photos In DC

If you try to take nice pictures in a scenic location, there will likely be people wandering through the background of your photos, because everyone else will also be enjoying the scenery.

In most cases, people try to time the shots between passersby or edit them out afterwards, but after a photoshoot in Washington D.C., one family will definitely not be editing out the accidental guest walking among the cherry blossoms and the Washington Monument.

Keep ReadingShow less
children sitting on floor in classroom
CDC on Unsplash

Historical 'Facts' People Learned In School That Are Actually Not True

The phrase "history is written by the victors" is a common saying. It's often attributed to Winston Churchill, although there's no proof he said those exact words.

It points out that those who win conflicts shape how those events are remembered, recorded, and taught to future generations, leading to biased historical accounts and warped perceptions.

Keep ReadingShow less

Modern 'Conveniences' That Actually Make Life Harder

Making life simpler...

That is always the goal, right?

Keep ReadingShow less
Person holding cigarette
Luiz Rogério Nunes/Unsplash

One Night Stands That Turned Into A Total Nightmare

Ahh, the trials and tribulations of dating life.

On the one hand, it could be exciting and very promising. On the other hand, it could be a total disaster.

Keep ReadingShow less
Person's eyes glowing in the sunlight
Photo by Marina Vitale on Unsplash

People Who Clinically Died And Came Back To Life Share Their Experiences

We've all heard the questions about what happens when we die, whether there is life after death, and whether we really will walk through a tunnel of white light or not to get there.

But people who have had a near-death experience, in that they were declared clinically dead and were then resuscitated, might have the answers we're looking for, and their answers are quite peaceful.

Keep ReadingShow less