ELECTION COUNTDOWN: Trump Accused of Distortion, Deception and Lies — Again — As His Scandal-Hit MSG Rally Claims Are Fact-Checked
Oct. 28 2024, Published 12:08 p.m. ET
Donald Trump’s wild claims from his Sunday night rally in NYC have been put to the test — and the results could spell trouble for the Republican candidate.
While the MAGA titan rocked the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden with his final pitch before the November 5 election, many of his remarks have since been majorly debunked, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 78-year-old spent the night taking shots at his rival, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, and firing up his supporters with heated rhetoric on immigration.
Eight claims Trump made, in particular, have been fact-checked and proven wrong.
Leading off with immigration, the candidate said Harris "has imported criminal migrants from prisons and jails, insane asylums and mental institutions from all around the world, from Venezuela to the Congo".
However, there is no evidence that countries are releasing prisoners or individuals from mental institutions to illegally migrate to the U.S.
Based on federal data, immigration officials have apprehended approximately 108,000 non-citizens with criminal convictions (both domestically and internationally) from fiscal years 2021 to 2024. Not everyone was permitted entry.
The Republican candidate also said he would "invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798" — which allows a president to deport noncitizens without due process if they hail from a country that is at war with the U.S.
Legal experts told PolitiFact that Trump lacks the authority to implement mass deportations under the law and that attempting to do so would result in legal challenges.
Trump said next: "Think of this: 325,000 children are missing, dead, sex slaves, or slaves. They came through the open border and they're gone" — which misrepresents federal data regarding migrant children.
An August federal report found that ICE had not issued a "Notice to Appear" to over 291,000 unaccompanied minors as of May. Missing court increases their risk of trafficking and exploitation, though the report did not specify how many have been trafficked.
The former reality star then declared Harris "vowed to abolish" US Immigration and Customs Enforcement — another false claim.
In 2018, then-Senator Harris criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies, particularly those leading to family separations.
She suggested re-evaluating ICE’s role — even proposing a complete overhaul — but did not call for the elimination of immigration enforcement, stating that ICE should still have a role.
Next, Trump said Harris "cast the deciding vote that launched the worst inflation in the history of our country. She cost the typical American family over $3,000 in a short period, but over $30,000 over the last three years".
The claim has been proven mostly false, as she cast the tie-breaking vote to advance the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act — a bill aimed at providing relief for the COVID-19 pandemic, to a final Senate vote.
A range of economists agreed the American Rescue Plan contributed a few percentage points to inflation, but did not trigger the overall spike. They attributed the main causes to pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In terms of firearms, Trump said Harris "pledged to confiscate your guns" and "endorsed a total ban on handgun ownership" — a statement that goes against the VP's current stance.
In 2019, Harris said: "I support a mandatory gun buyback program" for assault weapons. She no longer endorses this policy, which would not have affected handguns, the most commonly owned.
The Harris campaign told The New York Times she supports banning assault weapons but not mandatory sales to the federal government. As VP, she has advocated for red flag laws and federal funding for mental health and school security.
Harris only supported a gun ban in 2005 while serving as San Francisco district attorney, backing a measure to prohibit handgun ownership. Although voters approved it, the courts later struck it down.
Trump claimed the crime in the U.S. was "through the roof", adding how new statistics showed "crime was up 45 percent" under the Biden-Harris administration.
He could have gotten his numbers mixed up, but in general, FBI annual data has shown a decline in violent crime from 2020 to 2023, and nongovernmental crime statistics analyses show a further decrease from 2023 to 2024.
Trump's latest rally was filled with moments that have since made headlines — including racist jokes made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico an "island of garbage".
Several other speakers took the mic before Trump, including his running mate, Senator JD Vance; his sons, Eric and Don Jr; his wife, Melania; his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump; and US House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Other big names included entrepreneur Elon Musk, UFC CEO Dana White, pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
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