When Donald Trump took office in January 2017, the Toronto Star's Washington bureau chief was tasked with fact checking the new President's public statements. That bureau chief, Daniel Dale, got so good at spotting the lies, false claims, alternative facts and half-truths that CNN eventually recruited him to do the job for them.
Since 2017, President Trump has kept Dale busy. Very busy. And Trump's Thursday Oval Office presser once again gave Dale plenty to wade through.
On Thursday morning, President Donald Trump met with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. The White House press corps was in attendance for the public remarks and a question and answer session.
After watching Trump's statements, Dale took to Twitter to post:
"Trump's Oval Office comments today were so thoroughly dishonest it's hard to know which ones to lead with."
Trump's Oval Office comments today were so thoroughly dishonest it's hard to know which ones to lead with.— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584033622.0
People were concerned the POTUS' penchant for dishonesty had finally broken Dale.
@ddale8 Oh my sweet baby Jesus....Trump broke our Daniel Dale. Omg...— Րυɱ૦Ր Һคς ɿ੮ 🔰🔳 (@Րυɱ૦Ր Һคς ɿ੮ 🔰🔳) 1584034045.0
@ddale8 Wow, Daniel. For *you* to say that is really something.— Barbara O'Toole (@Barbara O'Toole) 1584033829.0
@ddale8 @thelastpinkcar God love you, Daniel Dale, for doing this. I know I do. 😘😷— Katrina Hagen (@Katrina Hagen) 1584041013.0
While others offered suggestions.
@ddale8 Is it too early to drink?— Chris Jackson (@Chris Jackson) 1584033749.0
@ddale8 Do it the easy way. "He's still lying about everything."— DoILookLikeIGiveAFu&K (@DoILookLikeIGiveAFu&K) 1584033718.0
@ddale8 Just lead with that as a blanket statement.— Vince Rulé (@Vince Rulé) 1584033655.0
Some of the moments of inaccurate information and odd comments from Trump's latest presser pointed out by Dale were:
Trump: "We need a little separation until such time as this goes away. It's gonna go away. It's gonna go away."— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584031344.0
Trump said today that every American coming from Europe, actually anybody coming from Europe, is getting tested for… https://t.co/RyPBOVRf3w— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584065850.0
Trump says he had a scheduled rally in Tampa that was "all sold out" with "over 100,000 requests for tickets." His… https://t.co/9ozpwlmUel— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584031172.0
They say that, after the new restrictions take effect *tomorrow,* people who come from the Schengen Area/have been… https://t.co/Z7ujE4dWE2— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584067407.0
Trump on the coronavirus outbreak in Europe: "It was very fast and very furious."— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584030876.0
Asked today about people having problems getting coronavirus tests, Trump said, “Frankly, the testing has been goin… https://t.co/WcRN5rETQB— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584066043.0
Asked about doctors being stuck in thick bureaucracy trying to get people tested, and whether there's something he… https://t.co/whZwuklaen— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584032448.0
Trump then suggests people are to blame if they can't get a test, saying, "If you go to the right agents, if you go… https://t.co/zmjz7UFEOl— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584032556.0
Pressed on a horrible situation where someone couldn't get a test despite contacting the proper authorities, Trump… https://t.co/MiTRFG8D1x— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584032702.0
Trump said the UK has "got the border, got very strong borders, and they're doing a very good job -- they don't hav… https://t.co/PdAqHqW6K2— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584030734.0
Asked about the Bolsonaro aide who tested positive, Trump said he doesn't know if the aide was at Mar-a-Lago (he wa… https://t.co/RacK4lnFap— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584032367.0
People are NOT being tested upon their return to the US. Some are being SCREENED at airports - observed quickly for… https://t.co/5QLlAPu4Bc— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584031977.0
Trump said in the Oval Office that oil prices have plummeted to a level he would have "dreamed about." He said, "Wi… https://t.co/pVWIxRfxGC— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584030365.0
Trump asked what the number of deaths is, saying, "Is it 32?" He then touted the fact that there are a mere 32 deat… https://t.co/7wZbZJEsY5— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584031552.0
Trump on the stock market: "It's gonna all bounce back, and it's gonna bounce back very big at the right time."— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584031796.0
Trump says he has the emergency powers in the Stafford Act "memorized, practically."— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584031643.0
Asked about holding rallies, Trump said it doesn't matter if Democrats do because nobody came to theirs anyway, whi… https://t.co/rVs0i0wkoP— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1584032855.0
Dale definitely had a lot to work with.
You can see the President's full remarks here.
The book It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump is available for pre-order here.