Fact-Checking Trump: A Chat with Musk That Missed the Truth Train!

In a two-hour tête-à-tête with the tech mogul Elon Musk on the social media stage formerly known as Twitter (now X, the cool kid on the block), Donald Trump sprinkled his conversation with claims that made fact-checkers feel like they’d downed a gallon of espresso. Seems like the former president was tempted to whip out a paintbrush and color the facts his way as he revisited his classic hits like illegal immigration and inflation, while also awkwardly adding climate change to his playlist. Let’s dive into some of his notable claims, shall we?

First up, Trump asserted, “The biggest threat is not global warming, where the ocean is going to rise one eighth of an inch over the next 400 years.” Now, if anyone believed that, they’d think sea levels were just a shy turtle sneaking up on a swimming pool. The reality? Sea levels are rising at about 4.8mm a year, dwarfing Trump’s measly prediction faster than a shark doing laps in a kiddie pool. In fact, experts say we’re looking at a possible rise of up to a meter by 2100 – not exactly a slight trickle!

And as if whisking up confusion like a chef with a blender, Trump also declared, “I think 20 million people have come across the border… I think millions are coming every month.” Sounds dramatic, right? But back in reality, the border patrol is like a turnstile at a concert – tons of encounters, but not every ticket holder gets in! Since January 2021, roughly 10.1 million encounters have been reported, with only about 57,000 apprehended in July – practically a ghost town compared to the summer of last year’s record highs.

Next on the menu, he claimed, “I think we have the worst inflation we’ve had in 100 years… bacon costing four or five times more than it did a few years ago.” Newsflash: inflation peaked at 9.1% under Biden, which would be a totally different decade than the last century! As for bacon, it’s gone up about 17%. So unless your bacon’s been jet-setting around the world, it’s a far cry from quadrupling in price!

Finally, Trump proudly proclaimed, “I built hundreds of miles of wall!” But hold onto your hard hats! Technically, under Trump, about 458 miles of border barrier came to life – sounds impressive until you learn only 85 of those were new. The rest were just spruced-up older sections, like giving your grandma’s old living room a modern makeover. Now, Biden threw a wrench in the works by halting construction, but guess what? He greenlit 20 miles of new wall last year. I guess they decided ‘repairs’ were in style after all!

So there you have it – Trump’s chat with Musk was a wild ride through a land of dubious claims and fact-checking Olympics. If facts were fiery hot wings, let’s just say Trump filled his plate a little too high!