In a speech on Tuesday night, following projections by CNN and other media outlets of his victory in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, former President Donald Trump made several unfounded assertions. CNN also covered a speech by rival candidate Nikki Haley, whose claims were either accurate or too general for fact-checking. Here, we delve into the veracity of some of Trump’s statements.
2020 Election Claims
Trump reiterated some of his oft-repeated falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election. He alleged, as he has done in the past, that the Covid-19 pandemic was exploited for electoral fraud. He also asserted that he not only won in 2016 but also in 2020, and by a larger margin. He then dismissively added, “But as they said, we lost by a whisker.”
Fact Check: These claims by Trump are unfounded. He was defeated in the 2020 election by Joe Biden, who won 306 to 232 in the Electoral College. Trump also lost New Hampshire in that election. There is no evidence to suggest any fraud on a scale that could have altered the outcome in any state.
Democrats and Taxes
On Tuesday night, Trump suggested that Democrats must hate the country, as he could see no other reason for their actions. He then pointed to their tax policies, claiming, “They want to raise your taxes times four.”
Fact Check: This claim is inaccurate. Neither Biden nor other leading Democrats have proposed anything resembling a fourfold increase in taxes. A similar claim by Trump, that “they want to double, triple everything,” has been previously fact-checked by CNN. Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, stated in a November email that there is no evidence to support such a claim. Gleckman’s analysis of Biden’s fiscal 2024 budget proposal, which includes his most recent tax plan, found that the major tax provisions would increase taxes by an average of $2,290, or reduce taxable income by 2.3 percent.
General Elections in New Hampshire
Trump asserted that he has consistently won in New Hampshire, not just in Republican primaries, but also in general elections. “You know we won New Hampshire three times now. We win it every time. We win the primary. We win the generals. We won it and it’s a very, very special place to me,” Trump said.
Fact Check: This claim is false. Trump lost New Hampshire to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election and to Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the 2020 general election. However, he did win the Republican primary each time.