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Fact-checking Trump: He lied once every 169 words during the last debate

Published Mar 31st, 2016 3:30PM EDT
Trump CNN Debate Lies Fact Checked

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How does Trump get away with all of the crazy things he keeps saying in interviews, debates or on Twitter? Why don’t his supporters seem to care at all about all of his inaccurate claims and flat-out lies?

A new report suggests that Trump simply says too many false things to be countered effectively. He lies so much — apparently more than once per minute on average during a debate — there’s no longer a clear line between fact and fiction. And the strategy is working brilliantly so far, considering that he’s still the Republican front-runner for the presidency.

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Several Huffington Post reporters manned their battle stations to see how many inaccurate things Trump said during Wednesday’s town hall event on CNN. They fact-checked a 12,000-word transcript of Trump’s debate performance, discovering that he made 71 separate claims that were either “inaccurate, misleading or deeply questionable.”

In all, Trump said something false once every 169 words, counting the words spoken by moderator Anderson Cooper, or 1.16 falsehoods every minute including commercial breaks.

The Huffington Post actually listed all the lies and inaccurate things Trump said while talking, and while some of the topics seem trivial (his family fortune, Corey Lewandowski, his wives) others are of serious concern (national debt, Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Obama’s presidency, Hillary Clinton, ISIS, security and the military).

Head on to the source link to see what Trump said and how it compares to reality.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.