Category: Not Factual

Trump Suggests Tim Walz Ordered Death of MN Legislator

President Donald Trump amplified a conspiracy theory on social media suggesting that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ordered the assassination of State Representative Melissa Hortman, who was murdered in summer 2024. Trump “re-Truthed” a post from @LightOnLiberty that falsely connected Hortman’s death to alleged money laundering fraud involving Somali immigrants, despite law enforcement’s clear findings regarding the actual perpetrator.

Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed at their home by Vance Boelter, 57, a man posing as a police officer who was indicted on six federal charges of stalking and murder. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Minnesota, Boelter “embarked on a murderous rampage targeting Minnesota’s elected officials and their families” after extensive research and planning. Trump displayed indifference to the murder while blaming the “radical left” for inciting violence, deflecting responsibility for the actual crime.

Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were also targeted in their home by the same suspect and survived after lengthy recoveries. The Department of Justice has never indicated charging anyone other than Boelter for the shootings, yet Trump’s amplification of the baseless conspiracy persists without factual foundation.

Trump’s promotion of this theory fits his pattern of attacking Walz over Somali immigration and alleged fraud. In November, Trump falsely claimed “hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over” Minnesota and alleged Somali gangs “roving the streets” looking for prey, while the FBI has investigated such reports for years without substantiating Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric.

On Air Force One in November, Trump defended calling Walz “retarded,” claiming “there’s something wrong with him” for allowing Somali immigrants into Minnesota and stating the U.S. funds Somalia despite his assertion it “doesn’t function like a country.” This pattern demonstrates how Trump leverages baseless conspiracy theories and racist narratives to weaponize tragedy for political gain.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-shares-conspiracy-post-suggesting-tim-walz-ordered-the-assassination-of-minnesota-legislator/)

HHS freezing child care payments to all states after Minnesota fraud allegations: Official – ABC News

The Trump administration halted child care funding to all states following fraud allegations centered on daycare centers in Minnesota, with HHS officials stating funds will resume only when states demonstrate legitimate spending. Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill characterized the alleged fraud as “blatant” and “rampant” across the country, demanding Minnesota Governor Tim Walz conduct a comprehensive audit of identified facilities. The freeze expanded requirements for all child care funding recipients nationwide, mandating administrative data submission and additional documentation including attendance records, licensing reports, and inspection findings.

The federal action was triggered by an unverified online video posted by conservative influencer Nick Shirley alleging fraud in Somali community child care centers in Minneapolis. ABC News has not independently verified Shirley’s claims, which included footage of allegedly empty facilities during business hours. Minnesota state officials disputed the video’s methodology and findings, with Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown questioning whether the footage was captured during operational times.

Minnesota officials documented that state unannounced visits to all facilities named in the video found children present and confirmed each site had been inspected within six months as part of routine licensing procedures. Governor Walz characterized the federal freeze as part of Trump’s strategy to defund assistance programs, stating Minnesota has actively pursued fraud investigations independent of the administration’s pressure. The state emphasized it takes fraud concerns seriously while questioning the video’s investigative standards.

FBI Director Kash Patel and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced expanded investigations into alleged child care fraud and other federal program abuses, with Patel citing a $250 million fraud scheme involving federal food aid uncovered during the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutor Joe Thompson described the scale of alleged Minnesota fraud as “staggering,” though unrelated fraud investigations in the state predated the viral video and Trump administration’s current response.

The funding freeze applies to all states despite allegations being localized to Minnesota, with HHS tightening documentation requirements for the Administration for Children and Families across the nation. The Trump administration has linked the child care fraud allegations to broader claims of systematic fraud nationwide, though the specific evidence supporting nationwide fraud in child care funding remains unsubstantiated beyond the Minnesota video.

(Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/hhs-freezing-child-care-payments-minnesota-after-fraud/story?id=128793851&fbclid=IwdGRleAPD_AxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeAlKtCzgHaZqiNF57R8QpvrDOu-xIFNjYML4K4McqSDWlBx43ljfzHBipd90_aem_FzrHH7CVhYuJlkcgzRqBeg)

‘They Stole $18 BILLION Dollars!’ Trump Fetes NYE Bash With Rant About Fraud

During a New Year’s Eve gathering at Mar-a-Lago on December 31, 2025, President Donald Trump delivered an unsubstantiated rant alleging $18 billion in fraud across Democratic-led states, claiming the funds were “stolen” and vowing his administration would “get that money back.” Trump made sweeping accusations against Minnesota, California, Illinois, and New York without presenting evidence, describing the alleged misconduct as “a giant scam” and framing recovery of purported stolen funds as grounds for optimism entering the new year.

Trump’s remarks followed the Department of Health and Human Services’ announcement that it would freeze federal child care funding nationwide pending state verification of legitimate spending, with Minnesota facing a complete halt to child care payments. The administration’s scrutiny of Minnesota was directly prompted by influencer Nick Shirley, whose viral video accused the state of operating empty day-care centers funded by taxpayer dollars, with claims of $110 million in fraudulent expenditures under Governor Tim Walz’s administration.

Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill explicitly cited Shirley’s video investigation in announcing the funding freeze, stating he had “identified the individuals” referenced in the material and demanding a comprehensive audit from Governor Walz. Shirley’s video, which documented visits to child-care facilities on weekdays where he alleged they were nonoperational, received endorsements from Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk, amplifying its influence on the administration’s policy response.

Governor Walz responded by accusing Trump of weaponizing the fraud investigation for political purposes, characterizing the freeze as part of a deliberate strategy to defund programs benefiting Minnesota residents. Walz stated his administration had already spent years investigating fraudsters and that Trump was “politicizing the issue” to advance an agenda against Democratic-led states, despite acknowledging that fraud in child-care systems is a legitimate concern.

Trump’s unsubstantiated $18 billion fraud claim and the resulting federal funding freeze demonstrate the administration’s pattern of using executive power to target Democratic states based on viral social media content rather than verified evidence, while simultaneously Trump himself has pardoned individuals convicted of fraud when they maintained access to his circle.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/they-stole-18-billion-trump-treats-mar-a-lago-nye-revelers-to-wild-rant-about-minnesota-fraud/)

Trump Claims He Has Ridiculously High Approval Rating

President Trump claimed on Tuesday that his approval rating stands at 64%, contradicting consistent polling data showing his support underwater. Trump shared a graphic from Trafalgar Group—one of a handful of Trump-friendly pollsters—displaying 50.2% approval, yet he asserted without evidence that the actual figure is 64% and accused polls of being “rigged.”

Major polling organizations document Trump’s approval rating significantly below 50%. A Gallup poll released last week showed Trump 23 points underwater, while a Fox News survey from December recorded his lowest approval rating on economic handling at just 38%, despite Trump claiming he would give the economy an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade.

Trump’s inflation and economic claims contradict voter perception. He stated the country has “No Inflation” and a “powerful Military” and “great Economy,” yet Americans remain pessimistic about economic conditions according to multiple surveys. Trump also claimed he “inherited a total mess,” contradicting his current assertions of success.

Trump’s pattern of dismissing unfavorable data as rigged reflects his broader rejection of independent verification. He stated “The polls are rigged even more than the writers,” attributing his low approval to systemic bias rather than actual public sentiment measured across numerous independent sources.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-claims-he-has-ridiculously-high-approval-rating-the-real-number-is-64/)

Trump Posts Photo of Dead Falcon in Israel and Says, ‘Windmills Are Killing All of Our Beautiful Bald Eagles!’

President Donald Trump posted a photograph on Tuesday claiming windmills kill bald eagles, but the image actually depicts a falcon from Israel, not an American bald eagle. Google Lens traced the dead bird photo to Israeli news sources Haaretz (2017) and The Times of Israel (2019), both crediting the Israel Nature and Parks Authority; Haaretz identified it as a falcon, while The Times of Israel specified a kestrel.

Trump’s opposition to wind turbines dates to at least 2012, when he testified against their installation near his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. After 11 turbines were eventually built, Trump denounced them as “some of the ugliest you’ve ever seen.” He has made baseless claims that windmills cause cancer, stating in 2019 that “the noise causes cancer,” and in July called them “a disgrace,” claiming they are inefficient and the most expensive energy source.

Trump’s assertion that windmills kill bald eagles contradicts factual record and mirrors his broader pattern of making demonstrably false claims about wind power, including allegations they damage the ozone layer. His long-standing vendetta against wind energy appears rooted in personal business interests rather than environmental or wildlife conservation concerns.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-posts-photo-dead-falcon-005211969.html)

How Did DOGE Disrupt So Much While Saving So Little? – The New York Times

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency claimed to have made over 29,000 federal cuts and slashed billion-dollar contracts, yet federal spending increased rather than decreased under DOGE’s oversight. The group failed to achieve its stated goal of reducing federal spending by $1 trillion before October, contradicting Musk’s core promises about the agency’s mission.

A New York Times analysis of hundreds of federal records found that 28 of DOGE’s top 40 largest savings claims were inaccurate, with the 13 largest claims all proven wrong. Two Defense Department contracts—one for information technology and one for aircraft maintenance—were listed as terminated with claimed savings of $7.9 billion, but both contracts remain active and the savings were fabricated. A U.S.A.I.D. contract with Accenture showed DOGE claiming $312 million in savings by reducing the contract ceiling, despite actual spending patterns making that figure implausible by the original 2033 end date.

Beyond inflated major claims, the overwhelming majority of DOGE’s cuts involved minimal amounts, with 80 percent of contract and grant cancellations claiming savings of $1 million or less. Of approximately 29,000 total cuts reported, 8,611 claimed zero savings, while only 11 claimed savings exceeding $1 billion, demonstrating that DOGE’s disruption of federal operations produced negligible fiscal results.

The analysis demonstrates that DOGE’s extensive disruption of federal programs, grants to small businesses, and foreign aid functioned without corresponding budget reductions. NASA workforce cuts exceeded 20 percent and misinformation campaigns targeted the Social Security Administration, yet these actions produced neither the promised savings nor policy improvements. DOGE’s track record reveals systematic exaggeration masking a failure to deliver on its central mission.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/us/politics/doge-musk-trump-analysis.html)

Trump Rages Over the Stock Market’s ‘TRUMP RULE’

President Trump attributed positive economic data to his tariff policies while simultaneously blaming the Federal Reserve and “Wall Street heads” for failing to celebrate economic growth with corresponding stock market gains. The Commerce Department reported fourth-quarter GDP growth of 4.3%, exceeding economist forecasts of 3.2%, yet Trump characterized this as evidence of a broken market system he labeled “The Trump Rule,” where good news triggers market stagnation or decline due to trader concerns about potential interest rate increases.

Trump demanded the next Federal Reserve Chair lower rates during periods of market strength and stated anyone disagreeing with this position would be disqualified from the role, targeting incumbent Jerome Powell by name. He claimed the current Fed structure prevents economic greatness and prevents the nation from achieving GDP gains of “10, 15, and even 20 points in a year.” His demands directly contradict the Federal Reserve’s statutory independence from presidential direction in setting monetary policy.

Trump’s public grievance contradicts standard economic principles: markets respond to inflation expectations, and Fed rate decisions reflect data rather than political pressure. His characterization of Federal Reserve officials as “eggheads” and his assertion that the market “should” rise on good news and fall on bad news disregards the complex relationship between growth, inflation, and monetary policy that shapes investor behavior.

Trump’s stated intention to replace Powell and reshape the Federal Reserve’s leadership around personal economic preferences represents an effort to subordinate an independent institution to presidential demands. This pressure campaign directly undermines the structural autonomy the Federal Reserve requires to manage inflation without regard to short-term political consequences or equity market performance.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-rages-over-the-stock-markets-trump-rule-amid-good-economic-news/)

‘We have to do something about it!’: Trump unleashes bizarre underwear rant at rally

President Donald Trump delivered a rally speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on Friday, during which he continued promoting the false claim that the 2020 election was “rigged” and attacked the 2022 FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump spent an extended portion of his remarks describing in detail how FBI agents allegedly disturbed First Lady Melania Trump’s underwear drawer during the search, claiming her undergarments were “folded perfect, wrapped” and “steamed” before agents left them “a mess” and “all over the place.”

Trump characterized the FBI search as an attack by “thugs” and stated “We have all the evidence now. We have to do something about it! It’s illegal, and it’s disgusting.” He offered no substantiation for claims that agents intentionally disarranged his wife’s belongings or that the search itself was unlawful. The 2022 search was conducted pursuant to a court-authorized warrant related to classified documents removed from the White House.

The speech, which extended nearly 90 minutes, saw rallygoers begin departing after the one-hour mark, with attendees visible on live feeds leaving the stage as Trump continued speaking. Trump asserted without evidence that “If I didn’t get elected, our country would be ruined” and declared the United States is currently “the greatest country in the world” and “the hottest.”

Trump’s focus on the intimate details of his wife’s clothing storage reflects a pattern of digressing into grievances unrelated to policy or governance. His repeated promotion of the debunked stolen election narrative, combined with the fixation on personal complaints about the lawful FBI search, demonstrates a continued absence of substantive messaging.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/you-have-not-heard-the-last-of-that-trump-revisits-old-claims-in-rambling-rally-speech/)

Trump’s $1,776 Warrior Dividends Not from Tariffs

President Trump announced $1,776 “warrior dividend” checks for 1.45 million service members before Christmas, claiming the funds originated from tariff revenue. Defense One reported the next day that the money actually derives from Congressional appropriations under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, specifically from the Basic Allowance for Housing entitlement meant to subsidize off-base housing costs including rent, mortgage, and utilities.

Congress allocated $2.9 billion to the Defense Department for housing supplements, with $2.6 billion designated as a one-time payment to approximately 1.28 million active-duty and 174,000 Reserve component service members ranked O-6 and below. PBS NewsHour’s Lisa Desjardins confirmed the funding source is not tariff revenue and noted the assistance was originally intended to span two years before the Pentagon redirected it into this single payment.

Budget analyst Jessica Riedl from the Brookings Institution criticized the action as “gimmicky” and “likely illegal,” stating the administration announced troop bonuses while quietly extracting funds from housing allowance accounts. The maneuver accomplishes no net increase in military compensation; it reallocates existing housing assistance into a headline-grabbing payment announced with misleading attribution to tariffs.

The administration’s tax-exemption claim may be accurate since supplemental housing allowances have received favorable tax treatment under a 1925 court ruling and 1986 legislation. However, the budgetary mechanism remains deceptive—the funds were never surplus tariff proceeds but pre-existing Congressional appropriations redirected from their original two-year housing support purpose.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/the-1776-checks-for-troops-trump-claimed-were-because-of-tariffs-are-actually-congressionally-allocated-housing-allowances/)

Trump administration to dismantle National Center for Atmospheric Research – The Washington Post

The Trump administration announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a leading Colorado-based institution for Earth and atmospheric science research. The administration cited concerns about “climate alarmism” as justification for the closure, marking a direct attack on scientific infrastructure studying climate change and global warming.

NCAR conducts fundamental research on atmospheric systems, weather patterns, and climate dynamics that informs policy decisions and public understanding of environmental trends. The facility’s dismantling would eliminate a major hub for peer-reviewed climate science and eliminate institutional capacity for atmospheric monitoring and modeling.

The timing of the announcement coincides with the Trump administration’s escalating attacks against Colorado’s Democratic elected officials, suggesting the action serves political retaliation rather than policy rationale. The closure exemplifies broader efforts to suppress climate research and defund institutions that contradict the administration’s anti-science agenda.

Dismantling NCAR removes independent scientific capacity to document climate trends and threatens the nation’s ability to understand atmospheric processes essential for weather forecasting, disaster preparedness, and environmental protection. The action prioritizes ideological opposition to climate science over institutional preservation and research continuity.

(Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/12/17/trump-national-center-atmospheric-research-climate/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=bluesky,facebook,threads,twitter&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwdGRleAOvnWdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeSeCCzP2GCweingyC6zHt-V11mfgLSKuNB2sgNbWmaoOWd_KCTuFzIlRXu84_aem_3ZrxZA21Dd1nEtiQyoDcjw)

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