President Donald Trump makes frequent false claims about matters big and small. The Star is trying to keep track of all of them. Please contact Daniel Dale at ddale@thestar.ca if Trump says anything you know is false or you think should be checked.

1. Jan. 20, 2017 — Post-inauguration Liberty Ball

The claim: “I looked at the rain, which just never came. We finished the speech, went inside, it poured … it’s like God was looking down on us.”

In fact: The rain began right at the beginning of Trump’s speech. During the inauguration itself, the Rev. Franklin Graham told Trump, “Mr. President, in the Bible, rain is a sign of God’s blessing. And it started to rain, Mr. President, when you came to the platform.”

2. Jan. 20, 2017 — Post-inauguration Salute To Our Armed Services Ball

The claim: “Even the media said the crowd was massive … that was all the way back down to the Washington Monument.”

In fact: The major media reported that the crowd was much smaller than Barack Obama’s two inauguration crowds, though in line with the inaugurations of other Republicans. The crowd did not come close to reaching the Washington Monument.

3. Jan. 21, 2017 — Speech at Central Intelligence Agency headquarters

The repeated claim: “Honestly, it looked like a million and a half people. Whatever it was it was, but it went all the way back to the Washington Monument.” Later: “…all the way back to the Washington Monument, was packed.”

In fact: The crowd, which may not have even been half a million people strong, did not come close to reaching the Washington Monument.

4. Jan. 21, 2017 — Speech at Central Intelligence Agency headquarters

The repeated claim: “It was almost raining, the rain should have scared em away, but God looked down and He said, we’re not going to let it rain on your speech. In fact, when I first started, I said oh no. First line, I got hit by a couple of drops, and I said this is too bad … but the truth is that, it stopped immediately, it was amazing, and then it became really sunny.”

In fact: Neither of these claims is true. The rain did not stop immediately, and the sky then remained cloudy.

5. Jan. 21, 2017 — Speech at Central Intelligence Agency headquarters

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The claim: “So a reporter for Time magazine — and I have been on their cover, like, 14 or 15 times. I think we have the all-time record in the history of Time Magazine. Like, if Tom Brady is on the cover, it’s one time, because he won the Super Bowl or something, right? I’ve been on for 15 times this year. I don’t think that’s a record, Mike, that can ever be broken. Do you agree with that?”

In fact: Trump’s numbers are well off. He has been on the cover 11 times, Time told Politico, which is not even close to a record: Richard Nixon was on 55 covers. Even if we generously give Trump a pass here — he said he was on covers “like” 14 or 15 times, and he wasn’t sure if he had a record — he his claim about this year is flat wrong. Trump was on eight covers in 2016 and another one on the 2017 week he was speaking here — so either eight or nine total, depending on how you count, not 15.

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