The republic is in trouble as Trump did his first rally of 2020, demonstrating that there will be even less difference between official speeches and campaign rallies. Shtick abides. This time, Trump whines that he “saved” Ethiopia, but he didn’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for it. He repeated the lie from yesterday:

Here’s what he said:

“The Obama administration enabled and emboldened the Iranian regime,” Trump said. “They gave Iran $150 billion including $1.7 billion in hard cold cash.

Facts First: The “$150 billion” Trump referenced was not US government money but actually Iranian money frozen in foreign financial institutions because of sanctions – and experts say the total was significantly lower than $150 billion.

The Obama administration did send Iran $1.7 billion to settle a decades-old dispute over a purchase of US military goods Iran made before its government was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

www.cnn.com/…