SCRANTON, Pa. — With 27 days before voters head to the polls, former President Donald Trump stopped by Scranton and gave a freewheeling speech in the hopes of tipping a crucial battleground state in his favor.
Newswatch 16 listened through the one hour and 20 minute speech to try and check on Trump's claims. Here's some of the ones we pulled out:
1. Trump said more than 13,000 immigrants convicted of murder have entered the United States and roam freely.
Answer: Misleading.
The VERIFY team took a look into this claim last week and found that Trump's statement is a simplification of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data.
ICE figures show that there are more than 13,000 immigrants convicted of murder but they were release over a period of 40 years, not just during the administration of President Joe Biden. It's also possible some of those people may be currently imprisoned.
2. Trump said his administration saw the Islamic State's defeat.
Answer: Largely true.
The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS defeated the group territorially on March 23, 2019 by liberating Baghuz, Syria. The group, while diminished, still clandestinely operates, according to the U.S. State Department.
3. Trump claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency's funds are running low because its money is being spent on immigrants.
Answer: False.
The VERIFY team looked into this claim too as it ricocheted around social media in the wake of Hurricane Helene and in anticipation of Hurricane Milton.
The notion that FEMA funds are low because the money is used on housing immigrants was roundly dismissed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the White House. FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund is unassociated from its Shelter and Services Program.
Congress funds both programs each year and the money can only be used for their specific purposes.
4. Democratic-nominee Kamala Harris is against hydraulic fracturing.
Answer: Needs context.
Here's one Trump likes to repeat while visiting Pennsylvania, where natural gas fracking is a hot topic.
In 2019, Harris said during a CNN Townhall that she was "in favor of banning fracking" but has since walked back from that hardline stance.
According to the Associated Press, she backs Biden's plan to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a proposal that does not include a ban on fracking. Her campaign insisted she will not seek a ban.
