Trump spews lies, insults, and conspiracy theories in New Hampshire rally

Donald Trump’s Thursday night rally in New Hampshire was more of the same: self-serving lies, nasty insults (and misdirected ones, at that), and a plea for Republicans not to abandon him in 2020 in the guise of a threat and a brag. “You have no choice but to vote for me because your 401(k), everything is going to be down the tubes,” Trump insisted. “Whether you love me or hate me, you’ve got to vote for me.”

Trump asked supporters to believe him about the threat to their 401(k)s even as he lied about natural gas plants being built in Pennsylvania and Louisiana, taking credit for projects planned long before he even started running for president; again falsely claimed that China is “eating” his tariffs when in fact U.S. consumers are paying them; claimed credit for the Veterans Choice Program, which passed in 2014; and exaggerated his Electoral College victory, a number you would think he’d get right given how often he cites it. 

Trump also falsely claimed he lost New Hampshire in 2016 due to fraud, saying ”New Hampshire was taken away, it was taken away from us.” That wasn’t a one-off line in the rally. Beforehand, he told reporters that his loss was due to “Thousands and thousands of people, coming in from locations unknown.” Mind you, New Hampshire hasn’t gone to a Republican for president since 2000, and 2016 was a narrower margin for the Democrat than the three previous elections, so this was not a suspicious result in the slightest—and it’s one that New Hampshire officials have thoroughly investigated and found no fraud.

Civiqs finds Trump underwater in New Hampshire, with 39% of voters approving of his job performance and 58% disapproving.