A staff member for the Carter Administration during the 1970s and Secretary of Labor for President Clinton in the 1990s, the current author, professor and political commentator Robert Reich has seen more than most when it comes to our American politics and politicians.
When it comes to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Reich holds nothing back. Last week, he posted an opinion piece about Trump’s recent immigration speech in Phoenix, Arizona that deserves more press. Here is the full Facebook post.
I've almost given up trying to correct Trump's lies because every time he opens his mouth he emits more of them. But his speech yesterday in Pheonix on immigration was so trumped-up that it's important to be reminded of the truth. Here are 6 Trump whoppers about immigration:
1. Trump’s claim that “illegal immigration costs our country more than $113 billion a year” is pure baloney. In fact, most undocumented workers pay into Social Security and other programs from which they'll never benefit. 2. Trump says Clinton’s plan will provide Social Security to illegal immigrants. False. It won’t.
3. He says Clinton plans to bring in 620,000 new refugees from Syria. Wrong. She doesn’t.
4. Trump describes unauthorized immigrants as aggravated felons, whose crimes include murder. Wrong again. According to U.S. Sentencing Commission data, homicides are a small percent of the crimes committed by non citizens (whether they are in the U.S. illegally or not).
5. He describes unauthorized immigrants as more dangerous than native-born Americans. False. According to FBI data, a smaller percent of undocumented immigrants commit serious crimes than do native-born Americans.
6. Trump says illegal immigration is growing. Baloney. Illegal flows of people across the Southern border in fiscal 2015 were at the lowest levels since 1972, except for in 2011, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump continues to repeat these lies and the media aren't adequately refuting them. As a result, many Americans start believing them. Your thoughts?
Reich says he’s “almost given up trying to correct Trump's lies.” I say, “Please, sir, don’t stop—and thank you.”