Monday, July 13, 2015

Fact checking Donald Trump

Donald Trump continues to double-down on the outrageous claims he made in his campaign announcement speech about Mexican immigrants as criminals, rapists, and spreading diseases.  He even accused the Mexican government of a plan to send it's worst people here.

Here are a few facts, compiled in a New York Times column by Timothy Egan:

1.  Since 2006 more Mexicans have left the United States than have arrived, according to the Pew Research Center.    At the same time, the Obama administration has deported more undocumented immigrants that any previous president.

2.  Poor immigrants are less likely to take advantage of free government help than are citizens, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.

3.  First-generation immigrants have a lower crime rate than the general population.   For example:   whites, who make up 63% of the population, committed 71% of all sexual assaults in 2013.    Latinos, who make up 17% of the population, committed 9% of all sexual crimes.

But then Donald Trump is a businessman, and he has found a formula that sells big in getting media attention and driving up his poll numbers.   His first goal is to be in the Top 10 and make it into the first debate.    He seems to be closing that deal just fine, thank you very much.    

Facts, truth, and integrity have nothing whatsoever to do with Trump's goal.   It's just a matter of what the public is buying.

Ralph

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