HELENA — On Friday night, former President Donald Trump delivered a speech that lasted over 90 minutes in front of an audience at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman. The national project PolitiFact staff attended the rally and on Saturday, they released their fact-checking report, addressing five claims made during the speech.
As the presidential campaign intensifies, PolitiFact editor-in-chief Katie Sanders mentioned that they have been scrutinizing statements from both the Republican and Democratic tickets, along with some of their key supporters. Many of Trump’s statements from Friday were familiar ones that they had fact-checked before.
PolitiFact focused on three claims related to border security, with Trump asserting, “Illegal aliens are stampeding into America, by the millions and millions, they’re coming from prisons, they’re coming from jails.” Sanders clarified that Trump has repeatedly made claims about millions of migrants entering from jails or mental institutions, which PolitiFact rated as “Pants on Fire,” deeming it inaccurate and a “ridiculous claim.”
Regarding the actual data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, PolitiFact reported that immigration officials had halted over 110,000 non-citizens with criminal records since 2021. They noted that while this figure may not be complete, it does not support Trump’s claim of millions. Additionally, they stated that there have been about 8 million encounters at the border since Biden took office, but this includes repeat crossers and does not indicate how many remained in the country.
Trump also highlighted his economic achievements during his presidency, stating, “I handed Kamala and Crooked Joe a surging economy with no inflation.” Sanders noted that while inflation was lower during Trump’s term compared to Biden’s, it never reached zero. The rates ranged from 1.5% to 3% for most of his tenure, with a low of 0.1% in May 2020 amid the economic challenges brought on by the COVID pandemic.
PolitiFact also reviewed a claim about Kamala Harris’ gun policy, which they rated as “Mostly False.” Trump alleged, “She wants to have all of your guns taken away,” emphasizing that Harris supported a mandatory buyback program for assault weapons, not all guns. Sanders mentioned that Harris has shifted her stance on the buyback program in the current campaign.
Randyn Gregg, a business owner and Republican legislative candidate from White Sulphur Springs, who attended the rally, shared his positive experience and emphasized the importance of conducting personal research and considering various sources beyond fact-checkers.
For more fact checks visit PolitiFact’s website here.
