President Trump had a busy Wednesday morning on Twitter, retweeting a number of tweets from parody and fan accounts.
Why it matters: Trump's Twitter is his favorite form of direct communication to the American people — former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer once called Trump's tweets "official statements" — yet the accounts he retweeted are littered with controversial statements, inaccuracies and misinformation.
The retweets
— The Trump Train 🚂🇺🇸 (@The_Trump_Train) November 28, 2018
Reality check: Along with a host of prominent Democrats, one of the individuals accused of treason in this tweet is Trump's own Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — as well as Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
If GM doesn't want to keep their jobs in the United States, they should pay back the $11.2 billion bailout that was funded by the American taxpayer.
— The Trump Train 🚂🇺🇸 (@The_Trump_Train) November 28, 2018
The big picture: GM has been on Trump's mind since its decision to idle four plants in the U.S. and cut 15% of its salaried workforce. He tweeted Tuesday that he is looking at ending electric vehicle subsidies for the automaker.
- As Axios' Dan Primack notes, there are no GM-specific electric vehicle subsidies. Instead, there are industrywide federal tax credits of up to $7,500 on EVs purchased in the United States. Trump also could not end the credits without the help of Congress, which soon will have a Democrat-controlled House.
Illegals can get up to $3,874 a month under Federal Assistance program. Our social security checks are on average $1200 a month.
— The Trump Train 🚂🇺🇸 (@The_Trump_Train) November 28, 2018
RT if you agree: If you weren't born in the United States, you should receive $0 assistance.
Reality check: The $3,874 figure appears to be from a debunked internet rumor about payments received by refugees in Canada. According to the Refugee Cash Assistance program, a family of two in the U.S. that is not working and eligible for the program receives $420 a month for the first eight months.
Will CNN ever ask Border Patrol agents how they felt having large rocks chucked at them by criminal illegals?
— The Trump Train 🚂🇺🇸 (@The_Trump_Train) November 27, 2018
The backdrop: Trump said earlier this month that migrants throwing rocks at border agents and military personnel that he sent to the border would constitute lethal action: "They want to throw rocks at our military, our military fights back. We're going to consider it — I told them, consider it a rifle."
I'm thankful for every day Hillary Clinton is not President!
— VP FAN (@MikePenceVP) November 23, 2018
Reality check: This is a parody account of Vice President Mike Pence.
WOW - if a conservative said this they would be boycotted and not allowed back in the public arena — Hillary said “all black people look the same” - incredibly racist thing to say Hillary!
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 30, 2018
RT! pic.twitter.com/eFWQCx8Wys
Reality check: In this clip, Clinton is calling out the interviewer for confusing prominent African-American Democrats Eric Holder and Cory Booker, insinuating that the interviewer thinks "they all look alike."
Go deeper: Trump's tweet by dictation
