“Reality: He Has Lost NV Twice” — Trump Fact-Checked on Bold Claims in Nevada Interview
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During an interview with Reno’s 2 News Nevada, former President Donald Trump made several bold assertions about his political prospects and policies, which were met with real-time fact-checking by veteran journalist Jon Ralston. Trump’s claims ranged from a confident victory in Nevada’s upcoming election to his stances on local issues like Yucca Mountain’s nuclear waste controversy.
Trump predicted a landslide victory in the “very special” state of Nevada by a margin of 13 points. However, Ralston quickly countered this claim on social media platform X, noting, “Reality: He has lost NV twice, and almost no chance he wins by double digits.”
This skepticism stems from Trump’s previous electoral performances in the state and current political forecasts. The interview also touched on the contentious issue of storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, a topic that has sparked extensive debate among Nevada residents. Trump asserted his complete opposition to the idea, contradicting his prior actions as President where he included Yucca Mountain in his budget proposals.
Ralston highlighted this inconsistency, remarking, “Trump repeatedly put Yucca in his budget! He suddenly came out against it as an election-year epiphany!” Another topic of discussion was the state’s GOP Senate primary race. Trump expressed his views on the competitiveness of the race and claimed insider knowledge of polls favoring GOP candidate Sam Brown. “That area is thriving,” Trump added ambiguously, leaving Ralston puzzled and dismissive: “This is all jabberwocky from him.”
In reality, recent polls showed a significant lead for Brown, with no tight competition as Trump suggested. Trump’s commentary extended to his relationship with Hispanic voters, a group he claimed to have greatly supported. “I’ve been great to them. They’re incredible people. They’re smart and entrepreneurial people, they know I like them. And they like me.
And I mean, it’s somewhat of a revolution going on in terms of the vote with the Hispanic voters,” Trump stated. He juxtaposed his alleged rapport with Hispanics against President Joe Biden’s performance, claiming Biden “doesn’t know he’s alive.”
Throughout the interview, Ralston’s fact-checks provided a grounding perspective on Trump’s statements, underscoring the discrepancies between his claims and reality. Ralston’s reactions ranged from analytical dismissals to sheer astonishment, encapsulated in his simple exclamation, “My goodness,” in response to Trump’s overarching narrative.
