We looked closely. But through the first two nights, keynote speakers have mostly spoken in general or offered subjective opinions – and if they have made assertions of fact, they have for the most part been accurate.
Yet at least some of their assertions are debatable or absent in relevant contexts.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday recorded his state’s efforts to combat the coronavirus, and contrasted his government’s approach with how the federal government handled the pandemic.
Cuomo said that “because they proved that their way had failed, we claimed that our way succeeded.” He added, “And for all the pain and all the tears, our way worked. And it was wonderful.”
Facts first: New York has at the moment low levels of coronavirus infection, hospitalization, and death compared to other major U.S. cities. However, it is very debatable whether Cuomo’s general response to the pandemic has been a success. He did not mention any important facts and statistics.
Although New York’s coronavirus curve has dramatically flattened since its peak in April, that initial peak was severe. As of Wednesday, New York had more than twice as many total coronavirus deaths as any other U.S. state – more than 32,800, according to Johns Hopkins University – and was the second-highest, behind New Jersey, in deaths per 100,000 people, with 169.
While some of New York’s crisis was undoubtedly caused by bad fortunes – as an international travel hub, New York City was hit by the virus before some other major American cities – Cuomo’s approach probably did not only contribute to current successes, but also to the initial failures.
Cuomo was initially reluctant to order state residents to stay home; he issued a stay-at-home order on March 20 (it went into effect on March 22) – four days after a group of California counties issued similar orders and one day after California Governor Gavin Newsom made such an order gave for the state. California currently had fewer confirmed cases than New York.
Cuomo’s early communication about the virus has also been called into question. He said on March 19: “I’m as scared and frightened as I am of the virus, and I think the fear is more contagious than the virus at the moment. You’re taking a place in like New York City, we are at almost panic level, so what you say and how you communicate is very important. Should everyone stay home? Of course. Are we putting people in jail? No. Can you stay inside 24 hours a day? No.
Seeking to free up hospital beds, Cuomo’s administration also issued a controversial March 25 directive banning nursing homes from detecting new or returning residents with the coronavirus. More than 6,400 New York City nursing home residents have died from the virus. (The extent to which the March 25 order contributed to the death toll is not clear.)
The Trump administration and ‘cow’
The Trump administration said in a statement that former First Lady Michelle Obama said on Monday that the children of America “look in horror as children are snatched from their families and thrown into closets.”
Facts first: However, the Trump administration has pursued a policy of running separate divorces of migrant children from their parents at the border; divorce happened far less often under President Barack Obama. However, Michelle Obama did not mention that “cows” were also used under her husband’s administration to house migrant resources; some of the facilities that were controversially used to keep children in coffins under President Donald Trump were actually boud under Barack Obama.
Trump and the ‘hoax’
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Tuesday about Milwaukee Democrats: “Unlike the president, we have never called Covid-19 a hoax.”
Facts first: On a February campaign rally, Trump called something related to the virus a Democratic “hoax.” However, the president left it unclear whether he called the virus a hoax or said so Democratic critique of his handling of the virus was a hoax. When he was asked the next day, he was sei he talks specifically about democratic criticism.
We can not call Barrett’s claim false despite Trump’s statement the next day: the president’s unwavering claim at the rally was open to interpretation by spectators. But it is worth noting that there is certainly a more benevolent way of looking at it. For your reference, here’s what Trump said at the rally:
“Very dishonest people. Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. You know that, right? Coronavirus. They’re politicizing it. We’ve done one of the big jobs, you say, ‘How’s President Trump doing?’ They go, ‘Oh, not good, not good. ‘ They have no clue.They have no clue … … One of my people came up to me and said, Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia. That did not work well either. They could do it. do not. They tried the impeachment hoax. That was on a perfect conversation. They tried everything, they tried it over and over again, they’ve done it since they came in. It’s all, they lost. It’s all, remember, think therefore. And this is her new hoax. ”
Iran and nuclear weapons
Former Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday: “We are eliminating the threat of an Iran with a nuclear weapon.”
Facts first: We would leave it at that if Kerry had said that the Obama administration “reduced” the threat to Iran with a nuclear weapon, but it is a stretch to say that the administration “eliminated” the threat – suggesting a permanent destruction. that the 2015 Nuclear Agreement delivered (and could not possibly deliver).
The agreement, of which Trump announced a US withdrawal in 2018, included stricter limits on Iran’s nuclear activities, an Iranian commitment to allow regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency and an Iranian commitment that the country would not seek nuclear weapons. or get. Iran remained in line with the terms of the agreement during the Trump presidency, according to the IAEA and the Trump administration itself.
While the promise of inspections and the promise not to pursue weapons had no expiration date in the deal, other parts of the agreement had solar clauses. For example, its limits to the number of first-generation centrifuges that Iran may have and to the research and development of more advanced centrifuges were planned to end in 2025. The limit of 3.67% on uranium purity was planned for 2030 to end.
Also, the deal did not include guaranteed access to inspectors to Iranian military sites. And, to say the least obvious state, political winds can change over time; a future Iranian leader could simply reproduce the agreement, just as the new American leader, Trump, did himself. After Trump rejected the deal, Iran stopped complying with some of its terms.
Social security and the post
When Democrats criticized the Trump administration for its handling of the U.S. Postal Service, Eva Longoria Bastón, the actress and activist who held Monday’s proceedings, said, “Social security beneficiaries count on the post office to to get their checks. “
Facts first: Although some prominent conservatives called her wrong, Longoria was right. While 99.1% of Social Security recipients now receive their money through direct bail, that remaining 0.9% equates to 549,818 people receiving checks, according to official data published by the Social Security Administration for this month.
“Nearly 850,000” paper checks go out each month from the Social Security Administration if you include the supplemental income security program, said Social Security Administration spokesman Mark Hinkle. (Additional income for security provides money to the elderly, blind or disabled with a low income and a few resources.) Hinkle said that if you consider both social security and extra income for security, the distribution is 98.8% direct deposit, 1 , 2% controls.
Longoria and other Democrats could certainly be clearer that they are talking about a distinct minority of recipients of social security who get checked by mail. But that distinct minority is still a large number of recipients.
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