On Friday, former congressman Joe Walsh appeared on Fox Business Network to discuss his primary challenge against President Trump with host Stuart Varney.
After Varney called out Walsh for having “insulted the president” in his announcement of his candidacy, the Fox Business Network host and the former congressman engaged in a heated back-and-forth about President Trump.
During the exchange, Walsh claimed that the president often “lies.” Varney disagreed, saying that the president has never lied to the American people, insisting that he simply “exaggerates and spins.”
WALSH: You asked me a question. I’m running against this president because I believe he lies virtually every time he opens his mouth – you know that, too.
VARNEY: No, I don’t. I do not know that.
WALSH: I believe he’s morally unfit, and I believe he’s a danger to this country.
VARNEY: Do not impute that to me, Joe Walsh. Don’t do it. … You’re on this program because I’ve got questions that I want to ask, and when I get an answer like, “I know – Stuart Varney knows that the president lies,” I’m gonna push back because that’s nonsense, and you know it’s nonsense, and don’t try to bring me into your phony arguments.
WALSH: You asked me – and let’s get back to where we started, my friend – you asked me why I would do something as monumental as this. You can disagree with why I’m doing it, my friend, but I’m doing it because I believe he’s unfit and he’s a danger to this country. I would not take on a task like this, Stuart, [because] admittedly, it’s a difficult thing to do unless I felt that strongly about it. That’s all.
VARNEY: Alright. Explain yourself. Explain yourself. You say he’s “unfit to be the President of the United States,” Trump is “an unfit con man who doesn’t care about anything but himself.” Explain it. So, what are you talking about?
WALSH: I think he does – let me explain and then you can jump in and disagree – I do believe we’ve never had a situation like this where we have a president who we fundamentally can’t believe. I do believe he lies virtually every time he opens his mouth.
VARNEY: Give me an example.
WALSH: I’ll give you an example just from yesterday – and even his staff, Stuart, admitted that he lied this week when he said there were high-level phone calls between the United States and China. Trump said that repeatedly. His staff came out yesterday and admitted that the President of the United States lied to the world to manipulate the markets. I have a problem with that.
VARNEY: That’s not a lie. Let’s not get technical.
WALSH: That’s not a lie?
VARNEY: No, it’s not a lie. If the man says – and he did – that high-level talks had been held with China, that is not a lie. They were held with China.
WALSH: Stuart, he said there were high-level phone calls with Chinese officials; his staff admitted that was not true, that he lied in order to manipulate the market. Period.
VARNEY: Okay, give me another one. Give me another one. That doesn’t work.
WALSH: Hey, Stuart, you really don’t believe that that’s a lie?
VARNEY: No, I don’t.
WALSH: You don’t?
VARNEY: And I really object to you saying to me, “and you know it is, Stuart.” I do not know it is, and please, do not bring me into your nonsense.
WALSH: Stuart, do you believe this president lies?
VARNEY: No.
WALSH: You don’t believe he’s ever lied?
VARNEY: He exaggerates and spins.
WALSH: Okay, do you believe he’s ever told the American people a lie?
VARNEY: No.
WALSH: Okay, I do, and I think that’s a problem.
Varney went on to accuse Walsh of lying, citing the times he called former President Barack Obama a “Muslim.” Walsh then noted that he has apologized for his remarks.
Regarding the alleged lie pertaining to talks with the Chinese, during the G7 Summit on Monday, President Trump claimed that China had called the night before, and wanted to “get back to the table,” reports CNBC.
China called last night our top trade people and said “let’s get back to the table,” so we will be getting back to the table, and I think they want to do something. They have been hurt very badly, but they understand this is the right thing to do, and I have great respect for it. This is a very positive development for the world.
However, the Chinese denied ever engaging in such calls.
According to CNN, “two officials said Trump was eager to project optimism that might boost markets, and conflated comments from China’s vice premier with direct communication from the Chinese.”
It’s sometimes difficult to discern the difference between a misleading statement or an unintentionally uninformed remark, and an outright lie. A lie requires intent to deceive. That being said, many would argue that President Trump has indeed lied on numerous occasions.
Here are several of the most outrageous examples:
Opioid Bill
In October 2018, President Trump said: “I’ll soon sign into the law the largest legislative effort in history to address the opioid crisis where just this year we got $6 billion from Congress – thanks to (Ohio Republican Sen.) Rob Portman and a lot of others – thank you, Rob – but Rob and so many others helped. Very little Democrat support.”
This is false.
The bill passed the House 393-8, and the Senate 98-1. All eight of the “nay” votes for the House bill came from Republicans, and the only senator who voted against the bill was Mike Lee (R-UT).
Harry Reid
In February 2019, President Trump tweeted: “Former Senator Harry Reid (he got thrown out) is working hard to put a good spin on his failed career.”
Former Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) wasn’t “thrown out” in any sense. Reid served in the legislative body for nearly 30 years prior to announcing in March 2015 that he would not seek re-election in the next cycle.
Tax Cuts
In November 2017, President Trump said: “You know, for years, they have not been able to get tax cuts – many, many years, since Reagan.”
This is false.
According to Politifact, “Congress enacted nine tax bills” under Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama. For example, President Bush signed the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act in 2001 and 2003, respectively, both of which cut taxes.
Oswald
In July 2016, President Trump claimed that Sen. Ted Crux (R-TX) “never denied” that his father was in a photo with Lee Harvey Oswald:
All I did is point out the fact that on the cover of the National Enquirer there was a picture of him and crazy Lee Harvey Oswald having breakfast. Now, Ted never denied that it was his father. Instead he said, “Donald Trump.” I had nothing to do with it. This was a magazine that frankly, in many respects, should be very respected.
Not only had Cruz’s communications director denied that the senator’s father was in the picture in April 2016, but in May, Cruz stated in part: “This morning Donald Trump went on national television and attacked my father. Donald Trump alleges that my dad was involved in assassinating JFK. Let’s be clear, this is nuts. This is not a reasonable position, this is just kooky.”
Cruz went on to call the publication “tabloid trash,” and the story “idiotic.”