CNN's Daniel Dale has exposed a habit of "remember lies" employed by Donald Trump. These involve the former president urging citizens to recall events that never occurred,such as specific power outages in Texas.
The Texas wind power myth and the 'dark screen' debate
One of the most prominent examples of this rhetorical strategy involves a claim made by Donald Trump during a campaign rally. according to the CNN report, Donald Trump asserted that television screens went dark during a debate because the wind had stopped blowing, specifically targeting the energy infrastructure of Texas, a state known for high wind power production.
As Daniel Dale explained, this narrative is entirely fabricated. There is no evidence that such a television outage occurred, nor is there any technical basis for the claim that television broadcasts cease simply because wind speeds drop. This specific anecdote appears designed to undermine renewable energy policies by creating a false memory of systemic failure in the Texas power grid.
A falsified prediction at a Scotland golf course
The pattern of fabrication extends to international events, specifically the 2016 Brexit referendum. Donald Trump has claimed that he accurately predicted the outcome of the vote the day before it occurred while visiting his golf course in Scotland.
However, the report says that this claim is untrue. Rather than making a definitive prediction, the evidence suggests that Donald Trump issued a statement that was ambiguous at best. By reframing an uncertain comment as a prophetic success, the former president attempts to project an image of unique geopolitical insight.
George Washington's 'mob' and the 5,600 Capitol deaths
Historical figures and national monuments are also subject to these "remember lies." Donald Trump has claimed that George Washington saved the United States by preventing a violent mob from seizing power during the American Revolution, a story that historians describe as a myth.
Furthermore, the former president has fabricated statistics regarding the construction of the U.S. Capitol. he claimed that 5,600 people died during the building's construction, though the actual death toll was significantly lower. the report notes that the real tragedy of the Capitol's construction lay not in the number of deaths, but in the fact that many workers were enslaved people or poorly treated immigrants from the Caribbean.
The erosion of factual reporting identified by Daniel Dale
This habit of inventing anecdotes is not merely about isolated errors; it is part of a broader trend of rewriting history to bolster a "strong leader" persona. By asking the public to "remember" things that never happened, Donald Trump creates a shared, though fictional, reality with his supporters.
Daniel Dale warns that this practice is particularly dangerous because it erodes the public's trust in factual reporting. When a leader repeatedly challenges the objective record of events, it undermines democratic discourse and makes it increasingly difficult for citizens to distinguish between verified history and political fiction.
The ambiguity of the 2016 Brexit prediction
Despite the detailed debunking provided by Daniel Dale, several specific details remain unverified. For instance, while the CNN report describes Donald Trump's statement at his Scotland golf course as "ambiguous," the exact wording of that statement is not provided in the source.
Additionally, the report focuses exclusively on the findings of the CNN fact-checker; it does not include a response or rebuttal from the Donald Trump campaign regarding these specific allegations of fabrication. It remains unclear if the campaign views these claims as intentional narratives or simple misrememberings.
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