Debunking 4 claims Trump made during Dr Phil interview: From 2020 election to calling Harris a ‘joke’

WASHINGTON, DC: Former president Donald Trump’s highly anticipated interview with Dr Phil McGraw on Monday night, August 27, was nothing short of a masterclass in misinformation.

As Trump gears up for the 2024 election battle, his hour-long chat with McGraw on the Merit Street network was riddled with falsehoods and distortions. Here’s a breakdown of the four false claims from the interview:

Trump says he 'won the election against Biden'

In a jaw-dropping assertion, Donald Trump claimed he "won the election against Biden," despite the fact that he lost the 2020 presidential race by over 7 million votes. This outrageous claim was made while he was discussing his belief that his survival of an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania was due to being "spared for a reason".

"Well, God believes that," Trump said, implying divine intervention in his favor. His assertion of election fraud continues to be unsupported by evidence, with numerous legal challenges failing to substantiate his claims. Trump’s attack on mail-in ballots, which he called a source of "massive fraud," is also misleading.

Experts have repeatedly debunked the notion that mail-in voting increases election fraud risks. Meanwhile, Trump faces four federal felony charges related to his election fraud claims, further discrediting his statements.

Donald Trump calls Kamala Harris 'a joke'

Donald Trump dismissed Vice President Kamala Harris as "a joke" despite recent polling indicating otherwise.

When Dr Phil asked him his opinion about Harris, Trump said that doesn't "know her" but that he disagrees with a lot of her policies.

"She's going down as the worst vice president," Trump declared. "Five weeks ago, she was known as a joke. She was known as a terrible vice president."

This statement disregards Harris’ recent surge in popularity, particularly after launching her presidential campaign. While Harris’ early approval ratings were indeed low, she has made significant gains, flipping the narrative with increased favorability among voters.

In contrast, Trump’s own approval ratings have worsened since leaving office, with a current net disapproval rating of 9.5 percentage points, according to FiveThirtyEight, as per Newsweek.

Donald Trump says he's 'leading' among independent voters

Donald Trump boasted of "leading" among independent voters "by a lot," but recent data contradicts this claim.

"And for whatever reason it's harder for Republicans to lead with independents," the twice-impeached former president said. "You know, the Republican route is a harder route."

While Trump had a lead among independents before Joe Biden suspended his campaign, Harris has since made substantial strides. Recent reports, including from Politico and The New York Times/Siena College, show Harris closing the gap with Trump and even leading in some key swing states including Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia. This includes a notable 9-point increase in independent support for Harris compared to Biden's numbers.

Donald Trump says he'll leave Social Security 'just the way it is'

Donald Trump's claim that he will "leave Social Security just the way it is" is a stark contradiction to his past actions and policies. In his interview with Dr Phil, Trump pushed back on Vice President Kamala Harris accusation that he was planning to "cut Social Security and Medicare".

Trump told Dr Phil that if reelected, he intends to "save" Social Secutity. "They're going to destroy Social Security because the millions of people pouring in [to the country] are going on Social Security."

He emphasized, "I'm not raising age limits; I'm not doing anything."

However, Trump had previously attempted to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. But in his reelection bid, Trump has claimed he would not introduce cuts to Social Security or Medicare, as suggested by some Republican lawmakers.