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Topline
Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump on Monday announced the creation of a new website, 45Office.com, for the press and public to contact them, which also contains a number of glowing self-descriptions of Trump’s presidency.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 28: Former U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative … [+]
Key Facts
The site’s home page says the Office of Donald J. Trump is “committed to preserving the magnificent legacy of the Trump Administration” and “advancing the America First agenda.”
The “about” page of the site offers a lengthy and spotless review of Trump’s divisive presidency, starting with the claim that Trump “launched the most extraordinary political movement in history… defeating the Washington Establishment.”
Trump, who consistently polled in the negatives on his handling of the coronavirus throughout most of the pandemic, took “aggressive action” to combat the coronavirus pandemic and “saved countless lives,” the site says.
The site also hands Trump credit for the current strength of U.S. coronavirus testing despite him being repeatedly criticized for lackluster testing, claiming “President Trump, from scratch, built the most robust testing system in the world.”
In the style of Trump’s 2020 stump speeches, the site boasts of prosperity before the pandemic sent the economy into a tailspin, claiming Trump “ushered in a period of unprecedented economic growth” in which “more Americans were employed than ever before.”
Key Background
Though Trump’s claims reflect his braggadocious nature, post-presidential websites are no stranger to boastful statements. Barack Obama’s website says he “ushered in a stronger economy, a more equal society, a nation more secure at home and more respected around the world,” while the Clinton Foundation site, which serves as Bill Clinton’s de facto website, notes he “led the U.S. to the longest economic expansion in American history.”
Chief Critic
The site’s claims about Trump’s handling of the virus are notably at odds with a recent assessment from Dr. Deborah Birx, who Trump tapped to coordinate the White House’s coronavirus response. In a CNN interview released Sunday, Birx said the U.S. death toll after the first 100,000 deaths “could have been mitigated or decreased substantially” with a more aggressive response.
Crucial Quote
Despite the site claiming Trump’s office aims to “inform, educate, and inspire Americans from all walks of life as we seek to build a truly great American Future,” Trump himself has spent much of his post-presidency hitting back at detractors. “Birx is a proven liar,” he said in a statement on Monday in response to Birx’s CNN interview, calling her and Dr. Anthony Fauci “two self-promoters trying to reinvent history to cover for their bad instincts.”
Big Number
38.6%. That was Trump’s final approval rating before leaving office, compared to a 57.9% disapproval rate, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling aggregator. His numbers took a nosedive after hundreds of his supporters, driven by his unfounded claims of widespread fraud, attempted to storm the U.S. Capitol and overturn the election. RealClearPolitics pegged his final approval on coronavirus at 40.4%, compared to 56.8% disapproval.
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