Fact check: At G7, Trump makes false claims about Trudeau, Ukraine and immigration
While visiting Canada on Monday for a Group of 7 summit, President Donald Trump repeated one of his many false claims about Canada – again wrongly blaming former Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for getting Russia booted out of the group formerly known as the Group of 8.
Speaking of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump claimed Monday: 'He was thrown out – by Trudeau, who convinced one or two people, along with Obama. He was thrown out. And he's not a happy person about it, I can tell you that.'
In fact, Trudeau did not become Canada's prime minister until November 2015 – more than 19 months after Russia's 2014 ouster from the Group of 8, a forum made up of countries with large industrialized economies. It was Trudeau's Conservative predecessor as prime minister, Stephen Harper, who led the effort to kick Russia out in the wake of Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. Trudeau's Liberals were not even the biggest opposition party in Canada's House of Commons at the time.
Trump made the false claim while standing beside Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trudeau's successor as Liberal leader.
Trump made a similar false claim about Trudeau during an exchange with reporters at the White House in May, incorrectly saying of Russia's removal from the Group of 8: 'I thought it was a very bad decision. It was headed by Trudeau, by the way, and Obama. They were the ones that really fought hard to get Russia out.'
Trade and US aid to Ukraine: Trump made other false claims in his Monday remarks at the G7. Speaking to reporters alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump erroneously described his trade deal with the UK as a deal with the European Union, which the UK does not belong to. Trump then twice repeated his long-debunked assertion that former President Joe Biden had given '$350 billion' in aid to Ukraine.
The figure is not close to correct.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German think tank that closely tracks international aid to Ukraine, the US had committed about $138 billion in military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine from late January 2022, just prior to Russia's full-scale invasion, through April 2025. (That period includes more than three months of Trump's current presidency.)
It's possible to arrive at different totals using different counting methodologies, but there is, regardless, no basis for Trump's '$350 billion' figure. The US government inspector general overseeing the response to the invasion of Ukraine says on its website that the US had appropriated about $185 billion for the response through March 2025, including about $90 billion actually disbursed – and that includes money spent in the US or sent to countries other than Ukraine.
The number of Biden-era migrants: While talking about undocumented immigrants at the G7 on Monday, Trump repeated his frequent assertion that 'Biden allowed 21 million people to come into our country.' That '21 million' figure is wrong, too. Through December 2024, the last full month under the Biden administration, the country had recorded under 11 million nationwide 'encounters' with migrants during that administration, including millions who were rapidly expelled from the country; even adding in the so-called gotaways who evaded detection, estimated by House Republicans as being roughly 2.2 million, there's no way the total was '21 million.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
G7 Leaders' statement on recent developments between Israel and Iran
KANANASKIS, AB, June 16, 2025 /CNW/ - We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel. We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians. Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror. We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza. We will remain vigilant to the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate, including with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability. SOURCE Prime Minister's Office View original content: Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Associated Press
22 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez set to report to federal prison for 11-year bribery sentence
NEW YORK (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez is set to report to federal prison on Tuesday to begin serving an 11-year sentence for accepting bribes of gold and cash and acting as an agent of Egypt. The New Jersey Democrat has been mocked for the crimes as 'Gold Bar Bob,' according to his own lawyer. Menendez's lawyers revealed in court papers last month that he is expected to be housed at a facility in eastern Pennsylvania that has both a medium-security prison and a minimum-security prison camp. Given the white-collar nature of his crimes, it's likely he'll end up in the camp. The prison, the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, is about 118 miles (190 kilometers) west of New York City. It's home to about 1,200 inmates, including ex-New York City organized crime boss James Coonan and former gas station owner Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa, whom the New York Post dubbed 'Gas-Station Gotti' for his ruthless, violent ways . Menendez, 71, maintains his innocence. Last week, a federal appeals court rejected his last-ditch effort to remain free on bail while he fights to get his bribery conviction overturned. A three-judge panel on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied his bail motion. Pleading for leniency, Menendez told a judge at his sentencing in January: 'I am far from a perfect man. I have made more than my share of mistakes and bad decisions. I've done far more good than bad.' Menendez has also appeared to be angling for a pardon from President Donald Trump, aligning himself with the Republican's criticisms of the judicial system, particularly in New York City. 'This process is political and it's corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system,' Menendez told reporters after his January sentencing. Menendez resigned last year after he was convicted of selling his clout for bribes. FBI agents found $480,000 in cash in his home, some of it stuffed inside boots and jacket pockets, along with gold bars worth an estimated $150,000 and a luxury convertible in the garage. In exchange, prosecutors said, Menendez performed corrupt favors for New Jersey business owners, including protecting them from criminal investigations, helping in business deals with foreign powers and meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials before helping Egypt access $300 million in U.S. military aid. Menendez, who once served as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, resigned his seat a month after his conviction. He had been in the Senate since 2006. Two business owners also were convicted last year along with Menendez. His wife, Nadine Menendez , was convicted in April of teaming up with her husband to accept bribes from the business owners. Her sentencing has been set for Sept. 11. At his sentencing, Menendez's lawyers described how the son of Cuban immigrants emerged from poverty to become 'the epitome of the American Dream' — rising from mayor of Union City, New Jersey, to decades in Congress — before his conviction 'rendered him a national punchline.' 'Despite his decades of service, he is now known more widely as Gold Bar Bob,' defense lawyer Adam Fee told the judge.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Oil prices jump after Trump's warning, stocks extend gains
Oil prices rallied Tuesday after Donald Trump urged Tehran residents to evacuate, stoking fresh fears of all-out war as Israel and Iran continued to pound each other with missiles. Hopes that the deadly conflict can be contained helped most equities rise, while the US president's earlier claim that the Islamic republic wanted to make a nuclear deal also provided a little optimism. After Friday's surge sparked by Israel's attacks on its regional foe, crude ticked more than one percent lower Monday as traders bet that the battle would not spread throughout the Middle East and key oil sites were mostly left untouched. But prices edged back up after Trump took to social media calling for the evacuation of the Iranian capital, which is home to nearly 10 million people. "Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign," he said, referring to nuclear talks that were taking place. "What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" Oil prices spiked around two percent Tuesday before paring some of those gains, but the comments kept investors on edge amid warnings that an escalation of the crisis could send the commodity soaring again. Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz left Southeast Asia on Monday after cancelling a Vietnam visit, with the Pentagon announcing it was sending "additional capabilities" to the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Israel's campaign was "changing the face of the Middle East". Trump has maintained that Washington has "nothing to do" with its ally's campaign, but Iran's foreign minister said Monday that the US leader could halt the attacks with "one phone call". Traders had been a little more upbeat after the US president -- who is in Canada for the G7 summit -- had said Iran wanted to make a deal, saying "as soon as I leave here, we're going to be doing something". He later left the gathering in the Rockies, telling reporters: "I have to be back as soon as I can. I wish I could stay for tomorrow, but they understand, this is big stuff." Tehran had signalled a desire to de-escalate and resume nuclear talks with Washington as the United States did not join conflict, according to the Wall Street Journal. Stocks mostly rose in Asian trade, with Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore and Taipei leading gains, though Shanghai and Hong Kong struggled. "Risk assets are enjoying a positive start to the new week amid signs the Israel-Iran war remains limited to the two countries without signs of a possible escalation into a wider conflict," said Rodrigo Catril at National Australia Bank. "Iran is reportedly seeking de-escalation talks, but Israel is not showing signs of slowing down." The gains followed a positive lead from Wall Street, where traders are keeping tabs on the G7 summit world leaders pushed back against Trump's trade war, arguing it posed a risk to global economic stability. Leaders from Britain, Canada, Italy, Japan, Germany and France called on the president to reverse course on his plans to impose even steeper tariffs on countries across the globe next month. Also in view are central bank decisions this week, with the Bank of Japan due to make its latest decision on interest rates later in the day. Officials are expected to hold interest rates steady but tweak their bond purchase policy. - Key figures at around 0230 GMT - West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.6 percent at $72.94 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.4 percent at $74.25 per barrel Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.5 percent at 38,501.08 (break) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.1 percent at 24,038.68 Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,385.61 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1552 from $1.1562 on Monday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3569 from $1.3579 Dollar/yen: UP at 144.92 yen from 144.79 yen Euro/pound: UP at 85.14 pence from 85.12 pence New York - Dow: UP 0.8 percent at 42,515.09 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,875.22 (close) dan/lb Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
