After watching the final presidential debate I thought to myself is this real? Are people actually believing this man? Do they really think wind power will kill all birds? The answer is yes and I had never been so scared. As I could not even walk down the street without seeing Trump posters cluttering neighbors’ yards, people in all places are thoroughly convinced of his absurd claims. Inspired by Trump, the focus of this piece will be primarily on the final debate and taking a closer, more honest look at all of the statistics and claims he had made against his opponent to win the heart of America. 

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Trump has repeatedly stated that from that moment cases will drastically stop increasing and the virus will disappear. At the debate, he stated that “we are rounding a turn” in the pandemic. This could not be more false. At this moment America is entering the third surge of the pandemic. There has been a 33% increase in cases per day from the past two weeks according to the New York Times database. A large increase of infection is not rounding the corner and in reality, is worsening the pandemic. States across America are setting records for the number of cases per day. 60,777 people are being infected every day because of safety precautions not being enforced and ignored by top officials like Trump who should be setting an example.

Immigration has been a serious issue in America for many years. Donald Trump is popularly known for condemning immigrants, especially Muslims and people coming from Central America. During the debate, Trump claimed that “We are trying very hard, but a lot of these kids come out without the parents. They come over through cartels and through coyotes and through gangs.” This was his response after being questioned by the mediator concerning reuniting immigrant families. In actuality, the Trump administration fought for months to conceal data on families being separated and court documents show a total of 545 children have still not been reunited with their parents despite Trump’s “zero tolerance” on family separation. Those 545 children are kept in unsanitary cells and Trump claims that those children at the border are being “well taken care of”. Those children are subjected to illness and sickness because of the unsanitary environment they are being kept in and the administration, because of the family separations policy, are keeping the kids there longer than legally allowed. 

One of the main claims Trump uses against Biden is how Biden will raise Americans’ taxes if he became president. Yes Biden will raise taxes, but he will be taxing the rich not the middle or lower class. The majority of Trump’s following is the middle class so to say that Biden will raise taxes is true, but unrelated to the situation. Biden has said himself that he “will not raise taxes on people earning less than $400,000”. Although Biden will raise taxes, it is misleading to say such a statement in a general sense when it is indeed not general but focused on the rich. 

Trump has been pushing for the African American votes for a number of months. He has been attempting to paint himself as a kind of figure for civil rights and the African American community. During the final presidential debate Trump stated, “Nobody has done more for the Black community than Donald Trump. If you look, with the exception of Abraham Lincoln, a possible exception, nobody has done what I have done.” Before proving this statement false, let’s take a look at what he has actually accomplished for the African American community. In the last four years, excluding the job loss due to the coronavirus,  there has been a record low unemployment rate for African Americans, dropping several percentages. But is this because of Trump or the already revving economy from the previous presidential term? 

One of Trump’s biggest lies yet is his claim that the recent presidential election was rigged. Weeks after the final presidential debate, the winner was announced. Joe Biden would be the 46th president of the United States. Currently in a state of denial, Trump claims that he “won this election by a lot” and that “millions of mail-in ballots were sent to people who never asked for them”. This simply is not true. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out what Trump says is untrue and the purpose of his statements are to fuel the passion of his followers. Besides, President Trump refusing to leave the office peacefully is a threat to democracy and the sign of a dictator. 

Biden has already begun his fight against coronavirus after witnessing a new record of 126,742 infection cases per day. Biden announced a new coronavirus task force and will launch an aggressive plan against covid-19. Yet, Trump has not confronted the new rate that has grown increasingly alarming and come up with an actual plan. There is hope for this country and hope for all of the people who have been bashed with hateful comments from Donald Trump. Across the nation, Americans who are women, people of color, part of the LGBTQ+ community, and many more have already reported the safety that they now feel with a President who has empathy and keeps the American people at heart. At this moment, these people can take a breath, feel the weight move off of their shoulders, and allow themselves a moment of peace.