Fact checking some of Trump's claims from his Nassau Coliseum rally

Former President Donald Trump, in a free-wheeling campaign speech at the Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday, made a number of claims against his challenger Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, often presenting an incomplete version of her policy positions.

While Trump’s speech was tailored to his Long Island audience, he also repeated some of the main attack lines he has been using against Harris on the campaign trail. “Americans deserve a campaign on the issues,” Trump said in a speech that took aim at Harris’ positions on the immigration, crime and tax policy.

Here is a review of some of the claims made by Trump:

CLAIM: "Earlier today, I was honored to receive the endorsement of the rank-and-file membership of the Teamsters — We will secure our borders, we will protect our workers, we will defend our jobs, and we will rebuild our country with American skill."

FACT CHECK: The executive board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced Wednesday it would not endorse any candidate for president. The union said it “found no definitive support among members for either party’s nominee,” noting that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in straw polls prior to his exit from the race, but in polling conducted from July to September Trump edged Vice President Kamala Harris. “The union’s extensive member polling showed no majority support for Vice President Harris and no universal support among the membership for President Trump.”

CLAIM: “She lost 320,000 migrant children.”

FACT CHECK: An Aug. 21 report by U.S. Immigration and Customs said migrant children detained both under the Trump and Biden administrations were unaccounted for. The report said as of May 2024, there are 291,000 migrant children who arrived in the U.S. as unaccompanied minors, who were released to adult sponsors, but were never given a date to appear in immigration court, essentially hampering the ability of immigration authorities to keep track of their whereabouts. The report also found that between October 2018, when Trump was in office, and September 2023, under Biden, there were 32,000 children who were released into the U.S. with hearing dates, who never showed up for their court appearances.

CLAIM: “Over the past three years in New York City, there has been a 29% increase in robbery, a 30% increase in felony assault, a 42% increase in grand larceny, a 75% increase in carjackings.”

FACT CHECK: Trump was relying on annual NYPD crime statistics from 2020 to 2023, but omitted data from 2024, which shows New York City crime has been trending downward. The NYPD in a Sept. 4 report summarizing August’s crime numbers, said “major crime is down 2.3% so far this year compared to the first eight months of last year.” In addition, the state Department of Criminal Justice Services said overall crime incidents in counties outside New York City dropped 9% from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of this year.

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CLAIM: Harris “even supports free sex change operations for illegal aliens in detention.”

FACT CHECK: Trump repeated a claim he made at his debate against Harris. He appears to be referring to a candidate questionnaire Harris completed in 2019 during her first run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Harris was asked by the American Civil Liberties Union: “As President, will you use your executive authority to ensure that transgender and nonbinary people who rely on the state for medical care — including those in prison and immigration detention — will have access to comprehensive treatment associated with gender transition, including all necessary surgical care? If yes, how will you do so?”

Harris replied yes, adding, “It is important that transgender individuals who rely on the state for care receive the treatment they need, which includes access to treatment associated with gender transition.”

Harris campaign spokesman Michael Tyler, in an interview with Fox News before the debate, said her response is “not what she is proposing. It’s not what she’s running on.”

CLAIM: Harris “will give you the largest tax hike.”

FACT CHECK: Harris’ plan calls for a series of tax breaks, including a $6,000 tax credit for parents of newborns, a $25,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit and a $50,000 tax credit for start-up business owners. Trump’s tax proposals have focused on the business sector,  including a call to lower the corporate income tax to 15% from 21% for companies that manufacture in the United States.