Former President Donald Trump held a highly anticipated "press conference" following his conviction on felony charges in Manhattan. However, instead of addressing the recent trial directly, Trump delivered a lengthy and meandering monologue, filled with false claims on various subjects. A fact check of his statements reveals the inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims made by the former president.

One of the false claims made by Trump was regarding the record-high violent crime in New York City. He asserted that the city was experiencing unprecedented levels of violence. However, the facts prove otherwise. Violent crime in New York City, including Manhattan, has actually decreased significantly since the early 1990s. The number of murders, rapes, and robberies have seen a drastic reduction, with figures from 2023 showing a substantial decline compared to the statistics from 1990.

Trump also attempted to downplay the involvement of his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, in the legal troubles he faced. Trump claimed that Cohen got into trouble due to unrelated activities such as taxicabs and loans. However, this assertion is false. Cohen's case was referred to federal prosecutors in New York by the special counsel Robert Mueller, indicating a direct connection to Trump. Cohen was sentenced for multiple crimes, including campaign finance offenses related to hush money payments made to conceal Trump's alleged extramarital affair - a scheme that was central to the prosecution against Trump.

Another claim made by Trump was that the Manhattan case was orchestrated by President Joe Biden and his administration. However, there is no evidence to support this assertion. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a locally elected official, initiated the prosecution independently. While Trump highlighted Matthew Colangelo, a lawyer on Bragg's team who had previously worked at the Justice Department, there is no proof of Biden's involvement in Colangelo's employment decision or the case itself.

Trump also made a baseless claim regarding the release of prisoners from Congolese jails and their supposed relocation to the United States. However, experts and officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo denied any knowledge or evidence supporting Trump's assertion. Organizations in the United States also confirmed there was no influx of Congolese migrants, let alone former prisoners, as claimed by Trump.

Additionally, Trump falsely stated that he had ended the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany. In reality, the pipeline was almost complete at the time Trump approved sanctions on companies involved in its construction. The pipeline's progress continued, and it was only halted by Germany as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Trump's claim that he stopped the project is factually incorrect.

Lastly, Trump repeated a false claim that President Joe Biden intends to raise taxes by four times the current amount. There is no evidence to support this claim, and the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center has stated that Biden's proposed budget plans would raise after-tax incomes for low-income households, have no significant impact on middle-income households, and decrease after-tax incomes for the highest-income taxpayers.

In conclusion, President Trump's rambling press conference was filled with inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims on a variety of topics. A fact check reveals that his statements regarding violent crime in New York City, Michael Cohen's legal troubles, the alleged involvement of the Biden administration in the Manhattan case, Congolese prisoners being relocated to the United States, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and Biden's tax plans were all false or misleading. As public figures and leaders, it is crucial to stick to the facts and be accountable for the accuracy of our statements.