Says Donald Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal” advises: “Never admit defeat. You win. If you don’t win, claim they cheated.”
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No, this passage about defeat isn’t in Donald Trump’s “The Art of the Deal”
If Your Time is short
- This passage doesn’t appear in "The Art of the Deal."
"The Art of the Deal," the 1987 memoir by President Donald Trump and ghostwriter Tony Schwartz, includes chapters like "Trump Cards: The Elements of the Deal" and "Comeback: A West Side Story."
There are 14 chapters in all, but a recent Facebook post claims that there are at least 45, and that the 45th chapter shares some advice that’s germane to the current presidential election.
"Never admit defeat," it says. "You win. If you don’t win, claim they cheated. They rigged it. They stole it. You are the aggrieved but you are the true winner always. Threaten to sue and/or die. No one will remember the outcome. Just that you fought to defend your honor. This is essential to keep your brand healthy and keep the millions of chumps and losers, your base."
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Featured Fact-check
We searched "The Art of the Deal" and found no mention of Trump advising people should "never admit defeat." The words "rigged" "aggrieved" and "chumps" don’t appear, though "losers" does four times.
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Facebook post, Nov. 19, 2020
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No, this passage about defeat isn’t in Donald Trump’s “The Art of the Deal”
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