AP FACT CHECK: Trump sees what others do not in the pandemic

But, “that’s what I heard and that’s what I saw, and — regardless....”Regard for the facts is not a hallmark of Trump’s campaign for the Nov. 3 election or of his presidency.His assurance, heard for weeks, that the U.S. is rounding the corner on the coronavirus is belied by rising infection in the vast majority of states and higher deaths in 30 by week’s end, as well as by a surge in Europe. He and Democratic rival Joe Biden bid for late advantage in competing forums that replaced a canceled presidential debate.Meantime, the Senate vetted Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination for the Supreme Court with committee hearings that often seemed to put the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” on trial.Some statements from the past week and how they compare with the facts:THE VIRUSTRUMP, asked about the many attendees at a White House event who got sick with COVID-19: “Just the other day they came out with a statement that 85% of the people that wear masks catch it.” — NBC forum in Miami on Thursday.NBC’S SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: “Well, they didn’t say that, I know that study.”TRUMP: “Well that’s what I heard and that’s what I saw, and -- regardless, but everybody’s tested and they’re tested often.”THE FACTS: That was at least the third time the same day that he flatly misstated the findings of a federal study and the first time he was called out on it. That 85% of the people wearing a mask catch it, OK?” And to Fox Business News: ”CDC comes out with a statement that 85% of the people wearing masks catch it.”___TRUMP: “We’re a winner on the excess mortality.” — Miami forum.THE FACTS: That marker of mass death is a problematic bragging point.Excess mortality estimates take a look at how many more people are dying than usual. More than half the dead in the excess mortality count were people of color, a higher proportion than their share of the population, according to an analysis by The Associated Press and the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the criminal justice system.Exactly how many of the abnormally high deaths were from the virus cannot be known, and international comparisons cannot be made with precision.But the findings don’t make the U.S. a “winner.”___SUPREME COURTJOE BIDEN: “This nominee said she wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.” – remarks to reporters Monday.BIDEN: “Why do Republicans have time to hold a hearing on the Supreme Court? It’s about finally getting his (Trump’s) wish to wipe out the affordable health care act because their nominee has said in the past that the law should be struck down.” – to supporters in Ohio on Monday.THE FACTS: No, Barrett has not said explicitly that she would strike down the health law. But Biden and other Democrats didn’t hesitate to do so.All that is certain is that Barrett criticized how her potential colleagues on the high court ruled on the law eight years ago.___FROM NORTH CAROLINATRUMP, reacting to news that several people associated with the Biden campaign on a recent flight with Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, tested positive for COVID-19: “We extend our best wishes, which is more than they did to me, but that’s OK.” — North Carolina rally Thursday.THE FACTS: That’s false.Hours after Trump’s early morning announcement on Oct. 2 that he had tested positive, both Biden and Harris sent their wishes for a quick recovery via Twitter.“Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery,” Biden wrote. Now, why did they get 35% of the money when they are only 22% of the population?” — Barrett confirmation hearing Tuesday.THE FACTS: The South Carolina senator’s suggestion that Democrats designed the health law to benefit Democratic states is misleading. But he leaves out the details: County election officials say that the seven ballots, along with two unopened ones, were accidentally tossed in an elections office in a Republican-controlled county by a single contract worker and that authorities were swiftly called.The Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot fraud at 0.00004% to 0.0009%, based on studies of past elections.In the five states that regularly send ballots to all voters, there have been no major cases of fraud or difficulty counting the votes.___TRUMP: “We have the vaccines coming and we have the therapies coming.” —Miami forum.THE FACTS: That’s the expectation, but not a certainty.