The most egregious false claim: Obama and trade Trump, who frequently seems to have his predecessor on his mind for no particular reason, is fond of claiming he has managed to do things President Barack Obama could not -- whether or not Obama actually failed to do these things. Last week, touting his trade discussions with the European Union, Trump said at the Davos press conference: "They haven't wanted to negotiate with past Presidents, but they're going to negotiate with me." He continued later: "...Our country wanted to make a deal under President Obama. The EU refused to talk to him." The European Union didn't only talk to Obama on trade -- it engaged in three years of extensive though unsuccessful negotiations with Obama's administration on a proposed free trade agreement, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.