Publication: Politics
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: WH Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Did NOT Say US ‘Deeply Concerned’ About Brazil And China Switching To ‘National Currencies’ To Do Business With Each Other
Did White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre say that the United States is "deeply concerned" about China and Brazil switching to national currencies when conducting business with each other? No, that's not true: A search of section
The Dispatch→ Mugshot Politics
Demonstrators gather outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)A new era.Continue reading Mugshot Politics »
The Dispatch→ Trump’s Indictment Confounds Challengers
Protesters gather in front of Trump Tower in New York City Friday after a grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)Plus: Club for Growth VP and former De
The Dispatch→ DeSantis the Decider
Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis speaks during an event on March 30 in Smyrna, Georgia. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage / AFP) (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)The Florida governor is comfortable exercising power but less steady on the campaign trail
The Dispatch→ Cleveland Rocks
Grover Cleveland. (Photo by Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images)The nation’s 22nd and 24th president is underappreciated. Continue reading Cleveland Rocks »
The Dispatch→ Our Best Stuff From the Week the Trump Indictment Came Down
A Secret Service agent stands outside of Mar-a-Lago, home of former President Donald Trump, in Palm Beach, Florida, on April 1, 2023. Trump is expected to surrender to authorities in New York to face charges over a hush-money payment to adult film star
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show European Parliament Member Using Cocaine During Meeting
Does a social media video show a European Parliament member sniffing cocaine during a public meeting? No, that's not true: The man seen in this video is a former German politician who was never a European Parliament member. Also, he is le
The Dispatch→ Remember, You Asked For This
Supporters of former President Donald Trump protest near Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 31, 2023. (Photo by Giorgio Viera / AFP/Getty Images)Five ways to think about the Trump indictment.Continue reading Remember, You Ask
Truth or Fiction?→ Lauren Boebert ‘We Are Not A Democracy’ Quote
On March 30 2023, a screenshot shared to Reddit suggested Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) said of the United States that “we are not a democracy”: She is so dumb by u/DaFunkJunkie in WhitePeopleTwitter No date
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘QAnon Shaman’ NOT Released Early From Prison Because Of ‘Video Evidence Showing That January 6 Was A Hoax,’ ‘Inside Job’
Was Jacob Chansley, the Capitol rioter better known as the "QAnon Shaman," released early from prison to a halfway house "following video evidence showing that January 6 [2021] was a hoax" and an "inside job"? No, that's not true: The Bur
The Dispatch→ A Lot of Hot Air
Former President Donald Trump at a rally in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)Everyone is reacting predictably to Trump’s indictment even before we know the actual charges. Continue reading A Lot of Hot Air »
The Dispatch→ The Trump Indictment Danger
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks at a press conference in January. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)The move may cut a meandering path through the law to punish an unpopular former president.Continue reading The Trump Indictmen
The Dispatch→ Trump Indicted
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Happy Friday—and stop the count! Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories Turkey’s parliament voted to approve
The Dispatch→ Did Ron Get Rolled?
(Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)He fights! But does he win?Continue reading Did Ron Get Rolled? »
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Democrats Did NOT Dress Up ‘Black Guy As A White Supremacist’ — It Was Demonstration by Anti-Trump Republicans
Did Democrats dress "a black guy as a white supremacist" to cast a bad light on supporters of former President Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The picture, which shows five people standing side by side with tiki torches, is a 2021 demo
Truth or Fiction?→ DeSantis, Disney, and the ‘Rule Against Perpetuities’
On March 29 2023, two popular posts on Reddit referenced a conflict between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), part of broader discourse involving a “rule against perpetuities.” Background In April 2022, we published a fact check abo
The Dispatch→ The House GOP’s Hunter Biden Investigation, Explained
President Joe Biden waves alongside his son Hunter Biden in August 2022. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)Republicans have obtained evidence of suspicious payments and pledge to keep looking for more.Continue reading The House GOP’s Hunte
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Russian Missile Strikes On Ukraine In March 2023 NOT A Hoax
Does a social media video prove that reported Russian missile strikes on Ukraine didn't take place or were staged? No, that's not true: The video, which alternates between images of Independence Square in the capital Kyiv and BBC televisi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Nashville TV Station Did NOT Tweet That Father Vowed ‘An End To Tolerance’ of ‘Trans Evil’ After Covenant Shooting
Did Tennessee TV news station WSMV 4 Nashville tweet that a father vowed an "end to tolerance" of "trans evil" in response to the March 27, 2023, Covenant School mass shooting that killed six people? No, that's not true: The broadcast sta
The Dispatch→ Nationalism and Patriotism
Supporters cheer ahead of Donald Trump's speech at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25, 2023, in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)Thoughts on America’s bipartisan malaise. Continue reading Nationalism and Patriotism »
The Dispatch→ Donald Trump, Nietzsche, and TikTok
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25, 2023, in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)A very bloggy G-File.Continue reading Donald Trump, Nietzsche, and TikTok »
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Show Nashville School Shooter
Does this photo show the Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale holding a protest sign that says, "TRANS RIGHTS ...OR ELSE?" with a graphic of five long guns in the colors of the trans flag stripes? No, that's not true: This photo was taken
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Stormy Daniels ‘Bombshell Letter’ NOT New — Released In 2018, She Immediately Disavowed It
Does a "bombshell letter from Stormy Daniels debunk" Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's pursuit of potential criminal charges against former President Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The statement circulating on social media in
The Dispatch→ The House Majority Runs Through New York
Flanked by Reps. Brandon Williams and Nick Lalota, fellow New York Rep. Anthony D'Esposito speaks outside the U.S. Capitol on March 7. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)Plus: Utah Republicans expect Mitt Romney to run for reelection. Continue
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Ukrainian Soldiers’ Do NOT Terrorize Woman And Child — Video Was Staged In Occupied Donetsk
Did two Ukrainian soldiers driving a vehicle with a Ukrainian flag and a Nazi-style straight-armed cross on the tailgate stop a woman driving on a rural road and argue with her because she spoke Russian -- and then as she and her child be
The Dispatch→ Kamikaze Chris
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on November 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Would a Christie candidacy be good or bad for Trump?Continue reading Kamikaze Chris »
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence ‘Gays’ Commit 45% Of Child Sexual Abuse
Do gay men and gay women make up 2 percent of the world's population but commit 45 percent of all sexual assaults against children? No, that's not true: Experts in the field say there is not a greater risk that gay people will be child mo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Images Of ‘Arrested’ Putin Are NOT Authentic
Do viral images of Russian President Vladimir Putin actually show him being arrested? No, that's not true: The "photos" were created by AI-based software, and, as of this writing, Putin is not under arrest, despite a warrant issued by the
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Taliban Sent ‘Real Tweet’ Claiming To Have ‘Second-Largest Collection Of Humvees Behind’ US
Does a "real tweet" from a Twitter account called "Taliban Public Relations Department, Commentary" proclaim that Afghanistan has the second-largest collection of Humvees behind the United States? No, that's not true: There is no proof th
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photos Of John Fetterman Do NOT Show Evidence That He Has Been Replaced By Body Double
Do recently released photos show some inexplicable changes to John Fetterman's appearance -- evidence that a clone has been substituted for the real senator from Pennsylvania? No, that's not true: Fetterman has been out of the public eye
The Dispatch→ Voters Will Have the Final Say on Alvin Bragg
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)Will the Manhattan district attorney come to regret his investigation of Donald Trump?Continue reading Voters Will Have the Final Say on Alvin Bragg »
The Dispatch→ Dave McCormick Poised to Mount Another Senate Run
Pennsylvania GOP Senate Candidate Dave McCormick speaks during a rally on May 16, 2022. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)The former U.S. Senate candidate shores up support from Pennsylvania Republicans.Continue reading Dave McCormick Poised
The Dispatch→ You Say You Want a Revolution
Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a 2024 election campaign rally in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023. (Photo by Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images)The Republican primary features two models of disruption. Continue reading You Say You Want a Revo
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Ohio State University Advising Students Against Voting in Person on Election Day for Reasons Related to Financial Aid?
On March 27 2023, journalist Sam Levine tweeted about Ohio State University’s purported warning to students about “voting in person on election day” and their financial aid packages: Wow — Ohio State University is advising stu
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Grindr Did NOT Threaten To ‘Reveal Every Republican Legislator And Party Official Who Secretly Uses’ The LGBTQ+ Dating App
Did the LGBTQ+-focused dating app Grindr threaten to "reveal every Republican legislator and party official who secretly uses" it, if "Florida doesn't stop passing homophobic and transphobic laws"? No, that's not true: The original wordin
The Dispatch→ Will Donald Trump’s Attacks Sink Ron DeSantis?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to Iowa voters on March 10, 2023. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Plus: Two Democratic visions for Chicago’s future meet in next week’s mayoral runoff. Continue reading Will Donald Trump’s Attacks Sink Ron De
The Dispatch→ Our Best Stuff on Donald Trump, Joe Exotic, and the Xi-Putin Summit
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on March 4, 2023, in National Harbor, Maryland. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Plus: Deepfakes are here and it’s going to get crazy.Continue reading Our Best Stuff on Donald Trump, Joe E
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Did NOT Receive A Full-Grade Military And Constitutionally Regulated Inauguration Ceremony On January 20, 2021
Did the military sendoff for Donald Trump on January 20, 2021, and Air Force One's departure at nearly noon that day mean that Trump actually was inaugurated for a second term as president of the United States? No, that's not true: The of
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Pictures of Fauci Arrest Are NOT Real Photos But AI-Generated Images
Do images circulating on social media show press photos of Anthony Fauci under arrest and in police custody? No, that's not true: Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has not been arrest