Democrats say the Trump administration is asking for more money for a border wall even though it has spent only 6 percent of the funds that Congress has appropriated for border security over the past two years. That’s misleading. About 60 percent has
Snopes→ Was Journalist Bre Payton’s Death ‘Beyond Strange’ Due to Her Reporting on the Mueller Probe?
A D.C. lobbyist asserted without evidence that the young reporter's death was suspicious due to her recent reporting activities.
Snopes→ Are Mobile Phone Users Vulnerable to ‘SIM Swap’ Fraud Through Phone Calls?
A social media post about a resurgent scam misstates the problem, but the form of fraud is very real.
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This a Picture of Used Syringes Recovered in ‘Democrat Run’ San Francisco?
On December 20, 2018, the Facebook page Try Decaf shared a photograph, purportedly showing used needles “found on the streets of Democrat run San Francisco”: As of January 4, 2019, the image had been shared thousands of times. Angry users
FactCheck.org→ Social Security Falsehood Circulates Again
Quick Take Social media posts wrongly claim Democrats voted against the Social Security cost-of-living increase for 2019. Adjustments to Social Security benefits are not decided by lawmakers. Full Story A 2.8 percent increase in Social Security benefi
Snopes→ Parents Sue Over District’s Policy to Arm Teachers at School
The school is believed to be the first school system in Pennsylvania to let teachers carry weapons.
Snopes→ Dems to Push Gun Control on Anniversary of Giffords Shooting
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats plan to introduce a bill to expand background checks for sales and transfers of firearms.
Snopes→ Welcome to the Jungle: New Dems Get Early Political Lesson
Rep.-elect Rashida Tlaib of Michigan exclaimed at an event that Democrats were going to “impeach the mother------.”
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Pelosi Daughters NON EXISTENT Drug Trafficking Charges DID NOT Mysteriously Disappear
Did the drug trafficking charges against two of Nancy Pelosi's daughters mysteriously disappear after their mother became Speaker of the House? No, that's not true: the charges didn't exist in the first place. The story was published by a lib
Snopes→ Did ‘Petey the Pelican’ Befriend a Stray Dog?
A picture of a pelican and a dog lying on a pier together suggests they were serious BFFs.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Nancy Pelosi’s Daughters NOT Arrested Smuggling Contraband at the Border
Were Nancy Pelosi's daughters, Pamela, 22, and Loreen, 25 arrested at the Mexican border carrying cocaine and "bloogies"? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to educate gullible Trump supporters
Snopes→ Did Theodore Roosevelt ‘Punish’ a Mississippi City for Forcing Out a Black Postmaster?
The president retaliated when Minnie Cox was pushed out of her position by white residents of Indianola.
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Deaths Listed in a ‘2018 Muslim Threat’ Tweet Accurate?
On January 1, 2019, civil rights lawyer and podcast host Qasim Rashid, Esq. tweeted a purported breakdown of the so-called “Muslim threat” relative to other risks to Americans in 2018: 2018 Recap of the “Muslim threat” Americans killed
Snopes→ GOP Sen. Roberts of Kansas Says He Won’t Seek Re-election
The longest-serving member of Congress in Kansas history lamented that bipartisanship is becoming less common.
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump – No, Mexico isn't paying for border wall through USMCA trade deal, despite Donald Trump's claims
The Truth-o-Meter says: False | No, Mexico isn't paying for border wall through USMCA trade deal, despite Donald Trump's claims President Donald Trump campaigned on the promise that Mexico would pay for a border wall, yet stands firm on his call to
PolitiFact→ Chris Murphy – Has the Trump administration spent only 6 percent of border money?
The Truth-o-Meter says: Mostly False | Has the Trump administration spent only 6 percent of border money? Has the Trump administration spent just 6 percent of the money allocated by Congress for border upgrades? As the parties battle over border fu
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a Tweet Contrasting American and Japanese Generations Accurate?
On December 22, 2018, the Facebook page Ethan Berk shared an image referencing baby boomers, older people in Japan, and the attitudes of the two groups: The image involved several components, including commentary at the top, a purported tweet from BBC
Snopes→ Did a Man Performing the ‘Bird Box Challenge’ Get Jumped and Mugged?
Now we have to be fearful about people acting out the avoidance of fears.
Snopes→ Did Morgan Freeman Review 2018 in This Video?
Actor Morgan Freeman has one of the most recognizable (and impersonated) celebrity voices.
Snopes→ Kevin Hart Says He’s Considering Oscars Gig Again
Hart backed off initially when some of his homophobic tweets from a decade ago resurfaced.
Snopes→ Outgoing US Interior Secretary Defends Legacy
Former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he has lived up to the conservation ideals of Teddy Roosevelt.
Lead Stories→ Lead Stories Fastest At Debunking 2018 Top Hoaxes Identified By BuzzFeed News
A few days ago BuzzFeed's Craig Silverman published his annual overview of the top 50 biggest on-line hoaxes of the previous year. Just like last year we used this list as a basis to do some analysis to see how Lead Stories did compared to oth
Snopes→ Did These Politicians Build Walls Around Their Homes?
A meme attempting to equate a national border wall with home security featured provocative images of politicians' residences.
Snopes→ Trump Says Democrats’ Impeachment Talk is 2020 Ploy
President Trump claims Democrats are only seeking impeachment because they know they can't win the White House in 2020.
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Netflix Did NOT Announce French Version of Suicide Squad
Did Netflix announce a French version of the "Suicide Squad" movie? No, that's not true: the rumor was started by a Belgian satire website mocking the French government. It is not real. The story originated from an article published by NordPre
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Texas Man Did NOT Crash After Attempting To Drive Blindfolded Doing ‘Bird Box’ Challenge
Did a Texas man named Jacob attempt to drive blindfolded while taking the "Bird Box" challenge and did he get into a four vehicle accident? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a "fauxtire" site that invents fictional articles for ent
Washington Post→ Fact-checking Trump’s freewheeling Cabinet session
Trump said many things that were factually incorrect in his 90-minute Cabinet meeting. Here's a selection of new things he said that was wrong.
Truth or Fiction?→ Are More Americans Killed Annually by Lack of Affordable Healthcare Than in Terror Attacks or Undocumented Immigrants?
On December 20 2018, the Facebook page Teanderthal Party posted the following meme about healthcare, “illegal immigration,” terror attacks, and the mortality rate in the United States: It stated: FACT: More Americans die every year from la
Snopes→ Was President Trump’s Visit to Walter Reed Hospital Ignored by the Media?
The media doesn't typically afford prominent coverage to year-old stories.
Snopes→ Roy Moore Says He Was Duped Into Appearing on Comedy Show
Former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore says he didn't know he was dealing with comedian Sacha Baron Cohen when he agreed to appear on a television show.
Snopes→ Former NY Times Editor Says Fox Took Her Book Out of Context
Jill Abramson, the former editor of 'The New York Times,' says that Fox News took her criticism of the newspaper's Trump coverage "totally out of context" in a story.
Snopes→ Did Nancy Pelosi Offer a Border Wall in Exchange for a Full Gun Ban?
If true, this is our chance to see what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.
FactCheck.org→ False Claim of Immigrant Children Deaths Under Obama
Q: Is it accurate that “18 children died while in custody of Border Patrol” during the Obama administration? A: No. Prior to two children’s deaths in December, it had been more than a decade since a child died while in the custody of U.S.
Snopes→ Did President Trump Say U.S. Generals Were ‘Better Looking Than Tom Cruise, and Stronger’?
The 45th president's first public cabinet meeting of 2019 gave rise to a widely shared Facebook meme.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Teddy Roosevelt Stand Up for the First Black Female Postmaster?
In January 2019, the Facebook page History Hustle shared a meme about President Teddy Roosevelt and a woman named Minnie Cox, the first black female postmaster in the United States: The original post (which did not include any visible citations) said:
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Woman Did NOT Stab Husband To Death After He Kept Leaving Skid Marks In The Toilet
Did a woman in Columbia, South Carolina (or anywhere else) stab her husband (namde Paul Houston or something else) to death for leaving skid marks in the toilet? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a site that is part of a larger ne
Snopes→ Was Abortion the ‘Leading Cause of Death’ in 2018?
Leading causes of death worldwide and abortion estimates -- two different measures?
FactCheck.org→ Mailbag: 2018 Whoppers, Vaccine Additives
This week, readers sent us comments about our story on the whoppers of 2018, and on vaccine safety and additives. In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the email we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edite
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Nuns Did NOT Cook Magic Shrooms By Mistake, Did NOT End Up In Orgy
Did some nuns in Albacete, Spain cook magic mushrooms by accident and did they end up in an orgy afterwards? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a Spanish entertainment website and later got translated to English (sort of) for the i
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Snake Head Found in a Can of Green Beans?
In late December 2018, a Facebook user shared a photograph set showing what appeared to be a snake’s head, claiming that she had found it in a can of Glory Foods green beans: Accompanying the images was a post, which read: Snake for supper anyon