Was Nancy Pelosi involved in one of the biggest heroin busts? No, that's not true: The claim that Speaker Pelosi was involved in a massive operation to smuggle heroin into the United States from southeast Asia has no basis in fact. A published
Search Results (1959) for: opinion
Snopes→ Did Howie Mandel Compile This List of Justin Trudeau’s Accomplishments?
Celebrity names are often falsely attached to political opinions in an attempt to make them more shareable.
FactCheck.org→ Mulvaney’s Spin on Ukraine Aid
White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney engaged in some serious political spin when he tried to deny what he said in a televised press conference: that the White House withheld security aid to Ukraine, in part, because the administration wanted
FactCheck.org→ Posts Resurface Made-up ‘Congressional Reform’ Bill
Quick Take Viral Facebook posts claim President Donald Trump has endorsed a supposed “Congressional Reform Act of 2017.” But no such bill exists. The text in the posts has circulated for years without references to Trump, and it is riddled
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Error-filled Cabinet Meeting
For more than an hour, President Donald Trump presided over a cabinet meeting, reeling off numerous false or misleading claims: Trump claimed, without evidence, that President Barack Obama tried to call North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “11 times” b
FactCheck.org→ The Facts on Mental Illness and Mass Shootings
Q: Do people with serious mental health disorders pose a greater risk of becoming mass shooters? A: People with mental illnesses are somewhat more likely to be violent than those without a diagnosis. But a majority are never violent, and very little is
FactCheck.org→ Obama Didn’t Authorize ‘Lying’ by the Media
Quick Take Social media posts falsely claim that former President Barack Obama signed a bill that made it permissible for “the media” to get “away with lying.” The bill had no bearing on private media outlets or what they can re
FactCheck.org→ Flurry of Trump Falsehoods
Summary In two press appearances in the same day, President Donald Trump made several false claims and distorted the facts on issues ranging from Syria to trade: Trump claimed that former GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan “would never issue a subpoena
Truth or Fiction?→ Do People Ingest Five Grams of Plastic Per Week?
On October 15 2019, the Facebook page “Using Less Plastic” shared a meme which claimed that “a new study” had found that humans ingested an average of five grams of plastic per week, about the same amount contained in an avera
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the October Democratic Debate
Summary We found several false and misleading claims in the October Democratic presidential debate: Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro claimed that the most recent jobs data show that “Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania &
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Canada Legalize Bestiality?
In October 2019, a Facebook user shared the following post (archived here), with a headline claiming that Canada had legalized “sex with animals”: That Facebook user wrote: Sick fucks. Only,one Judge a woman was against it They are maki
FactCheck.org→ The Democratic Letter to Ukraine
In May 2018, three Democratic senators wrote to the Ukrainian prosecutor general, asking about a news report that he had frozen four Ukrainian investigations involving Paul Manafort to avoid angering President Donald Trump. Republicans have called the
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Four in Ten Cancer Patients Really Lose Their Life Savings?
An October 11 2019 Imgur repost of a Bernie Sanders tweet appeared alongside the caption “this is how you know he would fight for the people if he is elected our president”: That tweet read: It’s not coincidental that the top health
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Numbers October 2019 Update
Summary Since President Donald Trump took office: The economy added 6 million jobs, and the unemployment rate dropped to the lowest level in nearly 50 years. Economic growth fell far short of the annual 4% to 6% Trump promised. The most recent rate is
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Claims About Hunter Biden in China
President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Hunter Biden, without evidence, of making millions of dollars in a “payoff” from China, after accompanying his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, on a 2013 diplomatic trip to Beijing. The cl
Lead Stories→ Fake News: 12,000 Doctors Did NOT Just Urge the FDA to Put Cancer Warnings on Cheese
Did 12,000 doctors urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to put cancer warnings on cheese? No, that's not true: The vegan advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed a petition asking the FDA to put a warning
FactCheck.org→ Fact: Trump TV Ad Misleads on Biden and Ukraine
With its candidate the subject of an impeachment inquiry, President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has gone on the offensive with a TV ad that claims to present the “facts” about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Ukr
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Footage Prove Elizabeth Warren Lied About ‘Visibly Pregnant’ Firing?
In early October 2019, a number of social media posts and attendant articles referenced a multi-layered claim that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) “lied” about being fired because she was “visibly pregnant.” Social medi
Truth or Fiction?→ If You Made $5,000 a Day Starting in 1492, Would You Still Have Less Money Than Jeff Bezos?
On October 7 2019, a screenshot of a tweet began circulating across the internet. It read: If you worked every single day, making $5000/day, from the time Columbus sailed to America, to the time you are reading this tweet, you would still not be a bi
Truth or Fiction?→ Recurring Disinformation Around Remembrance Day, Poppies, and ‘Upset Minorities’
An enduring piece of misinformation surrounding the Remembrance Day holiday and the Royal British Legion charity group resurfaced again in September 2019, despite the best efforts of fact-checkers the last few times the same exact disinformation appea
Climate Feedback→ Letter signed by “500 scientists” relies on inaccurate claims about climate science
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This letter presenting a short list of claims about climate change boasts a list of “500 scientists and professionals” who have co-signed it. The claims contradict or misrepresent the evidence uncovered
Truth or Fiction?→ Spooky Season, Activated Charcoal in Food, and Medication
On September 19 2019, a Facebook user shared a warning (archived here) that urged fans of the “spooky season” to avoid foods colored with activated charcoal due to its purported ability to prevent your body from absorbing medications. Al
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Ulysses S. Grant Say a Second Civil War Could be Waged Over Intelligence Vs. Superstition?
On September 30 2019, pundit Malcolm Nance shared the following quote meme to Facebook, purportedly involving remarks made by former United States President Ulysses S. Grant on the prospect of a second Civil War: One day prior, U.S. Presiden
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Church Of Sweden Did NOT Announce Greta Thunberg Is Successor Of Jesus
Did the Church of Sweden announce climate activist Greta Thunberg is the "successor" of Jesus Christ? No, that's not true: a single tweet by a local pastor in December 2018 made that controversial claim but he later apologized for it. The Chur
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Trump Is Now Trying To Get Mike Pence Impeached’ Claim
On September 25 2019, Politicus USA published an article headlined, “Trump Is Now Trying To Get Mike Pence Impeached,” claiming in part: During a press conference, Trump said that if he is going to be investigated, Vice President Pence’s
FactCheck.org→ The Whistleblower Complaint Timeline
President Donald Trump has been accused in a whistleblower complaint of “using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.” “In the course of my official duties, I have received inform
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Confederate Flag’s Designer Call it a Symbol of White Supremacy, Not Southern Heritage?
In September 2019, a July 2015 blog post circulated on Facebook, bearing the headline: “Confederate Flag Designer Said It Is A Symbol Of White Supremacy — Not Southern Heritage.” When rendered on Facebook, the link prominently displayed
FactCheck.org→ Trumps Didn’t Take Seats for Disabled at U.N.
Quick Take Social media users and websites jumped to the wrong conclusion by claiming the Trump family took seats reserved for guests with disabilities at the 74th session of the U.N. General Assembly. They sat in seats reserved for guests of the speak
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Alaska’s Sea Ice Completely Melted, But NOT For First Time In Recorded History
Did Alaska's sea ice completely melt in the summer of 2019 for the first time in recorded history? No, that's not true: Alaska's sea ice completely melted previously in the summer of 2017, although the 2019 melting was completed at an earlier
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Facebook Does NOT Support Openly Calling For Assassination of Republicans That Defeat Democrats
Does Facebook support openly calling for assassination of Republicans that defeat Democrats? No, that's not true: a meme making that claim uses an image that has been found to be a forgery by fact checkers working with Facebook at the time it
FactCheck.org→ Q&A on Intelligence Community Whistleblower
A whistleblower on Aug. 12 filed a complaint with the inspector general of the intelligence community, who found the information credible and determined that under the law it should be forwarded to the congressional intelligence committees. But the act
FactCheck.org→ Posts Distort O’Rourke’s Criminal Record
Quick Take Viral posts falsely claim Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke can’t own a gun due to a felony. O’Rourke has not been convicted of a felony. Full Story Social media users have spread viral posts that falsely ca
FactCheck.org→ O’Rourke Not Alone in Support of Mandatory Buyback
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke has faced backlash from Republicans, and some Democrats, for his debate-night advocacy of a mandatory buyback program for so-called assault weapons. But Sen. Chuck Schumer went too far when he said,
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Ronald Reagan Say ‘Under No Pretext Should Arms and Ammunition Be Surrendered’?
Admirers of Republican Party stalwart Ronald Reagan may be disappointed to know that a graphic spreading online falsely credits him with a distorted version of a statement by two men who were not in idealogical alignment with the former United States
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Democratic Lawmaker Introduce a Bill to ‘Euthanize Seniors’?
Known satire site the Last Line of Defense, or LLOD, continued pushing its content in September 2019, as they opened another affiliate site publishing the same kind of posts. Daily World Update, billing itself as “satire for flat earthers, Trum
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Donald Trump Say ‘Women, You Have to Treat Them Like S—‘ in a 1992 Interview?
On September 14 2019 the popular — but not always accurate — Facebook page “Occupy Democrats” shared a Donald Trump quote meme (archived here), alleging that the President said “women, you have to treat them like shit” in
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Supreme Court Did NOT Rule Illegal Aliens Have No Due Process Rights In America
Did the U.S. Supreme Court rule that illegal aliens have no due process rights in America? No, that's not true: It is a twisted conclusion based on ancient court decisions -- made in 1856, 1892, 1896, 1950, and 1972 -- that mostly involved the
FactCheck.org→ FactChecking the September Democratic Debate
Summary The false and exaggerated claims in the third Democratic debate included: Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro accused former Vice President Joe Biden of “forgetting what you said two minutes ago” on Biden’s hea
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Beto O’Rourke Did NOT Say: Yes, Democrats Are Coming For Your Hand Guns
Did Beto O'Rourke say in the Democratic debate Democrats are coming for your hand guns? No, that's not true: The former Texas congressman did say if elected president, he would push to make illegal AR-15s, AK-47 and other weapons "designed to
Truth or Fiction?→ Did North Carolina’s GOP Trick Democrats into Attending a 9/11 Memorial, Then Pass an Unpopular Healthcare Bill?
On September 11 2019, a Facebook user shared the following post (archived here), which claimed in a three-part commentary that North Carolina Republicans used the anniversary of 9/11 to “trick” Democrats into missing a last-minute vote: &