Summary For the fourth year in a row, Donald Trump dominates our list of the whoppers of the year. Before he entered politics as a presidential candidate in 2015, we had never singled out one person as the most egregious teller-of-falsehoods in these y
Search Results (4009) for: presidential
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a Mike Huckabee Tweet About the Clinton Foundation Real?
Following news on December 18, 2018 that the Trump Foundation would close, a tweet attributed to former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in which he appeared to think that the Clinton Foundation was closing circulated in screenshots on social media. In
FactCheck.org→ Trump, Giuliani Distort Facts on IG Report
President Donald Trump and one of his lawyers, Rudy Giuliani, distorted the findings of a new report about the forensic recovery of text messages exchanged between Peter Strzok, a former FBI senior counterintelligence agent, and Lisa Page, a former FBI
FactCheck.org→ Missing the Mark on the Edwards Case
Quick Take A popular meme suggests prosecutors are applying a double standard in a campaign finance case involving President Donald Trump, but it distorts the facts of the case against former Democratic Sen. John Edwards. Full Story In 2011, a grand j
FactCheck.org→ Trump Wrong About Poverty ‘Record’
The U.S. Census Bureau officially estimates that close to 1 million fewer people were in poverty in 2017 compared with 2016. President Donald Trump called the decline “a record,” but it’s not. The drop in the number of people in pover
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump says tariffs will make America rich again. Economists disagree
For years before he became president, Donald Trump has been intrigued by the idea of tariffs. In his 2011 book, Time to Get Tough, for instance, he proposed a 20 percent tax on imported goods. In his presidential announcement speech, Trump proposed 35
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump says tariffs will make America rich again. Economists disagree
For years before he became president, Donald Trump has been intrigued by the idea of tariffs. In his 2011 book, Time to Get Tough, for instance, he proposed a 20 percent tax on imported goods. In his presidential announcement speech, Trump proposed 35
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Trump Did NOT Step In by Executive Order to Restore Christmas to Dearborn (Because It Was Never Abolished)
Did president Donald Trump step in via an executive order to restore Christmas in Dearborn, Michigan after it had been allegedly abolished by muslims? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to educa
PolitiFact→ How much is the Mueller investigation costing? (updated)
President Donald Trump has periodically taken shots at the cost of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russia’s impact on the 2016 presidential election. A new document released by the Justice Department details just how much
PolitiFact→ How much is the Mueller investigation costing? (updated)
President Donald Trump has periodically taken shots at the cost of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russia’s impact on the 2016 presidential election. A new document released by the Justice Department details just how much
FactCheck.org→ Websites Distort Story of Former Federal Judge
Quick Take Conservative websites falsely claim that former federal Judge Alex Kozinski “struck down” President Donald Trump’s original travel ban. He actually opposed its suspension. Full Story Before federal Judge Alex Kozinski
Truth or Fiction?→ Does a ‘Newly Obtained’ Photograph Show Donald Trump, Jr. with Accused Spy Maria Butina?
On December 10, 2018, shortly after accused Russian intelligence asset Mariia Butina reportedly entered a plea deal with prosecutors for working as an unregistered agent of a foreign power, the Facebook page Occupy Democrats shared the following photo
Truth or Fiction?→ Have More Americans Died in Gun-Related Incidents Than Wars Since the Founding of the United States?
On December 7 2018, the Facebook page Change The Ref shared this meme (text below): FACT: MORE AMERICANS HAVE DIED OF GUN-RELATED INCIDENTS IN THE LAST FIFTY YEARS THAN HAVE DIED IN WAR SINCE THE COUNTRY’S FOUNDING. A caption with the image read
FactCheck.org→ Meme Confuses Lincoln’s Bible With A Quran
Quick Take Former President Barack Obama was sworn into office in 2013 with his hand on two Bibles. He did not use a Quran, as a meme circulating online falsely claims. Full Story Former President Barack Obama used two Bibles when he was sworn into of
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Exaggerated ‘Conflicts of Interest’ Claims
In a flurry of tweets, President Donald Trump stretched the facts when he alleged that special counsel Robert Mueller and his staff have “many” conflicts of interests: Trump falsely claimed that “the woman in charge of prosecuting [c
FactCheck.org→ Our Annual Fundraising Appeal
This week we celebrated our 15th year of holding politicians accountable. We have been able to keep the fact-checks coming in part because of your support. We hope that you will be as generous this year as you have been in the past. In 2018, we have b
Snopes→ Thousands Salute Bush Funeral Train 4141
It was the first presidential funeral train journey since Dwight D. Eisenhower's remains went from Washington to his native Kansas 49 years ago.
FactCheck.org→ Bogus Kurt Russell Quote Strikes Again
Quick Take A viral meme falsely attributes a quote supportive of President Donald Trump to movie star Kurt Russell. The actor’s representative has debunked it before. Full Story A number of similar pro-President Donald Trump Facebook pages, seem
FactCheck.org→ The Fake Clinton Quote That Won’t Go Away
Quick Take An old, bogus quote claiming that Hillary Clinton suggested in 2013 that Donald Trump should run for public office is circulating again on Facebook. It’s still not true. Full Story Even after it has been thoroughly debunked, misinform
FactCheck.org→ Our 15th Anniversary
FactCheck.org turns 15 years old today. Since our launch on Dec. 5, 2003, fact-checking political claims has become a worldwide phenomenon, with 162 fact-checking websites currently active, according to the Reporters’ Lab at Duke University. Jou
FactCheck.org→ Trump Didn’t Call Flu Shot a ‘Scam’
Quick Take President Donald Trump did not call the flu shot a “scam,” as is being claimed by a number of widely circulated blog articles. Full Story An article appearing on several websites falsely claims that President Donald Trump once
FactCheck.org→ Obama’s Misleading Oil Boast
Presidents — regardless of party — tend to take credit for good things that happen under their watch, regardless of how much influence their actions may have had. Exhibit A: Former President Barack Obama said the fact that the United States
Lead Stories→ Old News: NASA Did NOT *Just* Release 2,540 Stunning New Photos of Mars (And The First Pic Is Fake)
Did NASA 'just' release 2,540 stunning new photos of Mars? And does the first one show a crater that appears to be filled with liquid water? No, that's not true. The series of photos currently going viral was released a long time ago, back in
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Sketchy Cohen Claims
President Donald Trump went on the attack against Michael Cohen, saying his former personal attorney is a “weak person” trying to avoid jail time by “lying” about negotiations with Russian officials about a possible Trump Tower
FactCheck.org→ Viral Posts Misinform on McCarran-Walter Act
Quick Take The 1952 McCarran-Walter Act codified immigration policies. It doesn’t bar “Muslims from holding public office,” as social media posts erroneously claim. Full Story When the Trump administration announced its controversi
Snopes→ Did Dick Van Dyke Say ‘We Have to Stop a Man Who Wants to Be the Dictator’?
In an interview just before the 2016 presidential election, the then-90-year-old comic actor leveled some harsh accusations against Republican candidate Donald Trump and his supporters.
FactCheck.org→ Is Trump Responsible for Falling Gasoline Prices?
With gasoline prices plummeting, President Donald Trump gave himself a third-person pat on the back via Twitter: “thank you President T.” Energy experts say the decline in prices is largely motivated by market forces outside the president&#
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Border Claims
After a group of migrants tried to breach the U.S. border at Tijuana, with some throwing rocks and border agents responding with tear gas, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said there were no “reported serious injuries o
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Trump Did NOT Divert Obama Library Funding to Veteran’s Administration
Did President Donald Trump issue an executive order diverting the funding for Obama's presidential library to the Veteran's Administration? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a liberal satire website that tries to trick conservative
FactCheck.org→ Trump Spins Midterm Election Results
President Donald Trump in recent days has engaged in some post-election spin: Trump said with his help Gov. Rick Scott won the Senate race in Florida “by a lot.” That’s a relative phrase, but Scott’s victory over incumbent Sen.
FactCheck.org→ Partisan Site Spins Falsehoods in Georgia Election
Q: Have provisional ballots been rejected as “duplicates” in Fulton County, Georgia? A: No. A provisional ballot labeled “duplicate” means it has been counted, not rejected. FULL ANSWER More than a week after the midterm el
Washington Post→ Fact-checking President Trump’s wild Daily Caller interview
Election fraud, the Mueller investigation, the midterm elections and the Affordable Care Act — there were a lot of subjects subject to presidential misinformation in Trump's interview with the Daily Caller.
FactCheck.org→ Fake Kurt Cobain Quote about Trump
Q: Did Kurt Cobain predict a Donald Trump presidency more than 20 years ago? A: No. There is no evidence he did, and Cobain’s former manager labeled the quote a fake. FULL ANSWER There is no evidence the late Kurt Cobain said Donald Trump might
Washington Post→ Gillibrand’s cascade of misfired employment statistics
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), a potential 2020 presidential candidate, mangled three employment statistics while making the case the economy can do better.
FactCheck.org→ Trump Jr.’s False Noncitizen Voting Tweet
Amid a contentious Florida recount, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted a six-year-old, and outdated, story to suggest hundreds of thousands of noncitizens could have voted in the state. The story includes an update saying just 85 noncitizens were ultimately re
FactCheck.org→ Video: Trump on His Tax Returns
CNN’s Jake Tapper examines President Donald Trump’s claims about his tax returns in this week’s fact-checking video. After Democrats won the House majority in the midterm elections, opening the possibility they might issue a subpoena
FactCheck.org→ Bogus Voter Fraud Claims
With votes continuing to be counted in very close elections in Florida, Georgia and Arizona, President Donald Trump and some other Republicans have been crying foul, making false and misleading claims of supposed election fraud perpetrated by Democrats
FactCheck.org→ FBI Didn’t Clear Michael Flynn
Q: Was former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn recently cleared by the FBI in the Russia probe? A: No. A website makes that claim based on an outdated news story that was published prior to Flynn pleading guilty to making false statements t
Truth or Fiction?→ Did United States President Donald Trump Threaten to Withhold Disaster Funding from California?
Sizable wildfires burning up and down California have killed at least 25 people and destroyed at least one entire Northern California town, Paradise. The exact toll and cost as of November 11, 2018 is still unknown, because at least two enormously dest
FactCheck.org→ Meme Misleads on Benefits of Illegal Immigration
Q: Does the U.S. provide medical insurance and voting rights to immigrants in the country illegally? A: No. A viral meme misrepresents what such immigrants are entitled to in the U.S. FULL ANSWER A viral meme on Facebook criticizes the U.S. for sup