As we do every three months, we offer here a fresh update of selected statistical indicators of what has happened since Barack Obama first took the oath of office in January 2009.
Obama’s Numbers (July 2015 Update)
Issues: terrorism
FlackCheck Video: Trump Announcement
This “Campaign Watch” video from FlackCheck.org covers several false and misleading statements Donald Trump made during his presidential announcement speech.
Trump Tramples Facts
Real estate developer Donald Trump’s speech announcing he is running for the Republican nomination for president contained a number of false and misleading statements.
Cruz Cherry-picks Terrorism Comments
Sen. Ted Cruz has criticized President Obama and the White House for not mentioning how religious discrimination fueled terrorist attacks in Paris and Libya this year. But to make his point, Cruz focuses on certain remarks and ignores others.
Paul Wrong on Texas Shooters
Sen. Rand Paul said the attack in Garland, Texas, was “an example of how we do need to secure our border,” but neither of the attackers crossed the southern border to gain access to the U.S. Both were Americans.
Saudi Arabia and the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
Zacarias Moussaoui, a convicted 9/11 co-conspirator, says members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family helped finance al Qaeda prior to the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Saudi government says that “there’s no evidence to support Moussaoui’s claim.” Who’s right?
FactChecking the GOP Responses
There were multiple official and unofficial Republican responses to President Obama’s State of the Union address, but only a few instances of the president’s critics stretching the facts.
Detaining and Interrogating Terror Suspects
Sen. Lindsey Graham went too far with his claim that the Obama administration has a policy of “not interrogating or detaining terrorist suspects anymore.”
Is Cuba a ‘Leading’ Sponsor of Terrorism?
Sen. Ted Cruz condemned President Obama’s announcement that he would normalize relations with Cuba, calling the communist country “a leading state sponsor of terrorism.” That’s a stretch, to say the least.
Cotton’s Porous Border Story
Rep. Tom Cotton distorted the facts of a 2011 failed terrorist plot to make his case that the U.S. border with Mexico is “open” and “defenseless.”