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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Trump Wrong on Obama-Biden Actions on Policing

Trump Wrong on Obama-Biden Actions on Policing

In signing an executive order on policing issues, President Donald Trump falsely claimed former President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden “never even tried to fix this during their eight-year period.” The Obama administration took several steps to address police violence and community trust issues, some of which the Trump administration has dialed back.

Obama’s Criticism Didn’t Set a Presidential Precedent

Obama’s Criticism Didn’t Set a Presidential Precedent

A meme circulating on Facebook — and retweeted by President Donald Trump — falsely claims former President Barack Obama is the “first ex-president to speak against [his] successor.” Actually, many U.S. leaders criticized those who followed them into the White House.

Trump Twists Record on Inspectors General

Trump Twists Record on Inspectors General

Defending his decision to fire a fourth inspector general this year, President Donald Trump has misleadingly compared his record to past presidents, claiming, “I think every president has gotten rid of probably more than I have.”

Treason Conviction Wouldn’t Erase Presidential Actions

Treason Conviction Wouldn’t Erase Presidential Actions

Social media posts targeting former President Barack Obama suggest he will be tried for “treason” and falsely claim that if convicted his title would be “stripped away” along with all his presidential actions.  There’s no support for the claim he’ll be tried for treason, and it’s untrue that any former president’s actions would be undone after such a conviction.

Flawed Comparison on Coronavirus, H1N1 Emergency Timelines

Flawed Comparison on Coronavirus, H1N1 Emergency Timelines

Facebook posts falsely claim that it “took [President Barack] Obama ‘millions infected and over 1,000 deaths’ to declare the H1N1 flu a health emergency,” but President Donald Trump “declared a health emergency” before the first coronavirus death. In reality, both administrations declared public health emergencies before the first reported deaths.

A Misleading Anti-Biden Ad from Trump Backers

A Misleading Anti-Biden Ad from Trump Backers

A misleading television ad from the Committee to Defend the President falsely suggests that former President Barack Obama is criticizing his former vice president, Joe Biden, for his racial attitudes.

Accounting for Net Worth of Trump, Clintons and Obamas

Accounting for Net Worth of Trump, Clintons and Obamas

A meme circulating on Facebook claims without evidence that Hillary Clinton has made $95.5 million since she ran for president in 2016, and falsely implies that she and former President Barack Obama enriched themselves by “steal[ing] your money.”

Weinstein Wasn’t a Medal of Freedom Recipient

Weinstein Wasn’t a Medal of Freedom Recipient

A doctored image spread on Facebook erroneously shows former President Barack Obama giving Harvey Weinstein the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The actual photo showed Obama bestowing the honor upon former Vice President Joe Biden.

Meme Makes Flawed Obama, Trump Comparison

Meme Makes Flawed Obama, Trump Comparison

Facebook users are recirculating an inaccurate meme from May that makes misleading economic comparisons between Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The meme includes inaccurate or selective information about Obama’s record on jobs and economic growth.

Did Obama Fire All Bush-Appointed Ambassadors?

Did Obama Fire All Bush-Appointed Ambassadors?

Q: Did President Barack Obama immediately fire all Bush-appointed ambassadors “the day he was elected office”?
A: No. As is the custom, Obama immediately replaced most — not all — of Bush’s politically appointed ambassadors. Obama did not remove any of the career appointees to ambassadorships.