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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Romney Not Switching Parties, Contrary to Online Claim

Romney Not Switching Parties, Contrary to Online Claim

Sen. Mitt Romney has sometimes been critical of fellow Republicans and veered from the party line. But an Instagram post falsely claims Romney “threatens to leave the Republican Party and Join Democrats.” A Romney spokesperson said there is “zero truth” to the claim, and the senator has filed for reelection in 2024 as a Republican.

McCarthy Misleads on State and Local Revenue

McCarthy Misleads on State and Local Revenue

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy misleadingly argues that federal aid to state and local governments is unnecessary because state and local tax receipts were “the highest… in American history” in the third quarter.

Trump Attacks Romney with Baseless Viral Claims

Trump Attacks Romney with Baseless Viral Claims

Several days after Sen. Mitt Romney was the lone Republican vote to convict President Donald Trump of abuse of power in the impeachment trial, the president used his Twitter account to spread dubious and unfounded viral claims about the Utah senator.

Misleading Posts Target Nine Republicans on Impeachment

Misleading Posts Target Nine Republicans on Impeachment

Posts circulating amid the Senate impeachment trial misleadingly accuse nine Republican senators of having “joined Democrats on impeachment.” The claim originated in October as a list of senators who had not yet co-sponsored an impeachment-related resolution — but six of them did sign on to that measure.

Dubious Posts Tie Political Families to Ukraine Work

Dubious Posts Tie Political Families to Ukraine Work

There’s no evidence for social media claims that the children of Nancy Pelosi, Mitt Romney and John Kerry are working for “Ukrainian gas companies” or sitting “on the board of directors for energy companies doing business in Ukraine.”

Romney’s Poverty Points

Romney’s Poverty Points

Mitt Romney said that under President Obama “there are more people in poverty in America than ever before.” That’s true, but the poverty rate — which accounts for population changes — was higher under several former presidents than it is currently.

Romney’s Reach on World Opinion of U.S.

Romney’s Reach on World Opinion of U.S.

Mitt Romney said he couldn’t think of a single “major country” that “has greater respect and admiration for America today than it did five years ago when Barack Obama became president.”

The Final Attack Ads

The Final Attack Ads

Both sides in the presidential race are making one last push for votes with false and distorted claims on television, radio and even in text messages:

A liberal super PAC’s radio ad in Ohio twists Mitt Romney’s words by having him say six times: “I’m not concerned about the very poor.” He actually said: “I’m not concerned about the very poor; we have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it.”
A conservative super PAC falsely claims in a TV ad that President Obama’s health care law “creates an unaccountable new board that can cut Medicare benefits with no notice —

Does Tagg Romney ‘Own’ Ohio Voting Machines?

Does Tagg Romney ‘Own’ Ohio Voting Machines?

Q: Does Mitt Romney’s son Tagg own Ohio’s electronic voting machines?
A: There’s no evidence of that. A spokesman for Tagg Romney’s private equity firm states that it has no stake in Hart InterCivic, a supplier of voting machines in two of Ohio’s 88 counties.