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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

The 2016 FactCheck Awards

The 2016 FactCheck Awards

We highlight some TV ads that made us laugh out loud and either shake our heads or scratch them.

Trump’s Tax Cut Claims

Trump’s Tax Cut Claims

Donald Trump misleadingly touts tax cuts of 30 percent for “working people” or 35 percent for “a middle-class family with two children,” adding that Hillary Clinton “wants to raise your taxes up to the sky.” That distorts both Trump’s and Clinton’s plans.

Democratic Deceptions

Democratic Deceptions

TV ads tie Donald Trump to GOP candidates who don’t support him.

A False Attack on Toomey

A False Attack on Toomey

A Democratic ad falsely accused Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey’s bank of using a “controversial” loan tactic that forced 21 people out of their homes. In fact, only two of them lost houses, and there is no evidence that either home was a primary residence.

A False ‘Corruption’ Claim

A False ‘Corruption’ Claim

In a TV ad, Donald Trump falsely claims that Hillary Clinton “handed over American uranium rights to the Russians” as part of a “pay-to-play” scheme to get “filthy rich.” Clinton did not have the authority to unilaterally approve that deal.

Jolly, Trump Photos Are Fake

Jolly, Trump Photos Are Fake

Some voters may be misled by a Democratic TV ad that uses fake images, marked “dramatization,” of Republican Rep. David Jolly and Donald Trump shaking hands and appearing together.

Clinton Misrepresents Trump Quote

Clinton Misrepresents Trump Quote

Hillary Clinton has turned a Democratic talking point into a TV ad that misrepresents a quote from Donald Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention.

Wisconsin Senior Scare

Wisconsin Senior Scare

A Wisconsin Democrat’s ad falsely accuses his opponent of proposing to cut Social Security benefits for two-thirds of seniors. Actually, benefits would go up for the poorest one-third of current beneficiaries, and would be unchanged for most others.

Bogus Drunk Driving Attack in Nevada

Bogus Drunk Driving Attack in Nevada

A misleading Republican attack ad accuses Nevada’s Democratic candidate for Senate of putting “deadly drunk drivers back on the roads.” She didn’t.

Cherry-Picking Toomey’s Votes

Cherry-Picking Toomey’s Votes

A liberal political action committee uses the old trick of cherry-picking votes, making it seem as if Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania chose to give tax breaks to “the super-rich and corporations” instead of funding education.