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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Meme Distorts AOC’s Election Vote Count

Meme Distorts AOC’s Election Vote Count

A misleading meme states that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez received “about 16,000 votes” while running for office in 2018. She won her seat with 110,318 votes in the general election. She received 16,898 votes in the district’s Democratic primary.

Comparing Benefits for Refugees and Senior Citizens

Comparing Benefits for Refugees and Senior Citizens

A popular meme falsely claims that each month refugees in the United States receive over three times more money in “federal assistance” than Social Security beneficiaries. That’s a new version of an old claim we debunked over a decade ago.

Unpacking Biden’s and Trump’s Big Cancer Promises

Unpacking Biden’s and Trump’s Big Cancer Promises

On the campaign trail, former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump have both claimed that a cure to cancer would soon become a reality — if they were elected in 2020. Experts, however, don’t share that degree of optimism.

Video: Biden’s Crime Bill Claims

Video: Biden’s Crime Bill Claims

In this week’s fact-checking video, CNN’s Jake Tapper discusses three claims Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made about his support for the 1994 crime bill. 

Protections for Drivers Who Hit Protesters Didn’t Pass

Protections for Drivers Who Hit Protesters Didn’t Pass

A viral post falsely asserts that Republicans are responsible for “passing laws making it legal to run over protesters with your car.” That distorts proposed, but not enacted, legislation in several states offering some protections for drivers who unintentionally injure demonstrators blocking streets.

Trump’s False Claims About Rep. Ilhan Omar

Trump’s False Claims About Rep. Ilhan Omar

President Donald Trump accused Rep. Ilhan Omar of professing a “love” for al Qaeda and talking about “how great” and “how wonderful” al Qaeda is. That is false.

Fake AOC Quotes Keep on Trucking

Fake AOC Quotes Keep on Trucking

Another fake quote attributed to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is circulating online. She didn’t say that “truck drivers are destroying America”; that quote came from a website that describes its content as satire.

Does Wind ‘Work’ Without Subsidies?

Does Wind ‘Work’ Without Subsidies?

President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the economics of wind energy, saying that wind “doesn’t work” without subsidies. Experts have differing assessments of that. By some metrics, wind power is already competitive with fossil fuels without subsidies. But other measures don’t come to the same conclusion.

Citizenship, the Census and Obama

Citizenship, the Census and Obama

Memes circulating online claim that former President Barack Obama removed the citizenship question from the 2010 census. He didn’t. The citizenship question in 2010 was handled the same way it had been since 1970. 

Biden on the 1994 Crime Bill

Biden on the 1994 Crime Bill

Former Vice President Joe Biden defended his support decades ago for a controversial crime bill, saying, “There’s another part of my long record that’s being grossly misrepresented: the 1994 crime bill.” We’ll go through Biden’s points about what was in the bill and what he supported or opposed.