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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Checking the Facts in the World of Trump

Checking the Facts in the World of Trump

Rem Rieder — an editor at the Washington Post, Miami Herald, American Journalism Review and USA TODAY — looks back at his year of fact-checking in the age of Donald Trump.

Meme Misrepresents Old Inauguration Photo

Meme Misrepresents Old Inauguration Photo

A popular meme on Facebook falsely purports to show a photo of “Biden’s Inaugural stage” being built outside the White House. The photo shows the reviewing stand for the inaugural parade at Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993.

No ‘Landslide’ for Biden, Either

No ‘Landslide’ for Biden, Either

Back in 2016, Donald Trump wrongly called his victory a “landslide.” Now, some are taking a page out of Trump’s book to claim Biden won in a landslide. He didn’t, either.

Website Concocts False Story of Soros Arrest

Website Concocts False Story of Soros Arrest

A bogus social media story uses a doctored image of an indictment to falsely claim George Soros has been arrested in the U.S. “for election interference.” The actual charges are against six Russian nationals for cyberattacks.

The Facts on Trump’s Post-Election Legal Challenges

The Facts on Trump’s Post-Election Legal Challenges

For this story, we ignore the tweets and press conferences and look at what the president’s lawyers have been saying in court. Two things stick out: a lack of evidence of voter fraud and a long string of legal defeats and setbacks.

Trump Misinformation on Georgia Ballot Rejections

Trump Misinformation on Georgia Ballot Rejections

The percentage of mail-in ballots rejected in Georgia due to signature issues this year was about the same as in the 2016 and 2018 general elections — contrary to a tweet by President Donald Trump.

Meme Distorts Facts on Annual Death Statistics

Meme Distorts Facts on Annual Death Statistics

An image circulating on social media erroneously claims that the total number of deaths in the U.S. this year is significantly down compared to previous years. The meme — which implies COVID-19 restrictions weren’t needed — actually uses an incomplete figure for 2020 and makes a flawed comparison.

Bogus Report Claims Philly Mob Boss Stuffed Ballot Boxes

Bogus Report Claims Philly Mob Boss Stuffed Ballot Boxes

A dubious website claims without evidence that Philadelphia mob boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino stuffed ballot boxes for Joe Biden and the Democrats — and would testify about the scheme in exchange for a presidential pardon. Merlino’s attorney denies the claim, which originated on a website operated by a self-described “pro-Trump” political consultant.