Donald Trump again dominates our annual review of political falsehoods.
The Whoppers of 2016
Stories by Lori Robertson
Managing Editor, FactCheck.org
Groundhog Friday
On his so-called “victory tour,” President-elect Donald Trump has been repeating some inaccurate talking points that we’ve flagged before.
Trump on Climate Change
President-elect Donald Trump told the New York Times he had an “open mind” about climate change, but he went on to repeat some of the same false and misleading claims that have been used by those who reject mainstream climate science.
How to Spot Fake News
Fake news is nothing new. But bogus stories can reach more people more quickly via social media than what good old-fashioned viral emails could accomplish in years past.
‘Broke’ and Because of ACA?
House Speaker Paul Ryan falsely claimed that “because of Obamacare, Medicare is going broke.” The law actually improved Medicare’s financing, and the program isn’t going “broke.”
The Final Push: Trump
With the presidential election just a few days away, we offer a sampling of the misleading claims made by Donald Trump during speeches this week.
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.
Spinning the FBI Letter
Director James Comey’s vague announcement sparks partisan distortions.
Still Cherry-Picking Premiums
Donald Trump claimed that a 25 percent average increase in premiums on the HealthCare.gov exchanges was a “phony number,” citing instead increases of “60, 70, 80 percent.” But Trump just as easily could have cherry-picked increases in the single digits.
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.