Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama repeat claims that we’ve debunked before, on trade, taxes, wages, energy and the Iraq War.
Groundhog Friday
Stories by Lori Robertson
Director, FactCheck.org
Groundhog Friday
Here is our latest edition of Groundhog Friday, a feature highlighting false or misleading claims that politicians have repeated. This week’s installment includes a claim that President Obama went on an international “apology tour” for the U.S.
Trump’s ISIS Conspiracy Theory
Donald Trump said a report on a conservative news site proved he was “right” in suggesting President Obama supported terrorists. It doesn’t.
Not Just the No-Fly List
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton criticized Republicans for rejecting a Democratic amendment that would have “block[ed] suspected terrorists from buying guns who are on the no-fly list.” But the measure went beyond the no-fly list.
Sanders’ Shaky Turnout Claim
Bernie Sanders claims that “Democrats win when the voter turnout is high” and “Republicans win when the voter turnout is low.” But past voter turnout numbers and research on what could happen with higher turnout don’t support such a definitive statement.
Trump, Sanders and Clinton Repeats
This edition of Groundhog Friday, an occasional wrap-up of recent repeats, includes claims from the presidential candidates about Libya, income inequality, nuclear weapons and more.
Trump’s Tax Returns
Donald Trump said “there’s nothing to learn” from his tax returns, but experts say there’s plenty to learn from presidential candidates’ tax returns, including sources of income, effective tax rates, charitable giving habits and more.
Sanders’ False Income Claim
Sen. Bernie Sanders falsely claimed that “Mom is working, Dad is working, and the kids are working, and yet together they’re bringing in less disposable income today than a family did with one breadwinner 40 years ago.”
Trump’s Cherry-Picked ACA Rates
Republican front-runner Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed, for months, that premiums under the Affordable Care Act are “going up 35, 45, 55 percent.” Trump cherry-picks insurers’ rate increases on the ACA marketplaces.
Clinton’s Vermont Gun Stat
Hillary Clinton claimed that Vermont was the source of the “highest per capita” number of guns that come from out of state and were “used in crimes and violence and killings in New York.” As we are fond of saying, one statistic rarely tells the entire story.