The weekslong partial government shutdown has led to around 800,000 federal employees not working or working without pay. It also has led to some false or questionable claims from Democrats about the shutdown’s impact on a host of federal services.
In the wake of another terrorist attack in Britain, President Donald Trump fired off several tweets about the need for his court-blocked travel ban, contradicting statements from members of his own administration and distorting the facts in the process.
Some Democrats overstated the potential impacts of a congressional stalemate that threatens to leave the Department of Homeland Security without funding after Feb. 27.
In a speech to House Democrats, President Barack Obama stretched the facts to underscore political points about national security and the improving economy.
Q: Did the Obama administration advertise in January to transport 65,000 foreign children apprehended at the border? Did it expect a surge of illegal immigration?
A: Yes. There’s been a sharp increase in unaccompanied children from Central America since FY 2012, and the U.S. projected a bigger increase this year.
Q: Has the Obama administration appointed two Muslims to serve in the Department of Homeland Security?
A: Yes, in 2009. One was a senior Justice Department aide during the Bush administration. Another is a former head of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and was appointed as a civil-rights adviser.
Speaker Pelosi said in February that she was “never” told that the CIA was using waterboarding in interrogations. Then in May she changed her story to say she was told, but still claimed it was not quite as early as the CIA said. On that point she’s contradicted, however, both …
Another video on homeland security twists Democrats’ words and exaggerates “the Republican record.”
A Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ad that appeared on the Internet this week attacks the record of “Bush and the GOP” on homeland security, but makes some factual stumbles.
Democratic ad reminds voters: Bush opposed creating the Homeland Security department before he supported it.