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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Trump, Online Posts Misrepresent Government Subscriptions to News Services

Trump, Online Posts Misrepresent Government Subscriptions to News Services

Both the Biden and Trump administrations subscribed to Politico and other news services. But President Donald Trump and online posts have misleadingly claimed the media outlets were being funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The payments from USAID and other federal departments or agencies were for subscriptions.

Sorting Out the Facts on ‘Waste and Abuse’ at USAID

Sorting Out the Facts on ‘Waste and Abuse’ at USAID

As President Donald Trump’s administration targets the U.S. Agency for International Development for closure or major downsizing, the White House and social media posts have highlighted four projects as examples of the agency’s “waste and abuse.” But only one was funded by USAID.

TikTok and U.S. National Security

TikTok and U.S. National Security

In his first term, President Donald Trump tried to force TikTok’s parent company to sell its popular app or cease operating in the U.S. But in his return to the Oval Office, Trump delayed enforcement of a law that would have forced TikTok to shut down. We’ll summarize the facts about TikTok and the national security concerns about it in the U.S.

No Evidence for the Political Finger-Pointing Over D.C. Plane Crash

No Evidence for the Political Finger-Pointing Over D.C. Plane Crash

After the deadly collision between a passenger plane and a U.S. Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., politicians and political commentators were quick to cast blame. President Donald Trump suggested diversity initiatives within the Federal Aviation Administration were at fault for the crash, and his critics pointed to a hiring freeze that Trump instituted on Jan. 20.

What Does Biden’s ERA Statement Mean?

What Does Biden’s ERA Statement Mean?

Q: Did former President Joe Biden issue a statement saying that he thought the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered part of the Constitution?

A: Yes. On one of his last days in office, Biden published a statement supporting the ERA, but it has no legal effect.

Illegal Immigration and Fentanyl at the U.S. Northern and Southwest Borders

Illegal Immigration and Fentanyl at the U.S. Northern and Southwest Borders

In recent remarks to the press, President Donald Trump restated his intention to impose 25% tariffs on U.S. imports from Mexico and Canada as early as Feb. 1. His reasoning: “vast” illegal immigration and “massive” amounts of fentanyl coming to the U.S. from those countries. But Trump drew a false equivalence between the two countries. In fact, the magnitude of the difference is enormous.

$770 Payments Are Just One Form of Federal Aid to L.A. Fire Victims

$770 Payments Are Just One Form of Federal Aid to L.A. Fire Victims

President Joe Biden said victims of the California fires are eligible for a $770 payment for necessities like food and fuel. Social media posts misleadingly suggested the payment would be the only federal aid for those affected by the fires. Federal aid available to the fire victims includes help with home repair or replacement, medical expenses and other assistance.

How Trump May Be Able to Stop Biden’s Ban on New Offshore Drilling

How Trump May Be Able to Stop Biden’s Ban on New Offshore Drilling

President-elect Donald Trump said that when he takes office he will “immediately” reverse President Joe Biden’s recent executive action making more than 625 million acres of U.S. coastal waters off limits for new offshore drilling. But Trump’s intent to quickly “unban” any future oil and gas drilling in those areas may not be as simple as he suggests.

Republicans Wrongly Tie New Orleans Attack to Illegal Immigration; Suspect Was a Citizen

Republicans Wrongly Tie New Orleans Attack to Illegal Immigration; Suspect Was a Citizen

Federal law enforcement officials have identified an Army veteran, who was born in the United States, as the sole person responsible for the Jan. 1 terrorist attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people and injured many more. But some Republican politicians and social media posts have wrongly claimed or suggested that the attack was the result of illegal immigration.

Our Most Popular Articles in 2024

Our Most Popular Articles in 2024

We wrote about a lot of misinformation in 2024, and, as usual, some fact-checking articles piqued our readers’ interest more than others. In this post, we present the 10 most popular stories published on our website this past year.