We found some factual distortions in the first debate round of the two-night affair.
FactChecking the First 2020 Democratic Debate
Locations: National
McConnell’s Biggest Donor Isn’t Russian
A meme on Facebook falsely claims that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s biggest campaign donor is a Russian oligarch.
Posts Misidentify Woman in Trump Photo
Social media posts misidentify a woman in an old photo with President Donald Trump. She is not E. Jean Carroll, the writer who recently accused Trump of sexual assault, but is another woman who previously accused Trump of misconduct.
Trump’s New Twist on False Voter Fraud Claim
President Donald Trump falsely suggested that California admitted that “a million votes” were cast as part of “much illegal voting” in that state during the 2016 presidential election.
Trump’s Repeated Falsehood on Auto Plants
In launching his reelection campaign, President Donald Trump repeated a claim about new auto plants that he made a year-and-a-half ago. It’s still not true, and it fits a pattern of Trump falsely boasting of unexpected or unusual gains in the auto industry.
‘Satirical’ Story Gets Serious Treatment Online
A bogus story fueling theories that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will be arrested has been shared over 100,000 times on Facebook, but it started out as satire.
Trump’s Campaign Kickoff Claims
In launching his reelection campaign, President Donald Trump said, “Nobody’s done what we have done in two and a half years.” However, we found his speech was filled with familiar false, misleading and exaggerated statements about his record on jobs, military spending, veterans, energy and more.
Post Misleads on Congressional Salaries, Social Security
Q: Did members of Congress approve a salary increase for themselves and deny an increase in Social Security benefits?
A: No. Congress is still contemplating whether to allow an automatic pay increase for its members, and it does not determine cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security beneficiaries.
Mislabeled Video Politicizes Drug Problem
A video spreading on Facebook has been mislabeled to make a political statement about Democratic lawmakers in California. However, the video, which seems to show people under the influence of drugs, was filmed in Philadelphia.
Video: Trump Misleads on ‘Rebuffed’ Russian Offers
CNN’s Jake Tapper examines in this week’s fact-checking video the president’s claim that the special counsel’s report said his campaign “rebuffed” Russian offers of assistance. The report said the campaign was “receptive” to some offers, and in other instances “shied away.”