A not-so-fond look back at the worst viral deceptions of the year.
The Viral Spiral of 2018
Trump, Giuliani Distort Facts on IG Report
President Donald Trump and one of his lawyers, Rudy Giuliani, distorted the findings of a new report about the forensic recovery of text messages exchanged between Peter Strzok, a former FBI senior counterintelligence agent, and Lisa Page, a former FBI lawyer.
Missing the Mark on the Edwards Case
A popular meme suggests prosecutors are applying a double standard in a campaign finance case involving President Donald Trump, but it distorts the facts of the case against former Democratic Sen. John Edwards.
Trump Wrong About Poverty ‘Record’
The U.S. Census Bureau officially estimates that close to 1 million fewer people were in poverty in 2017 compared with 2016. President Donald Trump called the decline “a record,” but it’s not.
The House That Isn’t Nancy Pelosi’s
A $23.9 million mansion was falsely identified as Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s home in a viral meme. Pelosi actually lives in the same neighborhood in a $2.3 million house.
Quote Falsely Tied to Ocasio-Cortez
A viral meme mocks Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a statement about capitalism versus socialism that she never actually made.
Is Mexico Paying for the Wall Through USMCA?
President Donald Trump declared via Twitter that he is keeping perhaps his most famous campaign promise, claiming that “MEXICO IS PAYING FOR THE WALL!” through a recent trade agreement negotiated with Mexico. But economic and trade experts we interviewed said that’s not possible.
Video: FactChecking Oval Office Meeting Claims
In this week’s fact-checking video, CNN’s Jake Tapper reviews some of the claims that we wrote about following the contentious Oval Office meeting on Dec. 11 between President Donald Trump and the Democratic congressional leaders.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Taken Way Out of Context
In a 2012 interview with an Arabic-language television station, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg suggested that as Egypt prepared to write a new constitution, Egyptians look to more recently written constitutions than the United States’.
Meme Spreads Bogus Pelosi Quote on Border Wall
A long-circulating meme spreads a quote falsely attributed to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi about President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.