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
Person: Barack Obama
Groundhog Friday
Welcome to our third installment of Groundhog Friday, an occasional feature highlighting repeat offenses. This week’s repeat offenders: Donald Trump on Libyan oil and Benghazi; President Obama on renewable energy; and Hillary Clinton on the economy.
Obama Oversells U.S. Economy
In a recent speech, President Obama criticized Republicans for making claims about the economy and health care that are “not supported by the facts.” But Obama resorted to some spin of his own.
Does Obama Want a Higher Pension?
No. Obama requested an additional $588,000 in FY2017 to cover pensions and other costs for four former presidents plus “new spending for new former President Barack Obama.”
Prayer Day Still Not Cancelled
Year after year, we see some of the same false viral claims circulating on social media and via email with little about them changing but the dates. Claims that President Barack Obama has cancelled the National Day of Prayer are a perfect example.
VA Funds and Syrian Refugees
Q: Did President Obama cut benefits for veterans by $2.6 billion to give the money to Syrian refugees?
A: No. The Department of Veterans Affairs transferred funds to close a $2.6 billion gap in a health care program. The transfer is unrelated to Syrian refugee aid.
White House on Climate, Heat Deaths
In a recent “fact sheet” on the threat climate change poses to human health, the White House cherry-picked data on the estimated number of premature deaths due to future extreme temperatures.
Obama’s Numbers April 2016 Update
Trade deficit and illegal immigration are down; real weekly earnings and federal debt are up. Our quarterly update of Obama’s scorecard.
SCOTUS Nomination: What Polls Say
Democrats say the public overwhelmingly support hearings and a vote on President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. The polls, however, are not as settled as the Democrats make them out to be.
Obama’s Funeral Attendance
Q: Is President Obama the only president not to attend funeral services for a sitting Supreme Court justice (Antonin Scalia) or a former first lady (Nancy Reagan)?
A: Obama is not the first president to miss the funeral of a sitting justice, and presidents rarely attend the funerals of former first ladies.