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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Trump’s Bungled Twitter Attack on Obama

Trump’s Bungled Twitter Attack on Obama

In a pair of tweets, President Donald Trump pushed back at former President Barack Obama for taking partial credit for the post-recession economic recovery. But, in doing so, Trump got the facts wrong.

No ‘Treason’ or ‘Bust’ for Obama

No ‘Treason’ or ‘Bust’ for Obama

Q: Have the “feds bust[ed] Barack Obama” on felony charges?

A: No. That claim is based on the false assertion that the former president committed treason in his last few months in office.

Trump’s Hollow Complaint

Trump’s Hollow Complaint

A report issued by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service indicates that while the average time for confirmation is historically high, federal judges appointed by President Trump were confirmed faster than in President Obama’s first year.

Sessions Not ‘Caught Colluding’ With Obama

Sessions Not ‘Caught Colluding’ With Obama

Q: Was Attorney General Jeff Sessions “caught colluding” with Barack Obama on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election?

A: No. That’s the headline on a story critical of Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia probe. But there is no evidence of such collusion.

Obama’s Private ‘Military’ Doesn’t Exist

Obama’s Private ‘Military’ Doesn’t Exist

Q: Did former President Barack Obama create a “security company” that’s a secret “military” organization?

A: There are no records of Obama starting a “security company” in the city and states cited by a viral claim.

No Obama Announcement on U.N. Post

No Obama Announcement on U.N. Post

Q: Did former President Barack Obama announce he’s seeking the U.N. secretary general position?

A: No. There was no announcement. Obama’s office has said a story claiming otherwise is false.

ATF Rulings on ‘Bump Stocks’

ATF Rulings on ‘Bump Stocks’

Q: Did the Obama administration legalize “bump stocks” for semiautomatic rifles?

A: No federal law explicitly addresses “bump stocks.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ruled 10 times between 2008 and 2017 that certain models could not be prohibited under existing gun laws.

Politics Roiled by Royal Wedding Rumors?

Politics Roiled by Royal Wedding Rumors?

Q: Is the White House enraged because Barack Obama, and not President Trump, was invited to the upcoming wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?

A: The guest list has not been made public, and there’s no evidence that Obama was invited and Trump wasn’t.

No Truth in ISIS-Obama Speed Dial Story

No Truth in ISIS-Obama Speed Dial Story

Q: Did an ISIS leader have former President Obama on speed dial?

A: No. That story was first shared on a website that calls its work satire.

No Raid on Obama Home

No Raid on Obama Home

Q: Did the FBI raid Barack Obama’s Washington D.C. home?

A: No. That claim originated in a story on a self-described satirical website.