FactCheck.org’s co-founder takes a look back at our beginnings and how the fact-checking landscape has changed.
Our 15th Anniversary
Person: Barack Obama
Obama’s Misleading Oil Boast
Presidents — regardless of party — tend to take credit for good things that happen under their watch, regardless of how much influence their actions may have had. Exhibit A: Former President Barack Obama said the fact that the United States is now the world’s biggest oil producer didn’t happen “suddenly.” Instead, “that was me, people.”
Holiday Hoax About Obamas Resurfaces
The Obamas kept with tradition by displaying a Nativity scene in the White House for Christmas — contrary to what a viral falsehood claims.
Obama, Fox News and the Free Press
Former President Barack Obama stood up for a free press in his first political speech of the 2018 campaign season, but he engaged in a bit of revisionist history when it came to his administration’s dealings with Fox News.
Obama Cherry-Picks Uninsured Figure
Former President Barack Obama claimed that Republicans’ “sabotage of the Affordable Care Act has already cost more than 3 million Americans their health insurance.” That’s according to one estimate, but another found no significant change in the rate or the number of uninsured from 2016 to 2017.
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
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
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
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
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.