Misleading claims at the convention touched on health care, approval ratings and incarceration.
FactChecking Day 2 of the DNC
Person: Bill Clinton
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.”
Bill Clinton’s Economic Exaggerations
Former President Bill Clinton — who will be called upon to help revitalize the U.S. economy if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency — made two inaccurate economic claims in a recent speech in Kentucky.
The Clinton Furniture Flap
Q: Did Bill and Hillary Clinton return furniture they took from the White House in 2001?
A: Yes. The Clintons returned more than $28,000 worth of items, which, they said, they thought were personal gifts given to them and not to the White House.
Bill Clinton and the 1994 Crime Bill
Bill Clinton overstated the effect of the crime bill he signed in 1994 when he said, “because of that bill we had a 25-year low in crime, a 33-year low in the murder rate.” Independent analyses found it had a modest effect on crime rates.
Clinton Wrong on Garland Vote
Former President Bill Clinton mistakenly claimed that President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals by a “97 to nothing” vote. The Senate voted 76-23 to confirm Garland.
Ted Cruz on Deportations
Sen. Ted Cruz claimed at the Dec. 15 Republican presidential debate that 12 million people were deported under President Clinton and 10 million people under George W. Bush. But those figures are inflated.
Sunday Spin from Clinton Surrogates
Two of Hillary Clinton’s high-profile surrogates made false and misleading claims on the Sunday talk shows the day after she officially kicked off her campaign.
Presidential Vacations
Q: Is it true that George W. Bush took more vacation days than Barack Obama?
A: Yes. Before his two-week trip to Martha’s Vineyard in August, Obama’s count was 125 full or partial days and Bush’s total at the same point in his presidency was 407.
Rand Paul’s Supply-side Distortion
Sen. Paul claimed that 20 million jobs were created after Ronald Reagan’s dramatic tax cuts in the 1980s, and that this was the “last time” such job growth took place. Paul is wrong on both counts.