Over the course of this election, we’ve monitored key toss-up congressional races, fact-checking false claims and distortions of the facts on a host of topics. But some issues have loomed larger than others.
Common Themes in the 2026 Midterms
Person: Donald Trump
Explaining the Case of the Two Dan Sullivans on Alaska’s Ballot
In the Alaska Senate race, the candidacy of retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. — not the incumbent Republican senator, Dan S. Sullivan — has been the subject of months of legal wrangling. But the issue took on increased national prominence this past week.
FactChecking Claims from Trump’s Midterm Rallies
Throughout October, President Donald Trump has traveled across the country, holding campaign rallies supporting Republican candidates in the 2026 midterms. In his remarks, he has made a number of false, misleading or exaggerated claims.
Trump’s Numbers, October 2026 Update
Our latest quarterly report on various statistical indicators of how the country is faring as the midterms loom.
The Context for Trump’s ‘Take Out’ Los Angeles, San Diego Remarks
President Donald Trump’s remarks about the possibility that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego have sparked a firestorm of criticism, with Democrats claiming the president was either calling for a foreign adversary to attack the U.S. or portraying the destruction of two major cities as acceptable collateral damage. That’s not our reading of the president’s comments.
MAGA Inc.
A political action committee affiliated with President Donald Trump.
Trump Touts Medicaid Drug Savings, But Details Remain Murky
President Donald Trump and other federal officials are claiming that deals the administration has struck with pharmaceutical companies are “rescuing state budgets” or helping to “save Medicaid” by saving the program tens of billions of dollars on prescription drugs over a decade. But experts say there are many unanswered questions about the scope of those deals that could limit the potential savings, including how many drugs they actually cover.
Experts Question the White House’s Defense of Taxpayer-Funded Ads
The White House has defended three taxpayer-funded advertisements featuring President Donald Trump by comparing them to ads that were paid for by past presidential administrations. But some legal experts have said the Trump White House commercials are political messages intended to influence the 2026 midterms and may violate U.S. laws, including a prohibition against using federal funds for propaganda.
Trump’s Ban of News Organizations Goes Beyond Obama, Biden Actions
In banning CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House, the Trump administration has argued that the move is similar to actions taken by Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. But the ban goes beyond what those presidents did.
FactChecking Day Two of the GOP Midterm Convention
Vice President JD Vance gave the keynote address on the second night of the Republican midterm convention, which also featured Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson and a final send-off from President Donald Trump. Here’s what we found in fact-checking their remarks: