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Vote now for the 2014 Lie of the Year

PunditFact

Who will win PolitiFact's Lie of the Year?

Angie Drobnic Holan

By Angie Drobnic Holan December 10, 2014

PolitiFact and PunditFact will soon announce our Lie of the Year -- the most significant falsehood of 2014, as chosen by our editors and reporters.

We're also inviting PolitiFact readers to vote for the Readers' Choice award.

Here are our 10 finalists and a link to our survey so you can vote for your favorite. We accept write-ins. We also have a mobile-friendly version of this survey.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

No sources.

Janet Napolitano

stated on August 27, 2013 in a speech at the National Press Club:

The 2010 DREAM Act failed despite "strong bipartisan support."

barely-true

barely-true

stated on May 29, 2013 in a chain email:

Says the word "Dhimmitude" is on page 107 of the health care law and means "Muslims are specifically exempted from the government mandate to purchase insurance."

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on May 3, 2013 in a position on legislation:

On an early date for Florida's presidential primary

full-flop

full-flop

stated on September 27, 2020 in a speech:

Says Amy Coney Barrett “has a written track record, disagreeing adamantly with the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ACA. In fact, she publicly criticized Chief Justice Roberts’ opinion upholding the law eight years ago.”

mostly-true

mostly-true

Instagram posts

stated on September 22, 2020 in an Instagram post:

Like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, Amy Coney Barrett has said her “end goal is to end the separation of church and state & build a ‘Kingdom of God’ in the United States.”

false

false

stated on March 23, 2019 in a speech:

Says that the Council on American-Islamic Relations was founded in response to 9/11.

false

false

stated on September 4, 2016 in an interview on "Meet the Press":

Says Hillary Clinton "wants to increase Syrian refugees to this country by 550 percent."

true

true

Antonio Sabato Jr.

stated on July 19, 2016 in an interview with ABC News:

Says President Barack Obama is "absolutely" a Muslim.

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on June 22, 2016 in a speech in New York City:

Says Hillary Clinton "said she was under attack (in Bosnia) but the attack turned out to be young girls handing her flowers."

true

true

stated on January 17, 2016 in an interview on "Meet the Press":

Hostages were released as soon as Ronald Reagan took office because Iran perceived that America was "no longer under the command of someone weak."

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on September 27, 2015 in an interview on ABC's "This Week":

"We've had examples like in Yuma County, where we've been able to stop 97 percent of the illegal (immigration) flow, and those programs, they abolish."

barely-true

barely-true

stated on October 14, 2014 in a campaign ad:

Says Rick Scott changed his promise from 700,000 jobs created "on top of what normal growth would be" to just 700,000 jobs.

true

true

stated on March 3, 2014 in in an interview on CNN:

On the economic stimulus.

half-flip

half-flip

Americans For Tax Reform

stated on April 14, 2014 in in a press release:

"Obama has proposed 442 tax hikes since taking office."

barely-true

barely-true

National Republican Congressional Committee

stated on February 12, 2014 in a television ad:

"300,000 Floridians will lose their current health plans" because of Obamacare, a plan Alex Sink supports.

half-true

half-true

Janet Napolitano

stated on August 27, 2013 in a speech at the National Press Club:

The 2010 DREAM Act failed despite "strong bipartisan support."

barely-true

barely-true

stated on May 29, 2013 in a chain email:

Says the word "Dhimmitude" is on page 107 of the health care law and means "Muslims are specifically exempted from the government mandate to purchase insurance."

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on May 3, 2013 in a position on legislation:

On an early date for Florida's presidential primary

full-flop

full-flop

stated on September 27, 2020 in a speech:

Says Amy Coney Barrett “has a written track record, disagreeing adamantly with the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ACA. In fact, she publicly criticized Chief Justice Roberts’ opinion upholding the law eight years ago.”

mostly-true

mostly-true

Instagram posts

stated on September 22, 2020 in an Instagram post:

Like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, Amy Coney Barrett has said her “end goal is to end the separation of church and state & build a ‘Kingdom of God’ in the United States.”

false

false

stated on March 23, 2019 in a speech:

Says that the Council on American-Islamic Relations was founded in response to 9/11.

false

false

Ritchie Torres
stated on July 20, 2025 in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union":

“Since Donald Trump's inauguration, we have seen an 11% decline in the value of the dollar, the steepest decline in more than a half a century.”

By Louis Jacobson • July 25, 2025
U.S. Trade Representative
stated on July 20, 2025 in a social media post:

“America had a trade surplus in ice cream in 2020 under President Trump's leadership, but that surplus turned into a trade deficit of $40.6 million under President Biden's watch.”

By Gabrielle Lazor • July 24, 2025
Gavin Newsom
stated on July 18, 2025 in an X post:

Florida: #51 in mental health care, #1 in home insurance costs, #1 in elder fraud, #1 in rent hikes.

By Ella Moore • July 23, 2025
Howard Lutnick
stated on July 20, 2025 in an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation":

Tariffs are “going to pay off our deficit.”

By Louis Jacobson • July 22, 2025
Donald Trump
stated on July 22, 2025 in a press conference:

In 2016, after Donald Trump won the presidency, then-President Barack Obama was “trying to lead a coup” with Trump’s opponent, Hillary Clinton.

By Louis Jacobson • July 22, 2025
TikTok posts
stated on July 19, 2025 in a post on TikTok:

“The White House just announced that Trump only has four days left” because of his chronic venous insufficiency.

By Madison Czopek • July 21, 2025
Lori Chavez-DeRemer
stated on July 17, 2025 in a post on X:

Under President Donald Trump’s newly signed tax law, “Those making less than $50,000 receive the largest (tax) cuts.”

By Louis Jacobson • July 21, 2025
Gavin Newsom
stated on July 14, 2025 in a podcast interview:

“California provides $83.1 billion more than we receive from the federal government. Texas? Receives $71.1 billion more than they provide to the federal government. 71% of the U.S. GDP comes from blue counties.”

By Louis Jacobson • July 18, 2025
Donald Trump
stated on July 15, 2025 in comments to reporters:

The Jeffrey Epstein files “were made up by Comey. They were made up by Obama. They were made up by Biden.”

By Grace Abels • July 18, 2025
TikTok posts
stated on July 12, 2025 in una publicación en TikTok:

El sheriff del condado Kerr, Texas dijo, “que se debe solicitar la residencia permanente para el equipo de rescate mexicano que rescató a su familia”.

By Maria Briceño • July 16, 2025

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