PolitiFact | The truth about the 2016 presidential campaign

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The truth about the 2016 presidential campaign

National

Aaron Sharockman

By Aaron Sharockman September 26, 2016

We've fact-checked Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton more than 400 times combined since they announced their candidacies for president. See their records on PolitiFact's Truth-O-Meter below.

Listed inside the story.

Read About Our Process

The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter

stated on August 5, 2021 a viral image:

Says there are fewer than 2,000 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.

false

false

stated on June 21, 2021 a post on Facebook:

Says President John F. Kennedy said, “There are people in Washington, D.C., in positions of power to whom the border is just a nuisance, and I think some of them believe that illegal immigration is a moral good. It is not.”

false

false

stated on October 7, 2020 a post on Facebook:

“Shredded Pennsylvania Mail in ballot Applications were discovered in a trailer. The applications were for @realDonaldTrump.”

false

false

stated on October 4, 2020 comments on ABC's "This Week":

Says Joe Biden stays in his basement.

false

false

stated on August 14, 2020 a post on Facebook:

“As of the last 24 hours this is the protocol regarding masks: Masks should only be used by healthcare workers, caretakers or by people who are sick with symptoms like fever and cough.”

false

false

stated on June 30, 2020 a post on Facebook:

An image from the St. Louis protest is “what MSM (mainstream media) won’t show you. Peaceful demonstrator pointing weapon at homeowner.”

false

false

stated on June 24, 2020 a Facebook post:

Tennis star Serena Williams wrote that she’s “sick of COVID-19. I’m sick of black vs. white. I’m sick of Democrats vs. Republicans. I’m sick of gay vs. straight. I’m sick of Christians vs atheists. I’m REALLY sick of the media.”

false

false

stated on June 12, 2020 a post on Facebook:

Says Tim Tebow “kneeled in protest of abortion during the National Anthem in 2012. He was praised by fans as being a ‘model American.’”

false

false

stated on February 29, 2020 posts on Twitter and Facebook:

Says Sen. Chuck Schumer deleted a Feb. 5 tweet criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to ban some forms of travel to and from China.

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on February 29, 2020 a post on Facebook:

“Bernie Logic: Nobody can live on $7 an hour. We must raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Also we must raise the tax rate to 52%. $15 an hour * 52% = $7.80. $15 an hour - $7.80 = $7.20. $7.20 an hour!!!”

false

false

stated on December 20, 2019 the sixth Democratic presidential debate:

Says Pete Buttigieg ran statewide in Indiana and "lost by 20 points."

true

true

stated on October 29, 2018 a post on Facebook:

"As some of you may know I am the recent $3.4 million lotto winner. I’d like to spread some positivity so I’m sending $1,000 to the first 100k people that share this."

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on February 7, 2018 a blog post:

"FBI RAIDS OBAMA – Find Massive Secret That Was Hidden For YEARS."

false

false

stated on March 28, 2018 a blog post:

"Robert Redford Says: Michelle And Barack Obama Should Get Five Years In Prison."

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on November 29, 2017 a post on Twitter:

Says Joe Scarborough is party to an "unsolved mystery" from his time as a congressman in Florida.

pants-fire

pants-fire

Donald Trump
stated on December 8, 2021 in an interview with Hugh Hewitt:

Gas prices were "$1.86 when I left" the White House.

By Louis Jacobson • December 8, 2021
Facebook posts
stated on December 6, 2021 in a Facebook post:

A campaign poster for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with the slogan, “No jab. No job, no refunds.”

By Bill McCarthy • December 8, 2021
Instagram posts
stated on December 7, 2021 in an Instagram post:

Says Vice President Kamala Harris called the unvaccinated “dirty Trump people.”

By Samantha Putterman • December 8, 2021
Facebook posts
stated on December 6, 2021 in a Facebook post:

“There’s only one reporter on site” at the Ghislaine Maxwell trial.

By Ciara O'Rourke • December 8, 2021
Facebook posts
stated on December 7, 2021 in a Facebook post:

“Trump was secretly inaugurated as president of the restored Republic.”

By Ciara O'Rourke • December 8, 2021
Viral image
stated on December 3, 2021 in a Facebook post:

Photo shows “a German mall separating the vaccinated and unvaccinated.”

By Ciara O'Rourke • December 8, 2021
Facebook posts
stated on November 28, 2021 in a Facebook post:

"Pathogens evolve to become less, not more, virulent over time” because otherwise, “they’d destroy their hosts which they depend on to live.”

By Vivian Lam • December 8, 2021
Instagram posts
stated on December 5, 2021 in a post:

“SHOCKING: In the wake of Austria’s drastic lockdown of unvaccinated people, EU chief calls for throwing out Nuremberg Code.”

By Monique Curet • December 7, 2021
Joe Biden
stated on December 3, 2021 in remarks from the White House:

“Even after accounting for rising prices, the typical American family has more money in their pockets than they did last year.”

By Louis Jacobson • December 7, 2021
Community Oncology Alliance
stated on November 29, 2021 in a radio ad:

"An independent analysis shows that payments for cancer care will be slashed by close to 45% causing cancer clinics to close and massively raising your healthcare costs.”

By Julie Appleby • December 7, 2021