Latest Fact-checks by Louis Jacobson Clear Any Rating True Mostly True Half True Mostly False False Pants on Fire Full Flop Half Flip No Flip Any Speaker Any Date Range Last 3 Months Last 6 Months Last 12 Months 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Any Category Mike Pence stated on July 15, 2010 in a press release: The financial regulatory bill "will kill jobs." Chris Van Hollen stated on January 18, 2011 in comments on the House floor: Between 2000 and 2006, "health insurance company profits quadrupled." Chris Van Hollen stated on January 18, 2011 in comments on the House floor: "Between the year 2000 and 2006, (insurance) premiums in this country doubled." Newsmax stated on January 14, 2011 in an e-mail solicitation: "The refusal of many federal employees to fly coach costs taxpayers $146 million annually." Frank Lautenberg stated on January 11, 2011 in an interview on MSNBC: "When we look at the number of murders in the United States (in) 2009, we had 9,500 people murdered. When we look around the world, we see ... large countries, the U.K., Germany, Japan had 200 or less killed in a year." Pierre Thomas stated on January 9, 2011 in a report on ABC News' "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "Saturday's shootings reflect a disturbing trend. Mass shootings have become commonplace since the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007. There have been dozens of incidents where three or more people have been fatally wounded. Hundreds have died." Steny Hoyer stated on January 4, 2011 in a news release: In preparing a rules package for the 112th Congress, the GOP had no discussions with Democrats. Kevin McCarthy stated on January 2, 2011 in a statement published in the "Bakersfield Californian": "The Democratic majority led the 111th Congress to spend more money in two years than the first 100 congresses before them combined." Pat Toomey stated on January 2, 2011 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press": "We have the highest (corporate tax rates) in the world right now." Tim Pawlenty stated on December 13, 2010 in an op-ed in the "Wall Street Journal": "Since January 2008 the private sector has lost nearly 8 million jobs while local, state and federal governments added 590,000." Barack Obama stated on December 13, 2010 in a television interview: "When Social Security was passed, there were all kinds of lawsuits," just as there have been in the legal battle over the new health care law. Tom Coburn stated on December 1, 2010 in a meeting of the Simpson-Bowles deficit commission: "One in 19 Americans today get SSDI or SSI. That's one in 19 Americans (who) are disabled." Matthew Dowd stated on December 12, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "Barack Obama is in an economy that's only worsened since he's been president of the United States." Bernie Sanders stated on November 30, 2010 in a Senate floor speech: "Last year, ExxonMobil made $19 billion in profit. Guess what. They paid zero in taxes. They got a $156 million refund from the IRS." Bernie Sanders stated on November 30, 2010 in a Senate floor speech: In 2007, "the top 1 percent of all income earners in the United States made 23.5 percent of all income," which is "more than the entire bottom 50 percent." Tom Coburn stated on November 18, 2010 in a Senate floor speech: There are "10 or 20 deaths a year from foodborne illness" in the United States. Barack Obama stated on December 7, 2010 in a press conference: When President Franklin D. Roosevelt started Social Security, "it only affected widows and orphans," and when Medicare began, "it was a small program." Barack Obama stated on December 7, 2010 in a press conference: "There are polls showing right now that the American people for the most part think it's a bad idea to provide tax cuts to the wealthy." Wesley Clark stated on December 5, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": The Pentagon's survey about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy found that 92 percent of service members "agree that they could serve ... in a unit in combat" without compromising "mission readiness." National Association of Manufacturers stated on December 2, 2010 in a statement: Says the CBO estimates that fully extending the Bush tax cuts would add 600,000-1.4 million jobs in 2011 and 900,000-2.7 million jobs in 2012. John Boehner stated on December 1, 2010 in comments to reporters: "The American people spoke pretty loudly. They said stop all the looming tax hikes...." Mike Mullen stated on November 21, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "Historically," Senate ratification of arms control treaties "has been bipartisan." Jon Kyl stated on November 28, 2010 in an interview on "NBC's Meet the Press": Said the Washington Post argued that a failure to pass the START treaty this year would be "no calamity," and that the Associated Press said "the administration concedes the security risk is not immediate." Richard Lugar stated on November 16, 2010 in a prepared statement: "Eliminating earmarks does not reduce spending." Kent Conrad stated on November 14, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": Federal spending is "the highest it's been as a share of our economy in 60 years (and) revenue is the lowest it's been as a share of our economy in 60 years." Rand Paul stated on November 14, 2010 in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation": "We now consume at the federal level 25 percent of the gross domestic product. Historically we were at 20 percent. So we've taken 5 percent away from the private sector." George W. Bush stated on November 8, 2010 in an interview on NBC's "Today Show": "My debt to GDP was the lowest or one of the lowest of modern presidents. My taxes to GDP was the lowest and my spending to GDP" was too. Rand Paul stated on November 7, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour: "The average federal employee makes $120,000 a year. The average private employee makes $60,000 a year." Sarah Palin stated on November 7, 2010 in a prepared speech: Grocery prices "have risen significantly over the past year or so." Rand Paul stated on November 7, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "The interest on the debt now is going to approach in the next couple of years ... what we spend in the national defense budget."
Clear Any Rating True Mostly True Half True Mostly False False Pants on Fire Full Flop Half Flip No Flip Any Speaker Any Date Range Last 3 Months Last 6 Months Last 12 Months 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Any Category
Mike Pence stated on July 15, 2010 in a press release: The financial regulatory bill "will kill jobs." Chris Van Hollen stated on January 18, 2011 in comments on the House floor: Between 2000 and 2006, "health insurance company profits quadrupled." Chris Van Hollen stated on January 18, 2011 in comments on the House floor: "Between the year 2000 and 2006, (insurance) premiums in this country doubled." Newsmax stated on January 14, 2011 in an e-mail solicitation: "The refusal of many federal employees to fly coach costs taxpayers $146 million annually." Frank Lautenberg stated on January 11, 2011 in an interview on MSNBC: "When we look at the number of murders in the United States (in) 2009, we had 9,500 people murdered. When we look around the world, we see ... large countries, the U.K., Germany, Japan had 200 or less killed in a year." Pierre Thomas stated on January 9, 2011 in a report on ABC News' "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "Saturday's shootings reflect a disturbing trend. Mass shootings have become commonplace since the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007. There have been dozens of incidents where three or more people have been fatally wounded. Hundreds have died." Steny Hoyer stated on January 4, 2011 in a news release: In preparing a rules package for the 112th Congress, the GOP had no discussions with Democrats. Kevin McCarthy stated on January 2, 2011 in a statement published in the "Bakersfield Californian": "The Democratic majority led the 111th Congress to spend more money in two years than the first 100 congresses before them combined." Pat Toomey stated on January 2, 2011 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press": "We have the highest (corporate tax rates) in the world right now." Tim Pawlenty stated on December 13, 2010 in an op-ed in the "Wall Street Journal": "Since January 2008 the private sector has lost nearly 8 million jobs while local, state and federal governments added 590,000." Barack Obama stated on December 13, 2010 in a television interview: "When Social Security was passed, there were all kinds of lawsuits," just as there have been in the legal battle over the new health care law. Tom Coburn stated on December 1, 2010 in a meeting of the Simpson-Bowles deficit commission: "One in 19 Americans today get SSDI or SSI. That's one in 19 Americans (who) are disabled." Matthew Dowd stated on December 12, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "Barack Obama is in an economy that's only worsened since he's been president of the United States." Bernie Sanders stated on November 30, 2010 in a Senate floor speech: "Last year, ExxonMobil made $19 billion in profit. Guess what. They paid zero in taxes. They got a $156 million refund from the IRS." Bernie Sanders stated on November 30, 2010 in a Senate floor speech: In 2007, "the top 1 percent of all income earners in the United States made 23.5 percent of all income," which is "more than the entire bottom 50 percent." Tom Coburn stated on November 18, 2010 in a Senate floor speech: There are "10 or 20 deaths a year from foodborne illness" in the United States. Barack Obama stated on December 7, 2010 in a press conference: When President Franklin D. Roosevelt started Social Security, "it only affected widows and orphans," and when Medicare began, "it was a small program." Barack Obama stated on December 7, 2010 in a press conference: "There are polls showing right now that the American people for the most part think it's a bad idea to provide tax cuts to the wealthy." Wesley Clark stated on December 5, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": The Pentagon's survey about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy found that 92 percent of service members "agree that they could serve ... in a unit in combat" without compromising "mission readiness." National Association of Manufacturers stated on December 2, 2010 in a statement: Says the CBO estimates that fully extending the Bush tax cuts would add 600,000-1.4 million jobs in 2011 and 900,000-2.7 million jobs in 2012. John Boehner stated on December 1, 2010 in comments to reporters: "The American people spoke pretty loudly. They said stop all the looming tax hikes...." Mike Mullen stated on November 21, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "Historically," Senate ratification of arms control treaties "has been bipartisan." Jon Kyl stated on November 28, 2010 in an interview on "NBC's Meet the Press": Said the Washington Post argued that a failure to pass the START treaty this year would be "no calamity," and that the Associated Press said "the administration concedes the security risk is not immediate." Richard Lugar stated on November 16, 2010 in a prepared statement: "Eliminating earmarks does not reduce spending." Kent Conrad stated on November 14, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": Federal spending is "the highest it's been as a share of our economy in 60 years (and) revenue is the lowest it's been as a share of our economy in 60 years." Rand Paul stated on November 14, 2010 in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation": "We now consume at the federal level 25 percent of the gross domestic product. Historically we were at 20 percent. So we've taken 5 percent away from the private sector." George W. Bush stated on November 8, 2010 in an interview on NBC's "Today Show": "My debt to GDP was the lowest or one of the lowest of modern presidents. My taxes to GDP was the lowest and my spending to GDP" was too. Rand Paul stated on November 7, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour: "The average federal employee makes $120,000 a year. The average private employee makes $60,000 a year." Sarah Palin stated on November 7, 2010 in a prepared speech: Grocery prices "have risen significantly over the past year or so." Rand Paul stated on November 7, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "The interest on the debt now is going to approach in the next couple of years ... what we spend in the national defense budget."
Mike Pence stated on July 15, 2010 in a press release: The financial regulatory bill "will kill jobs."
Chris Van Hollen stated on January 18, 2011 in comments on the House floor: Between 2000 and 2006, "health insurance company profits quadrupled."
Chris Van Hollen stated on January 18, 2011 in comments on the House floor: "Between the year 2000 and 2006, (insurance) premiums in this country doubled."
Newsmax stated on January 14, 2011 in an e-mail solicitation: "The refusal of many federal employees to fly coach costs taxpayers $146 million annually."
Frank Lautenberg stated on January 11, 2011 in an interview on MSNBC: "When we look at the number of murders in the United States (in) 2009, we had 9,500 people murdered. When we look around the world, we see ... large countries, the U.K., Germany, Japan had 200 or less killed in a year."
Pierre Thomas stated on January 9, 2011 in a report on ABC News' "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "Saturday's shootings reflect a disturbing trend. Mass shootings have become commonplace since the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007. There have been dozens of incidents where three or more people have been fatally wounded. Hundreds have died."
Steny Hoyer stated on January 4, 2011 in a news release: In preparing a rules package for the 112th Congress, the GOP had no discussions with Democrats.
Kevin McCarthy stated on January 2, 2011 in a statement published in the "Bakersfield Californian": "The Democratic majority led the 111th Congress to spend more money in two years than the first 100 congresses before them combined."
Pat Toomey stated on January 2, 2011 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press": "We have the highest (corporate tax rates) in the world right now."
Tim Pawlenty stated on December 13, 2010 in an op-ed in the "Wall Street Journal": "Since January 2008 the private sector has lost nearly 8 million jobs while local, state and federal governments added 590,000."
Barack Obama stated on December 13, 2010 in a television interview: "When Social Security was passed, there were all kinds of lawsuits," just as there have been in the legal battle over the new health care law.
Tom Coburn stated on December 1, 2010 in a meeting of the Simpson-Bowles deficit commission: "One in 19 Americans today get SSDI or SSI. That's one in 19 Americans (who) are disabled."
Matthew Dowd stated on December 12, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "Barack Obama is in an economy that's only worsened since he's been president of the United States."
Bernie Sanders stated on November 30, 2010 in a Senate floor speech: "Last year, ExxonMobil made $19 billion in profit. Guess what. They paid zero in taxes. They got a $156 million refund from the IRS."
Bernie Sanders stated on November 30, 2010 in a Senate floor speech: In 2007, "the top 1 percent of all income earners in the United States made 23.5 percent of all income," which is "more than the entire bottom 50 percent."
Tom Coburn stated on November 18, 2010 in a Senate floor speech: There are "10 or 20 deaths a year from foodborne illness" in the United States.
Barack Obama stated on December 7, 2010 in a press conference: When President Franklin D. Roosevelt started Social Security, "it only affected widows and orphans," and when Medicare began, "it was a small program."
Barack Obama stated on December 7, 2010 in a press conference: "There are polls showing right now that the American people for the most part think it's a bad idea to provide tax cuts to the wealthy."
Wesley Clark stated on December 5, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": The Pentagon's survey about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy found that 92 percent of service members "agree that they could serve ... in a unit in combat" without compromising "mission readiness."
National Association of Manufacturers stated on December 2, 2010 in a statement: Says the CBO estimates that fully extending the Bush tax cuts would add 600,000-1.4 million jobs in 2011 and 900,000-2.7 million jobs in 2012.
John Boehner stated on December 1, 2010 in comments to reporters: "The American people spoke pretty loudly. They said stop all the looming tax hikes...."
Mike Mullen stated on November 21, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "Historically," Senate ratification of arms control treaties "has been bipartisan."
Jon Kyl stated on November 28, 2010 in an interview on "NBC's Meet the Press": Said the Washington Post argued that a failure to pass the START treaty this year would be "no calamity," and that the Associated Press said "the administration concedes the security risk is not immediate."
Richard Lugar stated on November 16, 2010 in a prepared statement: "Eliminating earmarks does not reduce spending."
Kent Conrad stated on November 14, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": Federal spending is "the highest it's been as a share of our economy in 60 years (and) revenue is the lowest it's been as a share of our economy in 60 years."
Rand Paul stated on November 14, 2010 in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation": "We now consume at the federal level 25 percent of the gross domestic product. Historically we were at 20 percent. So we've taken 5 percent away from the private sector."
George W. Bush stated on November 8, 2010 in an interview on NBC's "Today Show": "My debt to GDP was the lowest or one of the lowest of modern presidents. My taxes to GDP was the lowest and my spending to GDP" was too.
Rand Paul stated on November 7, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour: "The average federal employee makes $120,000 a year. The average private employee makes $60,000 a year."
Sarah Palin stated on November 7, 2010 in a prepared speech: Grocery prices "have risen significantly over the past year or so."
Rand Paul stated on November 7, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": "The interest on the debt now is going to approach in the next couple of years ... what we spend in the national defense budget."
