Trump’s false claim on CA wildfires

Trump’s false claim on CA wildfires

The 2019 Chicago mayor’s race: Here’s what we’re watching

The 2019 Chicago mayor’s race: Here’s what we’re watching

The truth matters. Support PolitiFact

The truth matters. Support PolitiFact

Donald Trump and Rick Scott allege fraud without evidence

Donald Trump and Rick Scott allege fraud without evidence

Rulings from PolitiFact National

"15,000 troops will not see their families for #Thanksgiving because of @realDonaldTrump’s Scaravan Stunt. ... — Eric Swalwell
"In the House, Republicans dramatically outperformed historical precedents." — Donald Trump
"This election marks the largest Senate gains for a president's party in a first ... — Donald Trump
Says "Kurt Russell supports Trump" by wearing a Trump T-shirt. — Bloggers
"Judicial Watch reports show 1.7 million California votes are not registered voters!" — Bloggers
Says Brendan Kelly "allowed half of the criminals he faced to walk free" and ... — Mike Bost
Says Ohio U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot "voted to cut health care for kids, affecting ... — House Majority PAC
Says he didn't support the lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act. — Mike Braun
Says New York Rep. John Faso "cast the deciding vote" to try to kill health ... — Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Says Texas U.S. Rep. John Culberson "was caught using campaign cash on collectibles, including ... — Environmental Defense Fund Action
"Attention hunters: Voting in North Dakota could cost you your out-of-state hunting licenses." — North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party
"The Democrat plan would just obliterate Medicare and terminate Medicare Advantage ... seniors who ... — Donald Trump
Says Maine Democrat Jared Golden "supports using your Social Security to fund other government ... — National Republican Congressional Committee
"Democrats let him (cop killer Luis Bracamontes) into our country," and "Democrats let him ... — Donald Trump
"The Democrats want to invite caravan after caravan of illegal aliens into our country. ... — Donald Trump

The Latest from PunditFact

False

D, not R

Mitchell

Andrea Mitchell

Says "Brenda Snipes in Broward County is a Republican."

— PunditFact on Wednesday, November 14th, 2018

Pants on Fire!

Manufactured accusation

Blackwell

"Democrats and their allies (...) are manufacturing voters."

— PunditFact on Tuesday, November 13th, 2018

Full Flop

Pally rally

Hannity

On being on stage campaigning with the president

— PunditFact on Tuesday, November 6th, 2018

False

Baseless

Jones

Says explosive devices mailed to prominent Democrats and Trump critics confirm the "deep state (is) launching false flag against (mainstream media)/Dems to blame Trump & pro-America forces."

— PunditFact on Thursday, October 25th, 2018

Mostly True

Letter of the law?

Mitchell

Andrea Mitchell

A letter to President Donald Trump from 22 senators "is a way of saying to the president, ‘You are now under an affirmative requirement, legal requirement, to investigate' " journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance and suspected murder.

— PunditFact on Tuesday, October 16th, 2018

Half-True

Not yet

West

In Wisconsin, Foxconn has "4,000 jobs, people making $53,000 a year."

— PolitiFact Wisconsin on Friday, October 12th, 2018

False

False verdict

Carter

The 5-4 decisions the Supreme Court reaches "are going up."

— PunditFact on Friday, October 12th, 2018

Pants on Fire!

Not #MeToo

Feuerstein

Joshua Feuerstein

Says #MeToo movement sign suggested assaulting First Lady Melania Trump.

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Thursday, October 11th, 2018

Pants on Fire!

A ridiculous leap

Bloggers

"Kavanaugh accuser’s brother’s firm linked to Fusion GPS."

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Friday, September 21st, 2018

Pants on Fire!

A flood of falsehoods

Viral image

Says CNN’s Anderson Cooper stood in a ditch during Hurricane Florence to exaggerate water levels.

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Tuesday, September 18th, 2018

True

Hannity said that, but O'Rourke didn't send text

Bloggers

Says Sean Hannity told listeners of his radio show that "Beto O’Rourke is asking for help in getting undocumented to vote."

— PunditFact on Friday, September 14th, 2018

Mostly True

Yes, though not purely GOP's fault

Scarborough

Joe Scarborough

"President Trump’s Republican Party will create more debt in one year than was generated in the first 200 years of America’s existence."

— PunditFact on Wednesday, September 12th, 2018

Half-True

ISPs under fire

Fight for the Future

Fight for the Future

"We saw the true danger of the FCC's net neutrality repeal when Verizon was caught throttling California fire fighters."

— PunditFact on Friday, September 7th, 2018

False

Study's design pre-ordained that result

Trump

Says "96 percent of (Google News) results on ‘Trump News’ are from National Left-Wing Media."

— PolitiFact National on Wednesday, August 29th, 2018

False

Rush to judgment

Limbaugh

"It appears that the (Jacksonville) shooter was part of the Trump 'Resistance'."

— PunditFact on Tuesday, August 28th, 2018

Pants on Fire!

No treason = no pardon

Bloggers

"John McCain was pardoned for treason"

— PunditFact on Monday, August 27th, 2018

Pants on Fire!

Defies logic

Coulter

"The Dutch (Afrikaners) were" in South Africa "first."

— PunditFact on Monday, August 27th, 2018

False

No black business boom

Bloggers

"Black business ownership jumped 400% in one year."

— PunditFact on Monday, August 27th, 2018

Pants on Fire!

No one appointed yet

Bloggers

"BREAKING: Sheriff Joe Arpaio will take over (John) McCain’s seat in the Senate."

— PunditFact on Monday, August 27th, 2018

Pants on Fire!

Fails our truth test

Bloggers

"US President D. Trump Approves Scholarship for 50,000 African Student to Study in USA 2018"

— PunditFact on Monday, August 27th, 2018

What is PunditFact?

PunditFact is a project of the Tampa Bay Times and the Poynter Institute, dedicated to checking the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, bloggers, political analysts, the hosts and guests of talk shows, and other members of the media.

We define a pundit as someone who offers analysis or opinions on the news, particularly politics and public policy. One can engage in punditry by writing, blogging or appearing on radio or TV. A pundit is not an elected official, not a declared candidate nor anyone in an official capacity with a political party, campaign or government.

PunditFact is funded in part by $625,000 in grants over two years from the Ford Foundation and the Democracy Fund. Seed money for the project was provided by craigconnects.

Check out new After the Fact responses.

Reporters and editors from the Times fact-check statements by pundits and rate them on PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter:

TRUE – The statement is accurate and there’s nothing significant missing.

MOSTLY TRUE – The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.

HALF TRUE – The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context.

MOSTLY FALSE – The statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression.

FALSE – The statement is not accurate.

PANTS ON FIRE – The statement is not accurate and makes a ridiculous claim.

For more details, see the Principles of PolitiFact, PunditFact and the Truth-O-Meter.

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