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PolitiFact Scorecard for Donald Trump

TRUE | MOSTLY TRUE | MOSTLY FALSE | FALSE | PANTS ON FIRE

True (4%) — 15 of 350 Researched Statements

Mostly True (12%) — 41 of 350 Researched Statements

Half True (15%) — 51 of 350 Researched Statements

Mostly False (19%) — 66 of 350 Researched Statements

False (33%) — 115 of 350 Researched Statements

Pants on Fire (18%) — 62 of 350 Researched Statements

The Countdown

Latest Headlines

Trump Stands by Embattled Medicare and Medicaid Chief
Seema Verma is under fire for seeking taxpayer reimbursement for stolen property, part of a series of unflattering reports about her and the president’s other top health official, Alex M. Azar II. ... read more
The New York Times2019-12-10
2 hours ago
Donald Trump Jr. Shares Bonkers Meme Of His Dad And It Could Terrify The President
Donald Trump is shirtless and carrying a shark in the doctored image. ... read more
The Huffington Post2019-12-10
3 hours ago
Trump hits point of no return as Democrats ready impeachment articles
House Democrats are hours from crossing a somber point of no political return as they get set to roll out articles of impeachment Tuesday accusing President Donald Trump of abusing power and obstructing Congress. ... read more
CNN2019-12-10
4 hours ago
Trump’s NATO parade of falsehoods and misstatements
At the recent NATO summit, the president once again showed he does not understand the basics of NATO financing. ... read more
The Washington Post2019-12-10
4 hours ago
U.S. lawmakers reach deal on massive defense bill, eye Russia, Turkey, China
U.S. lawmakers announced an agreement on Monday on a $738-billion bill setting policy for the Department of Defense, including new measures for competing with Russia and China, family leave for federal workers and the creation of President Donald Trump's long-desired Space Force. ... read more
Reuters2019-12-09
8 hours ago
Republicans Turn Up Heat on Gordon Sondland in Impeachment Hearing
Congressional Republicans on Monday continued their attack against Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump – and this time, it involved one of their own. At multiple points in Monday’s judiciary hearing, Republicans took pains to build skepticism around the testimony of European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland, a Trump political appointee and a key actor in Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani’s attempts to convince Ukraine to open an investigation into Trump’s chief political rival. The nearly ten-hour hearing was billed by Democrats as a vehicle for both parties to make their case about whether or not the President should be ... read more
TIME Magazine2019-12-09
8 hours ago
Horowitz Report Won’t Deter Trumpworld’s Conspiratorial Frothing
President Donald Trump and his allies spent almost three years denouncing the Russia investigation as a sham. They claimed it was part of a political vendetta by angry Democrats and disaffected bureaucrats. They accused the FBI agents who conducted the initial inquiry of committing treason and organizing a coup. Fox News and other Trump-aligned outlets hyped up nefarious allegations night after night after night, and top Republican lawmakers devoted untold amounts of energy towards investigating them.Some in Trumpworld hoped that Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department’s inspector general, would give credence to their conspiracy theories on Monday, when he released his ... read more
The New Republic2019-12-09
9 hours ago
Democrats Set to Unveil Articles of Impeachment Against President Donald Trump
House Democrats will unveil articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning, multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed to TIME. The articles are expected to be announced at a 9 a.m. press conference on Tuesday, one day after a nearly ten-hour long hearing during which Republicans and Democrats made their case to the House Judiciary Committee about whether President Trump’s decision to withhold millions of dollars in aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into a top political rival amounted to an impeachable offense. Speaker Pelosi’s office only advised the press conference as “the next steps” ... read more
TIME Magazine2019-12-09
9 hours ago
Democrats to lay out articles of impeachment Tuesday following contentious hearing
House Democrats plan to announce their articles of impeachment into President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning, pushing forward with their impeachment inquiry following a contention hearing on Monday. ... read more
CNN2019-12-09
10 hours ago
Vox Sentences: The investigation into the investigation
Drew Angerer/Getty Images Claims of bias in FBI probe into Russian interference are debunked; New Zealand suffers deadly volcanic eruption. Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the Vox Sentences newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the Vox Sentences archive for past editions. The FBI’s watchdog growls A long-awaited report is out by the Department of Justice’s internal watchdog into the 2016 investigation of ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. The report criticizes “inaccuracies and omissions” in warrant applications but found no ... read more
Vox2019-12-09
11 hours ago
“No Evidence”: An Official Probe Has Debunked Trump’s Claim The FBI Planted A Spy In His Campaign
The Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General has contradicted some of the president’s conspiracy theories, but it also found misconduct by FBI agents who investigated the president's campaign.View Entire Post › ... read more
Buzzfeed Politics2019-12-09
11 hours ago
Report on F.B.I. Russia Inquiry Finds Serious Errors but Debunks Anti-Trump Plot
A long-awaited report by the Justice Department’s inspector general delivers a scathing critique of the F.B.I.’s handling of a wiretap application but also punctures many conspiracy theories. ... read more
The New York Times2019-12-09
11 hours ago
What the IG report found
The Department of Justice. Inspector General Michael Horowitz found that the FBI wasn’t motivated by bias in the Russia investigation. But the report called out missteps in the probe. The Department of Justice inspector general’s report on the Russia investigation is finally here. In the report, Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the DOJ’s independent watchdog, discredits the right-wing conspiracy theory that the FBI was motivated by political bias against Donald Trump when it opened the investigation into his campaign’s ties with Russia. But the report also documents errors and missteps throughout the course of the investigation. In other words, ... read more
Vox2019-12-09
12 hours ago
Ask PolitiFact: Does a video show Joe Biden confessing to bribery? No
A reader asked, "How come Joe Biden is on film bragging about getting the Prosecutor investigating Burisma fired and fact check says there is no proof of that? Look at the film." House Republicans have also focused on a video of then-vice president Joe Biden threatening to withhold a $1 billion financial aid package if Ukraine’s president didn’t fire his prosecutor general. In their view, it is no different than President Donald Trump holding up military aid to Ukraine. "You can whitewash it all you want," ranking Republican Doug Collins, R-Ga., said on the second day of House Judiciary hearings. ... read more
PolitiFact2019-12-09
13 hours ago
Trump Appointee Sought $47,000 Reimbursement From Taxpayers Over Stolen Jewelry
WASHINGTON — The government on Monday defended a top Trump administration health official who sought a reimbursement from taxpayers of $47,000, reportedly including a $5,900 Ivanka Trump-brand pendant, for items stolen during a work-related trip. Seema Verma, who runs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ultimately received only $2,852.40, according to the Health and Human Services Department. HHS said in a statement that it was “perfectly appropriate” for Verma to file the loss claim, which covered clothing, jewelry and other items in her luggage that were stolen while she was giving a speech in San Francisco in July 2018. ... read more
TIME Magazine2019-12-09
13 hours ago
Right Wing Round-Up: The Afghanistan Papers
Dominic Holden @ BuzzFeed: “No Evidence”: An Official Probe Has Debunked Trump’s Claim The FBI Planted A Spy In His Campaign. Connor Mannion @ Mediaite: IG Horowitz Uncovers Texts from Pro-Trump FBI Agents Saying they ‘Saw a Lot of Scared MFers’ Following Trump’s Election. David Corn @ Mother Jones: Inspector General’s Report Shows Trump’s “Spygate” Conspiracy Theory Was the Real Hoax. Cristina Cabrera @ Talking Points Memo: Trump Tells Mostly Jewish Crowd They’ll Vote For Him Because They Want To Protect Their Wealth. Ian Millhiser @ Vox: What Trump has done to the courts, explained. Steve Benen @ The Maddow ... read more
Right Wing Watch2019-12-09
13 hours ago
Right Wing Bonus Tracks: W.A.R at the White House
Wayne Allyn Root reports that he is “headed to D.C. tomorrow,” thanks to a “personal invite by President Trump to the White House.” Dave Daubenmire is an anti-vaxxer and very proud that his grandchildren have not been vaccinated. Lance Wallnau thinks that he knows what is responsible for the New England Patriots’ struggles: “Ever since the news went public that Tom Brady’s wife practices witchcraft and incantations to empower her husbands wins, I believe the tide has turned.” Scott Lively is upset that the Hallmark Channel is reportedly open to making Christmas movies featuring same-sex couples and/or other LGBTQ characters: ... read more
Right Wing Watch2019-12-09
13 hours ago
Bill Barr’s Justice Department swings into action to undercut the inspector general report
US Attorney General William Barr speaks at an event on December 3, 2019. | Drew Angerer/Getty The inspector general failed to find wrongdoing in the FBI’s opening of the Russia investigation. Barr didn’t like that. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz has completed his lengthy review of the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into links between the Trump campaign and Russia — and his report, released Monday, fails to back up President Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories about a “deep state” plot against him. In the report, Horowitz wrote that the decision to open the investigation “complied with [Justice] Department and FBI policies.” ... read more
Vox2019-12-09
14 hours ago
U.S. Backs Out of U.N. Meeting on Human Rights Situation in North Korea
(UNITED NATIONS) — The United States changed its mind and is now refusing to sign a letter that would have authorized the U.N. Security Council to hold a meeting on the human rights situation in North Korea, diplomats said Monday. Without support from the United States, European and other countries that wanted the U.N.’s most powerful body to discuss human rights in North Korea can’t go ahead Tuesday because they are now one vote short of the minimum nine “yes” votes required, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions were private. North Korea’s U.N. ambassador, Kim Song, ... read more
TIME Magazine2019-12-09
14 hours ago
Congress’s new plan to end surprise medical bills, explained
Lawmakers look like they finally have a deal to end surprise medical bills. Here’s how. Just as the prospects of a congressional deal to stop surprise medical bills seemed to be dimming, lawmakers had a breakthrough. On Sunday evening, the leaders of several key health care committees announced they had come to an agreement. Sen. Lamar Alexander, the top Republican on the Senate health committee, announced the news alongside Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Greg Walden (R-OR), the top Democrat and Republican on an important House committee. (Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on Alexander’s committee, did not join the ... read more
Vox2019-12-09
14 hours ago
Impeachment Gets Weird
Today’s impeachment hearing was supposed to be a check-the-box session for House Democrats—a formality, really: Its purpose was to televise the evidence against President Donald Trump that party lawmakers presented in a voluminous written report released last week.What it turned into, however, was the weirdest, most chaotic hearing of the entire impeachment saga so far.The witnesses were not exactly household names: two staff lawyers for Democratic House committees, Barry Berke and Daniel Goldman, and one serving Republicans, Stephen Castor. They were there to discuss the findings of the House Intelligence Committee, a necessary but decidedly anticlimactic step ahead of the ... read more
The Atlantic2019-12-09
15 hours ago
The Point: Takeaways from the House’s impeachment hearing
The House Judiciary Committee convened its second impeachment hearing into President Donald Trump, with lawyers for Democrats and Republicans making the cases for and against whether the pressure campaign conducted by the White House is an impeachable act. ... read more
CNN2019-12-09
15 hours ago
Who Is John Durham, the Prosecutor Investigating the Russia Inquiry
Mr. Durham, the top federal prosecutor in Connecticut, has investigated potential wrongdoing by the F.B.I. and C.I.A. for the Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump administrations. ... read more
The New York Times2019-12-09
15 hours ago
AG Barr Is Trying to Spin Another Russia Report in Trump’s Favor
WASHINGTON — A hotly anticipated report on the origins of the investigation into President Trump’s ties to Russia debunked Trump’s oft-repeated claim that the whole thing began as a politically motivated conspiracy to take him down. In a report issued Monday, the DOJ’s inspector general found that the FBI had sufficient evidence to lawfully open the inquiry that eventually led to special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into the Russian government’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election. Naturally, Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, disputed that overall finding, suggesting that another review led by Barr’s own hand-picked investigator will ultimately ... read more
VICE News2019-12-09
15 hours ago
House Democrats, White House Reach Tentative Agreement on U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Deal
(WASHINGTON) — House Democrats have reached a tentative agreement with labor leaders and the White House over a rewrite of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal that has been a top priority for President Donald Trump. That’s according to a Democratic aide not authorized to discuss the talks and granted anonymity. Details still need to be finalized and the U.S. Trade Representative will need to submit the implementing legislation to Congress. No vote has been scheduled. The aide requested anonymity because the agreement is not official. The new, long-sought trade agreement with Mexico and Canada would give both Trump and his top ... read more
TIME Magazine2019-12-09
16 hours ago
Dems Warn Trump Is Still Meddling in Ukraine to Corrupt 2020 Election
WASHINGTON — Even the threat of impeachment hasn’t stopped President Trump from pressuring Ukraine into helping his 2020 election chances. That was a key point House Democrats raised as they laid out their case for impeaching the president during a Monday hearing at the House Judiciary Committee. Their evidence: Rudy Giuliani’s recent trip to Ukraine, where Trump’s personal attorney broadcasted his attempts to dig up dirt on his political foes. “Let me remind you that the president’s personal lawyer spent the last week in Ukraine, meeting with government officials in an apparent attempt to gin up the same so-called ... read more
VICE News2019-12-09
17 hours ago
The Case for Multiple Articles of Impeachment
John Nichols The case against Trump must not be limited to Ukraine, as Republican former representative Justin Amash points out. The post The Case for Multiple Articles of Impeachment appeared first on The Nation. ... read more
The Nation2019-12-09
17 hours ago
The 2020 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet
In the Christian calendar, Advent is the time of keeping watch, awaiting the arrival of the Messiah. So, too, it is proving the time to keep watch in the Democratic presidential primary—as the field reshuffles and the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary draw nigh.In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus exhorts his followers to vigilance: “Understand this: If the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.” But like Peter in Gethsemane, your cheat sheeter dozed off, taking two ... read more
The Atlantic2019-12-09
18 hours ago
Sandy Rios Thinks the Left Infiltrated the FBI
American Family Association governmental affairs director Sandy Rios said that she no longer trusted the Federal Bureau of Investigation because she believes it has been subverted and “neutralized” by the political left. On this morning’s episode of her American Family Radio show, Rios was discussing last week’s shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, which is being investigated by the FBI as an act of terrorism. During her analysis of the shooting, she diverted on a tangent to claim that the left had targeted the FBI for infiltration. “I just don’t have trust in the FBI,” Rios said. “Maybe the Michael ... read more
Right Wing Watch2019-12-09
18 hours ago
‘Heedless and Erratic Old Man’: North Korea Warns Trump to Knock Off the Tweets
With a self-imposed deadline to reach a nuclear deal with the U.S. looming, North Korea just keeps lobbing insults at President Trump. This time they pulled back on the infamous “dotard” insult but pretty much went there anyway by calling him a “heedless and erratic old man.” It wasn’t exactly unprovoked: In a series of tweets Sunday discussing denuclearization, Trump warned supreme leader Kim Jong Un against abandoning their “special relationship” and acting in a “hostile way.” And apparently North Korea didn’t appreciate the president dishing out advice to Kim on social media. Kim ... read more
VICE News2019-12-09
19 hours ago
Trump’s Ukraine effort encompasses far, far more than ‘eight lines’
Even the Republicans' narrow assertion of what Trump did fails to exonerate him. ... read more
The Washington Post2019-12-09
19 hours ago
James Robison: ‘Melania, We Love You. Donald Trump, We Love You’
Right-wing pastor James Robison, who has been a key spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, called in to “The Mark Davis Show” on Friday, where he delivered a passionate defense of Trump and his family, and declared his love for the president and the first lady. “In our conversations and in our times of prayer together, which they have been many – many, many, many – I have never—I am 76 years old, I have been close to four other presidents, I want to say this to you: never in my life have I seen a man more receptive to ... read more
Right Wing Watch2019-12-09
20 hours ago
#AM_Equality Tipsheet: December 9, 2019
HRC URGES SENATE TO REJECT ANTI-LGBTQ JUDICIAL NOMINEE LAWRENCE VANDYKE: “Lawrence VanDyke has made clear that he has no intention of upholding the rights of LGBTQ people,” said HRC President Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid). “From his college writings to his roles in government, VanDyke has spent his career consistently opposed to equality for all people, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Senate should not confirm a judicial nominee who has received a rare rating of ‘unqualified’ from the American Bar Association.” Read more from HRC. CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS: THE “FAIRNESS FOR ALL” ACT IS AN AFFRONT TO EXISTING CIVIL ... read more
Human Rights Campaign2019-12-09
21 hours ago
An Absolute Must-Read
I cannot recommend this morning’s exclusive from Josh Kovensky strongly enough. It’s a complicated enough story that it is hard to capture briefly. But in sum, there’s a whole half of the Trump/Giuliani collusion campaign in Ukraine that barely anyone has scratched the surface of and Josh has the story. The key theme of Giuliani’s trips has been looking for crooks in Ukraine trying to keep out of jail either in Ukraine or the U.S. and offering them protection if they’ll intervene in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. We’ve heard a lot about Dmitry Firtash, the oligarch who’s funded and ... read more
Talking Points Memo2019-12-09
21 hours ago
Linda Ronstadt Rips Pompeo At Washington Dinner, Tells Him To Stop ‘Enabling’ Trump
Sally Field's son Sam Greisman hails Linda Ronstadt as an "icon" after she called out the secretary of state at a dinner for Kennedy Center honorees. ... read more
The Huffington Post2019-12-08
1 day ago
Trump Slammed For Insisting ‘Killer’ Real Estate Jews Will Back Him To Save Their Wealth
The president's comments at the Israeli American Council summit were called "vile and bigoted." ... read more
The Huffington Post2019-12-08
1 day ago
ICYMI
Trump announces Saudi King and MBS will make cash payments to victims for the shooting thing. pic.twitter.com/mxdRUBYHmt — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 7, 2019 ... read more
Talking Points Memo2019-12-07
2 days ago
Is It Possible Trump Is on the Right Track With China?
Paul Krugman responds to reader questions about the lasting effects of Trump’s trade wars. ... read more
The New York Times2019-12-07
3 days ago
U.S. Justice Ginsburg puts temporary hold on Trump financial records dispute
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday put a temporary hold on a court ruling that would require records held by Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial Corp to be handed over to Democratic-led congressional panels. ... read more
Reuters2019-12-06
3 days ago
Conservative Christian says it’s OK for Trump to sleep with “1000 women” but Buttigieg is unnatural
YouTube screencapture"Mayor Pete Buttplug — I said that again on purpose — what he is doing is not only immoral, it’s unnatural, it’s a crime against nature." ... read more
LGBTQ Nation2019-12-06
4 days ago
Video: Jordan’s GOP Talking Points
In this week’s fact-checking video, CNN’s Jake Tapper discusses some popular GOP talking points regarding the impeachment inquiry, and what they leave out or get wrong. Republican Rep. Jim Jordan made these claims during the Dec. 4 House Judiciary Committee public hearing on whether to draft and approve articles of impeachment. Jordan said, “We have the transcript. There was no quid pro quo in the transcript.” The Ohio Republican may not view the rough transcript of Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that way, but Trump did say the relationship between the two countries hadn’t ... read more
FactCheck.org2019-12-06
4 days ago
7 questions about the Trump and Ukraine impeachment hearings, answered
You asked, we answered: Our reporters investigated questions from readers about the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. In this edition, we answer questions about the House committee hearings, military aid to Ukraine, 2016 election meddling, the relevance of bribery, House Democratic messaging, and the expected Senate trial. RELATED: PolitiFact's Trump-Ukraine-Biden coverage in one place Do you have a question? Email us at truthometer@politifact.com, and we’ll try to answer it in our next batch of reader responses. Put "Ask PolitiFact" in the subject line. How did U.S. military assistance to Ukraine compare under Presidents Obama and Trump? Some Trump ... read more
PolitiFact2019-12-06
4 days ago
How to Fix Impeachment
Seven experts on what’s gone so wrong with the Trump proceedings—and what America should do about it. ... read more
POLITICO2019-12-06
4 days ago
Republicans Cherry-Pick Facts on Impeachment
As the House Judiciary Committee began public hearings on whether to draft and approve articles of impeachment, Republicans presented a set of facts that they claimed cleared President Donald Trump of any wrongdoing. The Republican National Committee on Dec. 4 selectively highlighted several facts from the investigation, providing an incomplete picture on what the congressional testimony has revealed. The same day, Rep. Jim Jordan repeated some of those talking points in the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing. “The facts are on the president’s side,” Jordan declared. Here we review the Republican statements in the context of documents and testimony that House ... read more
FactCheck.org2019-12-05
5 days ago
Filmmakers Sue to Shield Visitors to U.S. From Social Media Vetting
A filmmaker working on a documentary that’s critical of U.S. policies. A writer who operates a pseudonymous Twitter account to evade an authoritarian regime in their home country. An activist who uses Facebook to organize protests at the U.S.-Mexico border. These are the kinds of people who might not want U.S. immigration agents poring over their social media profiles before deciding whether they should be allowed into the country. Yet that’s exactly what the State Department now requires as part of the Trump administration’s “extreme vetting” of millions of visa applicants. As of May, people who need a visa to ... read more
The Intercept2019-12-05
5 days ago
New Legislation Aims to End the “School to Confinement Pathway”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts introduced new legislation Thursday aimed at ending the “school to confinement pathway.” The bill targets discriminatory and punitive school discipline policies that push black and brown students out of schools at disproportionately high rates, often directly into the criminal justice system. The bill offers incentives to states and schools that commit to ban most suspensions and expulsions, as well as corporal punishment and the physical restraint of students. It also allots resources to the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights at a time when the Trump administration has worked to gut it, and establishes an interagency task ... read more
The Intercept2019-12-05
5 days ago
Meme Makes Up New Amendment
Quick Take A meme circulating online falsely claims that there is a 28th Amendment to the Constitution that bars lawmakers from exempting themselves from having to comply with existing laws. There is no such amendment. Full Story There are 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, but a meme circulating online has added another one. In a script font on parchment background, the meme claims the “Amendment 28” says: “Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and Representatives: and, Congress shall make no law that applies ... read more
FactCheck.org2019-12-04
6 days ago
Writing Articles of Impeachment Is Exhausting
Updated at 12:21 p.m. ET on December 4, 2019.It’s an exclusive club that members of the House Judiciary Committee are joining today: The United States has undergone impeachment just three other times in its history, and only a handful of people each time have been charged with compiling a list of the president’s impeachable offenses.James Rogan knows what that’s like.Rogan, now a superior-court judge in California, was a 41-year-old member of the Judiciary Committee during former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. He was present for all the late nights and early mornings the committee spent reviewing Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr’s 453-page ... read more
The Atlantic2019-12-04
6 days ago
What if Democrats Have Already Won Back Enough White Working-Class Voters to Win in 2020?
Joshua Holland Since the 1980s, Democratic candidates have proven that they can win elections while losing whites without a college degree by a significant margin. The post What if Democrats Have Already Won Back Enough White Working-Class Voters to Win in 2020? appeared first on The Nation. ... read more
The Nation2019-12-04
6 days ago
FactChecking Trump’s NATO Remarks
President Donald Trump repeated a slew of false claims to an international audience at the annual NATO summit: The overwhelming majority of captured Islamic State fighters are from Iraq and Syria. They are not, as Trump claimed, “mostly from Europe.” Although about half of the territory once held by the Islamic State was regained under President Barack Obama, Trump again wrongly claimed that, “When I came in, it was virtually 100%. And I knocked it down to zero.” The U.S. trade deficit with the European Union has gone up under Trump, contrary to his suggestion that he had reduced it ... read more
FactCheck.org2019-12-03
7 days ago
The Crisis of American Christianity, Viewed From Great Britain
N. T. Wright is one of those thinkers who fall into a binary: Either people have never heard of him, or they believe him to be one of the most influential figures of our time. The magazine Christianity Today has called him “the most prolific biblical scholar in a generation” and “the most important apologist for the Christian faith since C. S. Lewis.” The British theologian is credited with writing more than six dozen books, many about the apostle Paul, and has reached the stage of fame where publishers are repackaging his work into new volumes, akin to a pop ... read more
The Atlantic2019-12-01
1 week ago
How North Korea Soured on Donald Trump
The part where Donald Trump described Joe Biden as a step above a “rabid dog” got all the attention, but the president’s tweet to Kim Jong Un earlier this month had another significant message: Better seize the day, because tomorrow could bring a President Biden. “I am the only one who can get you where you have to be,” Trump wrote. “You should act quickly, get the deal done. See you soon!”The tweet was part of a sales pitch to Pyongyang that I’ve heard from other Trump-administration officials. It goes something like this: The 2016 U.S. election produced a historic ... read more
The Atlantic2019-11-29
2 weeks ago
Thanksgiving Is Another Reminder of What America Forgot
In a December 1862 letter to the Senate, President Abraham Lincoln ordered the execution of 39 Sioux citizens. In 1851, the Santee Sioux had ceded the land known as Minnesota to the United States in a pair of treaties, in exchange for a constant supply of services and wares to be provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Like countless treaties signed by the U.S., the agreements were not honored. Corruption consumed the BIA, and basic food items were subject to price gouging. And so, on the brink of starvation in the early winter of 1862, several hundred Sioux raided ... read more
The New Republic2019-11-28
2 weeks ago
The War-Crimes Presidency
Eight years ago, a friend sent me a photograph of Marines in Afghanistan proudly posing with a Nazi SS flag. As a former soldier, Iraq veteran, and historian who focuses on the German military during the Holocaust, I was shocked, and I reported the incident to the Marines’ inspector general. “Some symbols simply have pretty solid meanings,” I wrote then of the SS runes. The Corps, to its credit, responded swiftly, using the incident as a teachable moment to its Marines about the creation and maintenance of positive unit cultures and environments. In the Donald Trump era, the lessons are ... read more
The New Republic2019-11-27
2 weeks ago
Nine Democrats Who Represent Swing Districts Have Endorsed A Veteran To Replace Republican Rep. Pete King
The group has backed Jackie Gordon of Long Island to take back the Republican seat as rumors swirl about a possible Lara Trump run.View Entire Post › ... read more
Buzzfeed Politics2019-11-26
2 weeks ago
The Supreme Court Said Trump’s Financial Records Can Stay Hidden For Now
Two lower courts had ordered the president’s accounting firm to hand over his financial records to the House, but the Supreme Court put that on hold while it considers the case.View Entire Post › ... read more
Buzzfeed Politics2019-11-26
2 weeks ago
CNN Poll: No change in views on impeachment after public hearings
After five days of public hearings in House Democrats' impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, public opinion over whether the President ought to be impeached and removed from office remains exactly the same as it was in October, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. ... read more
CNN2019-11-26
2 weeks ago
Here’s how to fact-check your family at the Thanksgiving dinner table
Thanksgiving is a time for turkey, football, pie — and political arguments with your relatives. Nearly half of Americans say they avoid having political discussions during the holidays, according to a 2017 poll. And if politics do come up at the Thanksgiving dinner table, about the same proportion said they would change the subject. Meanwhile, a June survey found that most Americans say political discourse has worsened under the Trump administration and that discussing politics with people they disagree with is "stressful and frustrating." That’s not likely to change anytime soon, as impeachment proceedings against the president — which Americans are ... read more
PolitiFact2019-11-25
2 weeks ago
Joe Biden released his debate response hours before the actual debate took place
Tonight's Democratic debate is a must-watch for followers of the 2020 election. And it's a nice distraction from the impeachment inquiry currently enveloping all of the political oxygen in America right now.For most people, the main draw will be newly anointed frontrunner Pete Buttigieg, who has surprisingly surged to first place in Iowa and suddenly competing in New Hampshire. Will the other Democrats attack him? How will Elizabeth Warren react now that she's no longer sitting alone atop the primary field? After all, part of Buttigieg's rise has been his criticisms of Warren and her refusal to get into budgetary ... read more
GOOD2019-11-20
3 weeks ago
Who Will Betray Trump?
Donald Trump knows there are potential traitors in his midst. His presidency could depend on keeping them at bay. ... read more
POLITICO2019-11-08
1 month ago
Five Key Takeaways From Israel’s Indecisive Election Rerun
Heidi Levine/Sipa/Pool via AP Benjamin Netanyahu at a voting station in Jerusalem, September 17, 2019 Anyone expecting clarity from Israel’s electoral rerun will be disappointed. The public was sent back to the polls when coalition negotiations following the April 9 election failed. The resumption of those negotiations based on the new distribution of seats in the Knesset will not prove any easier. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will soon call the party leaders to begin the traditional round of post-election consultations, and within days will call on either ... read more
The American Prospect2019-09-21
3 months ago
Former Biden Chief of Staff is Fox News’ Top Lobbyist
Elise Amendola/AP Photo Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Dartmouth College, August 23, 2019. Sludge produces investigative journalism on lobbying and money in politics. The American Prospect is re-publishing this article. When Rupert Murdoch sold part of his 21st Century Fox company to Disney, he formed a new firm, Fox Corporation, which retained the rightwing news network Fox News, Fox Business Network, and many television stations and sports broadcasting companies. Multiple former Trump White House and GOP officials joined the company, including Hope Hicks, ... read more
The American Prospect2019-09-20
3 months ago
How Mexico Is Doing America’s Deportation Work for Us
Marco Ugarte/Associated Press Mexican authorities, feeling the effects of the Trump administration's “Remain in Mexico” policy, have resorted to busing migrants from Nuevo Laredo, at Mexico’s northern border with the U.S., to areas in the south of Mexico. More than a month ago, reports emerged that migrants and asylum seekers had been bused from Nuevo Laredo, at Mexico’s northern border with the United States, to Chiapas, near Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala. The Mexican government paid for the buses. The first time was just ... read more
The American Prospect2019-09-20
3 months ago
Transitioning ThinkProgress
Many years ago, we embarked on a new experiment: moving ThinkProgress from an organizational blog to a progressive news site, powered by reporters and editorially independent. We are proud that ThinkProgress helped shape the conversation in this country—exposing the companies that were supporting the NRA, uncovering sexual abuse within religious organizations, documenting voter suppression, and tracking the financing of white nationalism, to name just a few of the many, many, many important stories ThinkProgress covered. Unfortunately, as with so many ventures in today’s digital media landscape, ThinkProgress suffered multi-million dollar shortfalls the past two years—an unsustainable option for a non-profit ... read more
ThinkProgress2019-09-09
3 months ago
CNN’s planning a 2020 LGBTQ forum. Here are some issues advocates say the candidates should address.
A prominent LGBTQ rights organization, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced Thursday that it will host a presidential town hall on LGBTQ issues next month. The event will air on CNN. LGBTQ advocacy groups told ThinkProgress that they know exactly what ideas they want to hear discussed at the town hall set for Oct. 10, which is National Coming Out Day. Many said that first and foremost, they want candidates to acknowledge the struggles of the most marginalized in the community, including LGBTQ people of color, and put forward policies to respond to anti-LGBTQ bias in the criminal justice system. ... read more
ThinkProgress2019-09-05
3 months ago
It wasn’t a debate, but CNN’s 7-hour climate forum laid bare key differences among Democrats
CNN’s seven-hour town hall on the climate crisis wasn’t the debate many activists have spent months calling for. But Wednesday night’s marathon event teased out notable differences among Democratic presidential contenders, giving voters a taste of how each candidate might approach climate policy if elected. Two of the main issues where candidates staked out wildly different stances were nuclear power and abolishing the filibuster. They also differed on fracking, the process of extracting natural gas to be used for energy. Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden took heat over a controversial fundraiser scheduled for Thursday night and hosted by an oil ... read more
ThinkProgress2019-09-05
3 months ago
GOP candidate fueled by outside money complains he may lose because of opponent’s outside money
Dan Bishop, the Republican nominee in next week’s North Carolina congressional special election, claimed on Thursday that the reason polls show he could lose a district that President Donald Trump won easily is that so much money was coming in from out of district to support his Democratic opponent. But most of the money going to support Bishop also comes from outside of North Carolina. Voters in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District will vote Tuesday in their latest attempt to elect a U.S. Representative. The 2018 midterm election result was thrown out due to election fraud by the then-Republican nominee’s ... read more
ThinkProgress2019-09-05
3 months ago
To build Trump’s border wall, Pentagon will divert funds from military schools and day cares
President Donald Trump, despite his empty claims that he’s the most pro-military president “ever,” is preparing to drain funds from schools and day care centers that serve military families, as well as stalling readiness projects, to pay for his promised border wall. The Pentagon is diverting billions of dollars from already funded projects at military bases around the world in order to rush fence construction along the U.S.-Mexico border, Defense Department (DOD) officials announced Wednesday. The department indicated the shunting of money away from military child care offerings was not DOD’s idea. “A Pentagon official said in a briefing that ... read more
ThinkProgress2019-09-05
3 months ago
FACT CHECK: Foreign Interference And ‘Opposition Research’ Are Not The Same
President Trump says he might be open to taking information from a foreign government in a future election, calling it a part of politics. But the law draws a distinction when foreigners are involved.(Image credit: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images) ... read more
NPR2019-06-13
6 months ago
FACT CHECK: Russian Interference Went Far Beyond ‘Facebook Ads’ Kushner Described
President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser said the investigations into Russian interference have been more damaging than the interference itself. But there was more to it than online ads.(Image credit: Brian Ach/Getty Images for Time) ... read more
NPR2019-04-24
8 months ago
FACT CHECK: Trump Wrongly States Obama Administration Had Child Separation Policy
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, President Trump restated an earlier falsehood in which he blamed the Obama administration for a policy the Trump administration in fact started.(Image credit: Evan Vucci/AP) ... read more
NPR2019-04-09
8 months ago
Why Is It So Fraught to Talk About the Klobuchar Bad Boss Reports?
This article is adapted from a segment on the Waves and has been edited and condensed for clarity. Christina Cauterucci: Last week, HuffPost and BuzzFeed both ran pieces that contained a whole slew of allegations that Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota runs a borderline abusive workplace. There were multiple former staffers who said they and their fellow employees were berated for wrongdoing in front of their peers. Sometimes they’d be CC’d on their emails, saying, “This is the worst press release I’ve ever read in my life.” They were forced to endure emotional outbursts and fits of rage. They were ... read more
Slate2019-02-15
10 months ago
Andrew McCabe: Jeff Sessions Complained That He Missed When the FBI “Only Hired Irishmen”
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s new book, which details his frustrations with President’s Trump administration, has made it clear that his “disdain for Trump is rivaled only by his contempt for [Jeff] Sessions,” according to an assessment from Washington Post reporter Greg Miller. According to Miller’s review of the book, McCabe saw then-Attorney General Sessions as a Trump-like idiot and racist who had “trouble focusing, particularly when topics of conversation strayed from a small number of issues,” failed to read intelligence reports, and jumbled classified material with publicly reported news. The strangest detail from the book, though, had to ... read more
Slate2019-02-15
10 months ago
There Is No New Backpage
Last April, two successive tremors shook the business of sex on the internet. The first was the dramatic FBI shutdown of Backpage, a website for posting online personals that had attained outsize importance among sex workers. Days after that, President Trump signed two new bills into law, the Stop Enabling Online Sex Trafficking Act (SESTA) and Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), which together make websites that knowingly allow sex trafficking to happen liable for hosting the illegal activity—thus making it much easier for prosecutors to go after the proprietors of sites like Backpage. Both of these moves were meant ... read more
Slate2019-02-13
10 months ago
Roger Stone’s chance to make a positive impact
The Feb. 10 Retropolis column, “Stone seeks Trump pardon for black nationalist Marcus Garvey” [Metro], provided a well-informed review of Garvey’s role advancing a back-to-Africa movement in the ear ... read more
The Washington Post2019-02-13
10 months ago
FACT CHECK: Democratic Response To Trump’s State Of The Union Address
Stacey Abrams, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, delivered the remarks Tuesday night. Read a transcript of the speech with NPR reporters' annotations.(Image credit: Pool video image via AP) ... read more
NPR2019-02-05
10 months ago
FACT CHECK: Trump’s State Of The Union Address
President Trump delivered the annual speech, which had been delayed because of the government shutdown, on Tuesday night. NPR reporters provided context and analysis in real time. (Image credit: Andrew Harnik/AP) ... read more
NPR2019-02-05
10 months ago
The Feminist Future of Modesty
“I get it,” is Gretchen Carlson’s message to all the American women who wince at the thought of parading around in a swimsuit. Carlson, who is the new Chairwoman of the Miss America pageant and who also won the competition in 1989, announced last week that the swimsuit portion of the spectacle would be axed. The #MeToo-friendly, revamped Miss American “Competition” (the word “pageant” is also no more) would focus on substance instead of appearance; it would promote neither ogling at various female parts nor the premise that a willingness to bare almost all is necessary to winning.It’s a timely ... read more
The Feminist Future of Modesty2018-06-12
1 year ago
Trump: ’13 angry Democrats’ on Mueller team should be wary
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump is striking a combative tone against the Russia probe. He's talking about "Fighting Back" and telling Democrats on the special counsel's team, "wait 'till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!" ... read more
Associated Press2018-05-07
2 years ago
Giuliani’s media blitz defending Trump is off to rough start
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump's new attorney, Rudy Giuliani, is off to a rough start in his media blitz defending Trump's stance toward the special counsel's Russian investigation and a $130,000 porn star hush payment. ... read more
Associated Press2018-05-07
2 years ago
Trump defends CIA nominee, says she is ‘tough on terror’
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Monday defended Gina Haspel, his nominee to head the Central Intelligence Agency, dismissing debate over her involvement in a harsh interrogation program and arguing Democrats want her out because she "is too tough on terror." ... read more
Associated Press2018-05-07
2 years ago
Trump urges West Virginia voters to reject Blankenship
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump is urging West Virginia voters to reject a former federal convict and coal baron running in the Republican Senate primary, arguing that Don Blankenship he would lose the general election. ... read more
Associated Press2018-05-07
2 years ago
Trump’s Tweets Threaten His Travel Ban’s Chances in Court
President Donald Trump began the week with a barrage of early-morning tweets blasting the courts for blocking his travel ban executive order. But in doing so, he may have just made it more likely that the courts will keep blocking the ban. People, the lawyers and the courts can call it whatever they want, but I am calling it what we need and what it is, a TRAVEL BAN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017 The Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the watered down, politically correct version they submitted ... read more
Mother Jones2017-06-05
3 years ago
The Fox Primary For March: Trump Widens His Airtime Lead
As the Republican presidential field shrunk to three candidates in March, front-runner Donald Trump again led his competitors in interview airtime on Fox News. Fox News hosted the businessman for 6 hours and 15 minutes, compared to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's 5 hours and 18 minutes and Ohio Gov. John Kasich's 3 hours and 44 minutes. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson both ended their campaigns in March -- their airtime totals from before they dropped out are listed, but they will not be included in future editions. Trump's lead in Fox interview time comes amid ongoing tension ... read more
Media Matters for America2016-04-07
4 years ago
Morning Joe Panel: Hillary Clinton “Clearly Did Not Say Bernie Sanders Was Not Qualified To Be President”
From the April 7 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe: MIKA BRZEZINSKI (CO-HOST): Late last night, Clinton's press secretary Brian Fallon responded to [Sanders'] remarks on Twitter saying quote "Hillary Clinton did not say Bernie Sanders was 'not qualified.' But he has now - absurdly - said it about her. This is a new low." He added "Bernie Sanders, take back your words about Hillary Clinton." Sanders did no such thing. His campaign released a statement that began quote "Responding to Hillary Clinton's attempt to portray him as unqualified for the White House, Senator Sanders linked her to a trade pact exploited by wealthy individuals and profitable corporations to ... read more
Media Matters for America2016-04-07
4 years ago

Latest News

Trump

UCLA Study: Why conservatives are more likely than liberals to believe false information about threats

A team of UCLA researchers are offering new evidence that when it comes to telling the difference between truth and fiction, not all potential voters are created equal.

February 3rd, 2017

War on Science

An uneasy new era for scientists

Just hours after the inauguration, the official White House website was scrubbed of any mention of climate change. After that, scientists and other employees at several federal agencies were told not to speak directly to the public about their work.

January 28th, 2017

Healthcare

Obama Condemns ‘Repeal and Replace’

Repealing Obamacare without a replacement is “reckless” and “irresponsible,” and would leave the country “with more uninsured and uncompensated care than when we started,” writes former President Barack Obama.

January 28th, 2017

Uncategorized

Trump Doesn't Mention Jewish People In Holocaust Day Statement

In a break with recent tradition, Trump’s statement didn't make any mention of the Jewish people or anti-Semitism, only referring to the victims of the Holocaust as "innocent people."

January 28th, 2017

Don't Miss

Humor

Trump's Nuclear Plan: It's Funny Because Nothing Matters Anymore

January 11th, 2017

By firing all of Obama's appointees to the Nuclear Security Administration, President-Elect Trump is plunging the country into ever-deeper realms of uncertainty.

Humor

Elected Judges: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

February 23rd, 2015

The vast majority of US judges are elected, forcing many judges to pander to the electorate and accept campaign money in order to keep their jobs. This seems slightly troubling…

alt-right

Trump to begin publishing weekly list of immigrant crimes; Hitler did the same with Jewish people

Uncategorized

The List

January 21st, 2017 — Day of Women's March Trump brought a group of 40 cheerleaders to a meeting with the CIA to cheer for him during a speech that consisted almost entirely of framing himself as the victim of dishonest press. ...

Hypocrisy

After just two weeks on the job, President Trump to go on Florida vacation costing taxpayers $3 million

It's drawing the same scrutiny Trump and other Republicans heaped upon former President Obama, even though he had less vacation days than George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan did.

Fact Check

Philadelphia Mayor Criticizes Trump “False Comments”

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney debunked President Donald Trump’s comments Thursday about the city’s crime rates, adding that the commander-in-chief’s “false comments were an insult to the men and women of the Philadelphia police force.”

War

“Doomsday Clock” Ticks Closest to Midnight Since 1950s

January 28th, 2017

Humanity is edging nearer to destruction, according to the “Doomsday Clock.” The “clock” is now at two-and-a-half minutes to midnight (representing the destruction of Earth), the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said in its annual announcement.

Immigration

Trump Executive Order Could Block 500,000 Legal U.S. Residents From Returning From Trips Abroad

January 28th, 2017

Since the order’s travel ban applies to all “aliens” — a term that encompasses anyone who isn’t an American citizen — it could bar those with current visas or even green cards from returning to the U.S. from trips abroad.

Healthcare

Trump's actions on health care law threaten to undermine insurance markets

January 28th, 2017

The move, which comes just days ahead of an enrollment deadline for health plans under the health care law, follows Trump's executive order last weekend in which he suggested his administration wouldn't implement rules crucial to sustaining viable markets.

Latest Video

Humor

Hasan Piker takes on Tomi Lahren's #WomensMarch rant

January 27th, 2017

A righteous takedown of the hot garbage spewed by Tomi Lahren, an opportunist conservative mouthpiece who carefully directs fake outrage at things she knows will get her notoriety. An entire career built on complaining about other people complaining.

Video

Samantha Bee mocks President Trump’s lackluster inaugural weekend

So far this week, our new overlord has torn up treaties, taken the first steps toward a Muslim ban, ordered the construction of his dumbass wall and threatened to invade Chicago like his own little Crimea. Dress rehearsal is over guys, the tragedy has begun.

January 26th, 2017

Video

Trump's False Claims and Executive Orders: A Closer Look

Seth Meyers takes a closer look at the false claims President Trump repeated during his first national TV interview.

January 26th, 2017

Video

PPP Poll: President Donald Trump's Base Deluded By False Facts

Rachel Maddow gives an exclusive first look at the latest PPP poll showing Donald Trump with historically low approval ratings and that most Americans do not believe his lies about inauguration numbers, though his supporters do.

January 26th, 2017

Latest News

Humor

Mark Cuban Takes The Gloves Off: Donald Trump Edition

July 20th, 2016

"Hey Donald, your companies fail so often, you must have gone to business school at Trump University."

Humor

Trump University: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

November 29th, 2016

Keith Olbermann

The One Crucial Question Trump Refuses to Answer

January 17th, 2017

Humor

Ayn Rand - How Is This Still A Thing?

October 9th, 2014

Ayn Rand, author of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead," is still kind of a thing. How?

Keith Olbermann

Trump’s Devious Plan to Destroy the White House Press Corps

January 18th, 2017

Humor

The NRA Endorses Trump: A Closer Look

May 23rd, 2016

The Wire

Media

Inside the War Between Trump and the Media

January 28th, 2017

The last time there was such a level of neurotic fixation and overwhelming distrust between a president and the press was during the Nixon administration.

Betsy DeVos

Charter Schools: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

August 21st, 2016

Charter schools are privately run, publicly funded, and irregularly regulated. John Oliver explores why they aren’t at all like pizzerias.

Humor

Trump's "Hamilton" Feud Distracts from Conflicts of Interest: A Closer Look

November 21st, 2016

Seth Meyers takes a closer look at Donald Trump deflecting questions about his foreign business ties and conflicts of interests by picking a fight with a Broadway musical.