Sen. Ted Cruz set up a false bogeyman when he said the Supreme Court is “one justice away” from ordering that crosses on tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery be torn down.
Cruz & Crosses
Stories by Brooks Jackson
Director Emeritus, FactCheck.org
Mistaken Tax Facts
In an ad attacking a Republican senator, the League of Conservation Voters claims the average Wisconsin family pays $7,500 a year in federal income tax. Not so. The tax would be $724 for the family shown in the ad with the income specified by the league.
Sanders Stretches State of the Rich
Sen. Bernie Sanders claims that in the United States, “almost all of the wealth rests in the hands of the few.” He exaggerates. At most, the top 0.1 percent of U.S. families own 22 percent of the nation’s wealth.
Obama’s Numbers (July 2015 Update)
As we do every three months, we offer here a fresh update of selected statistical indicators of what has happened since Barack Obama first took the oath of office in January 2009.
Sanders’ ‘Shocking’ Senior Statistic
Sen. Bernie Sanders has repeatedly claimed that 1 in 5 seniors “live on an average income of $7,600 a year.” The reality is not quite so shocking.
Trump Tramples Facts
Real estate developer Donald Trump’s speech announcing he is running for the Republican nomination for president contained a number of false and misleading statements.
O’Malley’s Mangled Wage Statistic
Democratic presidential contender Martin O’Malley claims that “70 percent of us are earning the same or less than they were 12 years ago.” Actually, weekly paychecks for rank-and-file workers are 6.6 percent higher, even after adjusting for inflation.
Sanders Exaggerates Inequality
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders claims that “in America we now have more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on earth.” Not really.
Christie’s False Part-Timer Claim
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie claims “we’ve had a huge shift from full-time work to part-time work” under President Obama. That’s false.
‘Optimism’ That Fact-Checking Can Work
The American Press Institute published two new studies that it said are “a cause for optimism that fact checking in journalism can lead to a better-informed public.”