We found some factual distortions in the first debate round of the two-night affair.
FactChecking the First 2020 Democratic Debate
Stories by Jessica McDonald
SciCheck Editor
Trump’s Campaign Kickoff Claims
In launching his reelection campaign, President Donald Trump said, “Nobody’s done what we have done in two and a half years.” However, we found his speech was filled with familiar false, misleading and exaggerated statements about his record on jobs, military spending, veterans, energy and more.
Trump Bungles Climate Change in UK
During a trip to the United Kingdom, President Donald Trump once again expressed skepticism about climate change, making several false or misleading statements in a television interview on “Good Morning Britain” with host Piers Morgan.
Steve King’s Climate Change Rainfall Claims
In a recent town hall, Iowa Rep. Steve King focused on the positives of climate change, inaccurately stating that increased evaporation under higher temperatures will lead to rain in “more and more places” — a result that’s “surely gotta shrink the deserts and expand the green growth.”
The Facts on Fuel Economy Standards
We unpack the complicated and contentious world of fuel economy standards, and explain why some experts aren’t buying some of the Trump administration’s arguments for why stricter Obama-era standards should be loosened.
What the Mueller Report Says About Obstruction
In the hours after the public release of the redacted report from special counsel Robert S. Mueller, President Donald Trump took to Twitter with a message that reads, in part, “NO OBSTRUCTION!” That’s not at all what the Mueller report says, though.
Trump’s Faulty Wind Power Claims
During an April 2 speech to the National Republican Congressional Committee, President Donald Trump once again attacked wind power, falsely claiming that noise from turbines causes cancer and that turbines sink property values by 75 percent. Both claims are unsubstantiated.
Trump’s Great Lakes Whoppers
Falsely declaring that he has “always” been a supporter of the Great Lakes, President Donald Trump announced that he would fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative with $300 million, telling a Michigan crowd he would finally get done something they “have been trying to get for over 30 years.”
Kentucky Governor Misguides on Chickenpox
In the midst of a chickenpox outbreak in his state, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin said that he had not vaccinated any of his children against the disease, choosing instead to purposely expose his kids to an infected person to get the chickenpox — a practice that public health officials say is dangerous.
How Much Will the ‘Green New Deal’ Cost?
Since the ambitious and controversial Green New Deal debuted last month, Republicans and Democrats have sparred over the cost of the resolution, sometimes erring in their descriptions of the proposal and the costs of climate action and inaction.