As a primer for the 2024 election, here’s our guide to the top 10 falsehoods and distortions — so far — in terms of Trump’s and Biden’s propensity to repeat them.
Familiar Claims in a Familiar Presidential Race
Stories by Lori Robertson
Managing Editor, FactCheck.org
Trump’s False Claim About Roe
In a video statement outlining his position on abortion, former President Donald Trump falsely claimed that “all legal scholars, both sides, wanted and in fact demanded” that Roe v. Wade “be ended.” Legal scholars told us that was “utter nonsense” and “patently absurd.”
FactChecking RFK Jr.’s V.P. Announcement
In announcing his choice for vice president, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, made statements that were false or misleading.
FactChecking Biden’s State of the Union
His speech included misleading claims on inflation, crime, clean energy investments, wages and other subjects.
Breaking Down the Immigration Figures
Encounters on the southern border of those trying to enter the U.S. without authorization have gone up significantly under President Joe Biden. Government statistics show that in the initial processing of millions of encounters, 2.5 million people have been released into the U.S. and 2.8 million have been removed or expelled.
Trump Repeats Many Claims in Fox News Town Hall
In a Feb. 20 town hall in South Carolina that aired on Fox News, days before the state’s Republican primary, former President Donald Trump repeated several false and misleading claims we’ve fact-checked before.
Biden’s Claims About Special Counsel Report on Classified Documents Investigation
Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on his investigation of President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents concluded that “no criminal charges are warranted in this matter.” But in a press conference, Biden made several false or misleading claims concerning other details in that report.
Biden’s Job Growth Chart Ignores Impact of Pandemic
Since President Joe Biden took office, the economy has added nearly 14.8 million jobs, 5.4 million more than the pre-pandemic peak in early 2020. All told, it’s an average monthly job growth of more than 400,000. But Biden misleadingly contrasts that with a loss of jobs under former President Donald Trump — a loss that occurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden’s Numbers, January 2024 Update
Our latest quarterly look at various statistical measures during Biden’s presidency.
Trump Distorts the Facts About His New York Civil Trial
Former President Donald Trump made false and questionable claims in a brief press conference on Jan. 11 after the closing arguments in a New York civil fraud trial.