An ad from the campaign of Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska features a mother whose 22-year-old son died from fentanyl and who claims Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola took contributions from “liberals [who] opened our borders to the drug cartels” and then “voted with them against securing our border.” But the ad leaves out several important points of context.
Stories by Robert Farley
Trump’s Numbers, October 2026 Update
Alaska Ad Criticizing Sullivan’s Votes Leaves Out Context, Makes False Suggestion
An ad from a Democratic-aligned super PAC claims Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan “voted to raise Alaskans’ healthcare costs by $1,800 and on that same day voted to give himself a $500,000 taxpayer-funded payout.” But that’s not the whole story, and the ad leaves the false impression that Sullivan received that money.
Misleading GOP Attacks Over Taxes on Tips, Overtime, Social Security
In congressional races around the country, Democrats find themselves under attack in political ads for allegedly opposing the popular tax cuts for tips, overtime and older Americans that were part of Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Many of the candidates themselves say they support those particular provisions.
Experts Question the White House’s Defense of Taxpayer-Funded Ads
The White House has defended three taxpayer-funded advertisements featuring President Donald Trump by comparing them to ads that were paid for by past presidential administrations. But some legal experts have said the Trump White House commercials are political messages intended to influence the 2026 midterms and may violate U.S. laws, including a prohibition against using federal funds for propaganda.
Trump’s Ban of News Organizations Goes Beyond Obama, Biden Actions
FactChecking Day Two of the GOP Midterm Convention
Vice President JD Vance gave the keynote address on the second night of the Republican midterm convention, which also featured Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson and a final send-off from President Donald Trump. Here’s what we found in fact-checking their remarks:
FactChecking Trump’s Midterm Convention Speech
Ad Attacking N.C. Republican Senate Candidate Uses His Own (Dated) Words Against Him
In his campaign’s latest TV ad, Democratic Senate candidate Roy Cooper of North Carolina highlights the issue of affordability using direct quotes from his Republican opponent. They are, in fact, direct quotes from Michael Whatley — but they are a bit dated, and some of the comments were more defensible or true at the time when Whatley made them.
Ad Attacking Cooper Makes False Connection to Murder
An ad from a super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley features a heart-wrenching testimonial from the father of a woman who was murdered in 2025. The ad falsely implies the accused murderer was one of the prisoners released during the COVID-19 pandemic when Whatley’s Democratic opponent, Roy Cooper, was governor of North Carolina. Cooper had nothing to do with the accused murderer’s release.









