On Inauguration Day, we provide a look at various metrics on the state of the country at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.
What President Trump Inherits, Part 2
Stories by Robert Farley
Deputy Director, FactCheck.org
Biden’s Familiar Talking Points in Final Remarks
In his farewell address to the nation and in other recent remarks, President Joe Biden has repeated claims that are misleading or need additional context.
Competing Claims on California Fire Budget
On social media, President-elect Donald Trump amplified a claim that California Gov. Gavin Newsom slashed the state’s fire budget by $100 million just months before the outbreak of the recent wildfires. Newsom dismissed the claim as “a ridiculous lie,” saying that under his leadership, the state has “nearly doubled” its fire protection budget. Actually, both things are true.
Trump’s Blame Claims About Wildfire Response
As wildfires continued to rage in Southern California, President-elect Donald Trump took to social media with several false and misleading claims casting blame on California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, and President Joe Biden.
Congress Not Proposing to Give Itself 40% Raise
Elon Musk, who has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead a committee to ferret out government waste, wrongly posted to X that members of Congress are trying to vote themselves a 40% raise. The maximum possible raise in 2025 would be 3.8%, not 40%.
Whoppers of 2024
Our annual roundup of the worst falsehoods of the year.
FactChecking Trump’s ‘Meet the Press’ Interview
In his first post-election, sit-down broadcast interview, President-elect Donald Trump outlined his priorities for a second term. But in the interview, Trump continued to repeat inaccurate information related to immigration, crime, trade, health care and the election.
What Biden Left Out of Pardon Statement
On Dec. 1, President Joe Biden provided a blanket pardon for his son Hunter for any potential crimes committed over nearly an 11-year period. In the statement Biden provided to justify his reversal of position, he left out a few inconvenient facts.
Trump’s Agenda: Deportation
On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly vowed to begin “the largest deportation program in American history.” How exactly he plans to carry that out, and how many he ultimately intends to deport, remains unclear.
Trump Makes Unsupported Claim About ‘Massive CHEATING’ in Philadelphia
Former President Donald Trump posted to social media an unsupported claim about “massive CHEATING” in Philadelphia, which he claimed had drawn the attention of law enforcement. The Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia district attorney, a Republican city council member and the Pennsylvania Department of State all refuted the claim.