Former President Donald Trump’s town hall event felt like a lightning round of false and misleading claims — most of which we’ve heard before — on voter fraud, immigration, classified documents and more.
FactChecking Trump’s CNN Town Hall
Stories by Sean Christensen
Former Undergraduate Fellow, FactCheck.org
Posts Distort Possible Sentencing for Trump in Manhattan Indictment
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on April 4 to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records to conceal alleged hush money payments. Social media posts misleadingly claim Trump is “facing up to 30+ years” in prison if convicted. But legal experts said it is unlikely Trump would serve any time in prison.
Post Distorts History of Presidential Efforts to Fight Child Sex Trafficking
Efforts to stop child sex trafficking in the U.S. have been underway for decades, led by presidents including Joe Biden. But an Instagram post makes the false claims that former President Donald Trump was the first to “acknowledge that children are being sold for sex in the U.S.” and that Biden “rescinded” a Trump order addressing the problem.
Posts Distort Soros’ Comments on a DeSantis Candidacy
Billionaire George Soros said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “is likely to be the Republican candidate” in the 2024 presidential race. But social media posts edited Soros’ remarks to falsely claim he endorsed the governor. Soros’ full remarks show that he does not support DeSantis for president and that he hopes for “a Democratic landslide.”
FactChecking the State of the Union
Biden’s address to Congress included claims that didn’t tell the full story.
Magic Johnson Did Not Contract HIV from a Vaccine, Contrary to Online Claim
Since his diagnosis in 1991, NBA player Magic Johnson has repeatedly said he contracted HIV through sexual transmission. But a viral social media post by a spreader of vaccine misinformation falsely claims that Johnson was exposed to the virus from a hepatitis B vaccine.
MAGA Inc.
A super PAC affiliated with former President Donald Trump.
Our American Century
A GOP super PAC funded in part by former President Trump’s leadership PAC
Ocasio-Cortez Was Arrested at Abortion-Rights Protest, Contrary to Social Media Posts
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was one of 17 members of Congress arrested at an abortion-rights protest on July 19. But social media posts falsely claim she was “pretending to be arrested.” Capitol Police records show the arrests did occur, and the congresswoman posted the arrest paperwork on her Instagram account.
Democracy PAC/Democracy PAC II
Liberal super PACs created by billionaire George Soros to fund political organizations that help elect Democrats.