There were some new clashes, and plenty of claims we’ve heard before, as seven Republican candidates faced off in California.
FactChecking the Second GOP Primary Debate
Issues: fentanyl
FactChecking Tim Scott’s Presidential Campaign Announcement
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina announced on May 22 that he will seek the Republican nomination for president in 2024. We reviewed his speech — and an exclusive NBC News interview he did shortly after — and found that he made a few claims that were false, misleading or lacked important context.
FactChecking the House Speaker Election
There were some factual missteps in several nominating speeches by lawmakers as Rep. Kevin McCarthy repeatedly fell short of the votes needed to become speaker of the House.
Ad Misleads on Percentage Increase in Fentanyl Seizures Under Biden
The overall increase in fentanyl seized at the southwest border under President Joe Biden is nowhere near as high as a Republican ad misleadingly claims. U.S. border officials seized 13,021 pounds of the drug in Biden’s first full 15 months in office, which is 70% more than the 7,677 pounds seized in Donald Trump’s last full 15 months as president.
Analyzing Republican Attacks on Biden for Increase in Fentanyl Seized
U.S. border officials reported seizing 10,856 pounds of fentanyl being smuggled across the southwest border in fiscal year 2021, a 132% increase from fiscal year 2020. Some Republicans have misleadingly suggested that the amount of drugs seized is a negative development attributable to the immigration policies of President Joe Biden.