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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Does China Pay Tariffs?

Does China Pay Tariffs?

President Donald Trump is fond of saying that China is paying the U.S. billions of dollars in increased tariffs. Not true. Tariffs are taxes paid by U.S. importers in the form of customs duties, and to some extent by U.S. consumers in the form of higher prices.

Trump’s Habit of Inflating Trade Deficits

Trump’s Habit of Inflating Trade Deficits

When asked whether he would impose tariffs on cars imported from the European Union, President Donald Trump, as he regularly does, used an inflated figure for the trade balance between the U.S. and the EU. The deficit was $101 billion for 2017, not $151 billion, as he repeatedly claims.

Trump’s Bogus ‘Catch and Release’ Statistic

Trump’s Bogus ‘Catch and Release’ Statistic

President Donald Trump claimed — without any evidence — that only 2 percent of those apprehended crossing the border and released pending immigration hearings appear in court. Actually, administration officials put the figure at about 50 percent, while immigration experts say it is even higher.

Video: Has ISIS Been ‘Defeated’?

Video: Has ISIS Been ‘Defeated’?

In this fact-checking segment, CNN’s Jake Tapper reviews Vice President Mike Pence’s claim that “ISIS has been defeated.”

Pence’s Claim that ISIS ‘Has Been Defeated’

Pence’s Claim that ISIS ‘Has Been Defeated’

On the same day ISIS claimed responsibility for a deadly attack against U.S. service members in Syria, Vice President Mike Pence declared that ISIS “has been defeated.” It is true that the U.S. and its allies have retaken virtually all of the land ISIS controlled in Iraq and Syria, but experts say the group still has tens of thousands of fighters and remains dangerous.

Video: Criminals Arrested at Southern Border

Video: Criminals Arrested at Southern Border

In this video, CNN’s Jake Tapper breaks down a misleading claim from the Trump administration about the number of people with criminal records arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Video: FactChecking Trump’s Immigration Address

Video: FactChecking Trump’s Immigration Address

In this video, we review four statements President Donald Trump made during his national address on illegal immigration and the need for Congress to appropriate $5.7 billion for a wall along the Southwest border. 

False Claim of Immigrant Children Deaths Under Obama

False Claim of Immigrant Children Deaths Under Obama

Q: Is it accurate that “18 children died while in custody of Border Patrol” during the Obama administration?

A: No. Prior to two children’s deaths in December, it had been more than a decade since a child died while in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Trump’s Border Blunders

Trump’s Border Blunders

On the day he met with congressional leaders to discuss the budget stalemate, President Donald Trump repeated several false and misleading claims about the Southwest border and the wall he wants to build.