In his press conference at the United Nations, President Donald Trump defended his decision not to ask the FBI to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But his reasons for his decision did not square with the facts.
Q: Did Sen. Chuck Schumer have an affair with a 16-year-old girl?
A: No. That claim was originally made up by a self-described satirical website, but has been circulating on right-wing social media accounts as though it happened.
At a United Nations meeting, President Donald Trump claimed the U.S. “found that China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 election.” But the president offered no evidence of covert actions, such as the kind that Russia engaged in during the 2016 election.
Sen. Lindsey Graham went beyond what is publicly known about an accusation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was involved in a sexual assault as a teenager, saying “everybody named in regard to being there said it didn’t happen.”
Q: Is there a photo of former Vice President Joe Biden groping a woman’s chest?
A: No. A Christmas party photo from 2013 has been altered to appear that he did.
Two federal agencies this month took steps that would allow the oil and gas industry to release more methane, a greenhouse gas, into the environment. Critics warned that methane is more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping the Earth’s heat, but some gave wildly divergent figures to describe how much more potent.
Q: Is Christine Blasey Ford accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault as retribution for her parents’ foreclosure case in the 1990s?
A: There is no evidence to support that claim, and her parents still live in that house.
President Donald Trump on several occasions has taken credit for making Medicare “stronger.” In one instance, he said, “Medicare will be $700 billion stronger over the next decade thanks to our growth.” In fact, Medicare’s finances have worsened since he took office.
Q: Did Jennifer Lawrence link 9/11 with the election of President Trump?
A: No. There is no record of the actress ever saying the quote attributed to her.
Q: Did Shaquille O’Neal say Donald Trump is the “best president … of all times ever” and “should be given the Medal of Freedom”?
A: No. There is no record of the former basketball superstar making those comments.