In the final Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses, there were fewer candidates — only six — but more than a few false, misleading and exaggerated claims.
FactChecking the January Democratic Debate
Locations: National
Bloomberg, Trump Spar on Preexisting Conditions
Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg charged in a TV ad that President Trump had “broken” a “promise” to protect those with preexisting conditions. Trump fired back that he “saved Pre-Existing Conditions.” In fact, Trump backed plans that would have weakened current protections.
Trump Takes Undue Credit for Cancer Progress
President Donald Trump boasted of the lowest cancer death rate on record, and implied that his administration was responsible for the achievement. While he’s right about the statistic, the improved death rate is the result of decades-long efforts on cancer prevention, detection and treatment.
Amid Military Tension, Meme Misdates Soldiers’ Deaths
A meme circulating on Facebook displays photos of five U.S. soldiers that purportedly were killed “this Tuesday in Afghanistan.” Actually, they died in 2013 and there was a sixth soldier killed in the same incident who isn’t included in the meme.
‘Satire’ Misinforms on Impeachment Witnesses
A bogus claim that Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House intelligence committee, paid impeachment witnesses “over $40 million” to testify is circulating online. That claim actually originated on a self-described satire website.
Warning: Census ‘Security Alert’ Is a Hoax
Posts circulating on Facebook falsely claim that people posing as “officials” from the “Department of Home Affairs” are going door-to-door to confirm “that everyone has a valid ID” for the 2020 census. The Census Bureau says this is a hoax.
False Story Furthers Claim About Dem Defectors
A made-up story that claims four Democratic senators are switching their party affiliation because of the impeachment is circulating on Facebook. But the story originated on a site that describes its content as satire.
Facebook Posts Mislead on Bloomberg Donation
Misleading Facebook posts accuse former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg of “bribing” House Democrats by offering a donation “if they vote to impeach” President Donald Trump. In fact, Bloomberg is a major Democratic donor who has given to this committee before.
FactChecking the December Democratic Debate
It was a less-crowded stage for a still-crowded field.
Video: Hearst on Trump’s Letter to Pelosi
Hearst TV’s WCVB 5, in Boston, aired a segment on our annotation of President Donald Trump’s Dec. 17 letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the impeachment vote.