For the second time, President Donald Trump delivered a State of the Union address peppered with false, misleading and exaggerated statements — many that we’ve heard before.
Video: Trump’s SOTU Address
FactChecking Stacey Abrams’ SOTU Response
Stacey Abrams, in the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, presented a distorted picture of the U.S. economy since the Republican-backed tax bill became law.
Hoyer Inflates CBO’s Shutdown Cost Estimate
The partial government shutdown will reduce real GDP by $3 billion, on net, the CBO estimates. At least twice, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has said CBO put the cost at $11 billion, neglecting to explain that the agency figures the economy will regain $8 billion of that this year.
More Voter Fraud Misinformation from Trump
President Trump wrongly claims that “58,000 non-citizens voted in Texas.” That’s based on the state’s efforts to match driver’s license and state ID card applications from noncitizens to voter registration rolls. But none of those on the lists have been confirmed as noncitizen voters.
Harris’ Campaign Kickoff Claims
Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris made a few false and misleading claims in two events that kicked off her 2020 presidential campaign.
Trump’s Pointless Job Boast
President Donald Trump lamented that the “media barely covers” the fact there are “More people working in U.S.A. today than at any time in our HISTORY.” It’s probably because, with the U.S. population increasing every day, the statistic is fairly pointless as a measure of economic success.
Sanders’ Tweet on Retirement Savings
Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted that “more than half of older workers have no retirement savings.” But that figure includes retirees, not just “older workers,” and does not include workers with pension plans.
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’?
In this fact-checking segment, CNN’s Jake Tapper reviews Vice President Mike Pence’s claim that “ISIS has been defeated.”
Examining Shutdown Claims from Democrats
The weekslong partial government shutdown has led to around 800,000 federal employees not working or working without pay. It also has led to some false or questionable claims from Democrats about the shutdown’s impact on a host of federal services.