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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Groundhog Friday

Groundhog Friday

Here is our latest edition of Groundhog Friday, a feature highlighting false or misleading claims that politicians have repeated. This week’s installment includes a claim that President Obama went on an international “apology tour” for the U.S.

Trump’s Baseless Assimilation Claim

Trump’s Baseless Assimilation Claim

Donald Trump made a baseless claim that assimilation among Muslim immigrants in the U.S. is “pretty close” to “nonexistent.” The Pew Research Center conducted surveys in 2011 and concluded that “Muslim Americans appear to be highly assimilated.”

Orlando Club Had Armed Security

Orlando Club Had Armed Security

Donald Trump said there were “no guns on the other side” in the mass shooting in Orlando and there would’ve been fewer deaths “if the bullets were going in the other direction.” But at least one person at the club fired at the shooter.

Trump’s ISIS Conspiracy Theory

Trump’s ISIS Conspiracy Theory

Donald Trump said a report on a conservative news site proved he was “right” in suggesting President Obama supported terrorists. It doesn’t.

NRA’s Baseless FBI Claim

NRA’s Baseless FBI Claim

The National Rifle Association executive director claimed — without offering any evidence — that the FBI was prevented from fully investigating Omar Mateen prior to his attack in Orlando because of “the Obama administration’s political correctness.”

Not Just the No-Fly List

Not Just the No-Fly List

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton criticized Republicans for rejecting a Democratic amendment that would have “block[ed] suspected terrorists from buying guns who are on the no-fly list.” But the measure went beyond the no-fly list.

Groundhog Friday

Welcome to our third installment of Groundhog Friday, an occasional feature highlighting repeat offenses. This week’s repeat offenders: Donald Trump on Libyan oil and Benghazi; President Obama on renewable energy; and Hillary Clinton on the economy.

Video: Trump’s Drought Claims

Video: Trump’s Drought Claims

This week CNN’s Jake Tapper takes a look at Donald Trump’s misleading claims about California’s drought and water management issues.

Pageants and Foreign Policy

Pageants and Foreign Policy

Hillary Clinton said that Donald Trump cited hosting the Miss Universe pageant in Russia when “asked about his foreign-policy experience.” That’s not how the exchange went.

Opposition Overreach in Virginia

Opposition Overreach in Virginia

Political attack ads all too often try to spin an opponent’s jaywalking tickets into felonies. As an example, consider Virginia Rep. Randy Forbes’ claim that his GOP primary opponent, Scott Taylor, “violated federal election law 19 times.”