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
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
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
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.”
Trump’s Dubious Drought Claims
Donald Trump suggests “there is no drought” in California because the state has “plenty of water.” He promises “to start opening up the water,” and he says he’ll “get it done quick.” But there is a drought, and we explain why there is no “quick” solution.
Lawyers Group Not ‘Pro-Mexican’
Donald Trump claimed that a federal judge presiding over a civil lawsuit against Trump University is a “member of a club or society very strongly pro-Mexican.” That’s an inaccurate description of a group for Latino lawyers and law students in San Diego.
Trump Wrong on Iraqi Oil
Donald Trump falsely claimed Iran is “taking over the oil” in Iraq. Experts told us Iran does not control any Iraqi oil fields, and we could find no evidence of it.
Sanders’ Shaky Turnout Claim
Bernie Sanders claims that “Democrats win when the voter turnout is high” and “Republicans win when the voter turnout is low.” But past voter turnout numbers and research on what could happen with higher turnout don’t support such a definitive statement.
Obama Oversells U.S. Economy
In a recent speech, President Obama criticized Republicans for making claims about the economy and health care that are “not supported by the facts.” But Obama resorted to some spin of his own.
Partisan Spin on Clinton’s Emails
The State Department inspector general’s report on Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email system while secretary of state had members in both parties spinning the facts to score partisan points this election season.