This week’s rundown of repeated claims includes former President Bill Clinton, Sen. Jeff Sessions and President Barack Obama, in addition to the presidential candidates and one of the running mates.
Groundhog Friday
Person: Bill Clinton
Video: FactCheck and PBS NewsHour
FactCheck.org Director Eugene Kiely talks with PBS NewsHour Digital Politics Editor Daniel Bush about some of the false and misleading claims made on the second day of the Democratic National Convention.
Video: Day 2 of DNC Convention
FactCheck.org Director Eugene Kiely discusses our fact-checking of the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
FactChecking Day 2 of the DNC
Misleading claims at the convention touched on health care, approval ratings and incarceration.
Does Obama Want a Higher Pension?
No. Obama requested an additional $588,000 in FY2017 to cover pensions and other costs for four former presidents plus “new spending for new former President Barack Obama.”
Bill Clinton’s Economic Exaggerations
Former President Bill Clinton — who will be called upon to help revitalize the U.S. economy if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency — made two inaccurate economic claims in a recent speech in Kentucky.
The Clinton Furniture Flap
Q: Did Bill and Hillary Clinton return furniture they took from the White House in 2001?
A: Yes. The Clintons returned more than $28,000 worth of items, which, they said, they thought were personal gifts given to them and not to the White House.
Bill Clinton and the 1994 Crime Bill
Bill Clinton overstated the effect of the crime bill he signed in 1994 when he said, “because of that bill we had a 25-year low in crime, a 33-year low in the murder rate.” Independent analyses found it had a modest effect on crime rates.
Clinton Wrong on Garland Vote
Former President Bill Clinton mistakenly claimed that President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals by a “97 to nothing” vote. The Senate voted 76-23 to confirm Garland.
Ted Cruz on Deportations
Sen. Ted Cruz claimed at the Dec. 15 Republican presidential debate that 12 million people were deported under President Clinton and 10 million people under George W. Bush. But those figures are inflated.