In the waning days of his campaign, former President Donald Trump has further embraced some of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s incorrect or controversial views on health, including vaccines and fluoride.
Trump Embraces RFK Jr.’s Views on Vaccines, Fluoride
SciCheck
FactCheck.org’s SciCheck feature focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy. It was launched in January 2015 with a grant from the Stanton Foundation. The foundation was founded by the late Frank Stanton, president of CBS for 25 years, from 1946 to 1971.
Harris vs. Trump on Climate Change
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have starkly different track records on climate change. To shed light on the two candidates’ climate agendas, we sorted through their campaign materials and recent statements on the campaign trail.
Florida’s 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance Misunderstands, Distorts Existing Science
An abundance of evidence indicates the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are remarkably safe and work well to protect against severe disease. But last month, the state of Florida issued updated vaccine guidance advising “against the use” of the shots entirely — even for people who are older and at higher risk of severe disease. Experts say the advice is ill-informed and “illogical.”
Q&A on the 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccines
Updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting JN.1-lineage omicron variants of the coronavirus are now available in the U.S. for the fall and winter seasons. Here we answer common questions about the latest vaccines.
Baseless Claims Proliferate on Hurricanes and Weather Modification
Experts say people cannot create or meaningfully alter hurricanes through existing weather modification techniques. That has not stopped a deluge of social media posts baselessly claiming or implying that Hurricanes Helene and Milton were intentionally created, steered or otherwise controlled by someone.
Posts Sharing Mpox Misinformation Recycle Claims from Prior Viral Outbreaks
Responding to rising mpox cases in Africa, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on Aug. 14. Social media posts subsequently repeated a plethora of false or baseless claims, including that COVID-19 vaccines cause the viral disease or that the current outbreak is part of a global conspiracy.
Q&A on the Second International Mpox Emergency
Case numbers for the global mpox outbreak have decreased since 2022, but the situation in Africa has noticeably worsened. On Aug. 14, the World Health Organization once again declared an mpox public health emergency of international concern. Here, we answer questions about the current increase in mpox cases, the international public health emergency and what this means for people in Africa and globally.
Trump Clings to Inaccurate Climate Change Talking Points
Former President Donald Trump, who has famously called climate change a “hoax” for many years, hasn’t used the word lately with respect to climate change. But he still clings to some similar arguments, and other claims he makes about climate change haven’t changed much over the years.
Trump Revives — and Further Decreases — His Absurdly Low Estimate of Sea Level Rise
On the campaign trail this summer, former President Donald Trump has routinely cast doubt on climate change by falsely claiming that the oceans will rise just “one-eighth of an inch over the next 400 years.” He’s previously used the same measurement over a period of 250 years. In fact, the current rate of sea level rise is already a little more than one-eighth of an inch each year.
Bird Flu Pandemic Preparedness Activities Are Not Evidence of a Conspiracy
The circulation of H5N1 bird flu in animals and limited infections in humans have motivated flu preparedness activities, such as stockpiling vaccines. Social media posts have baselessly implied that these efforts are evidence that a new laboratory-derived version of the virus is going to cause a pandemic — or even that there is a conspiracy to release bird flu from a lab.