There were multiple official and unofficial Republican responses to President Obama’s State of the Union address, but only a few instances of the president’s critics stretching the facts.
FactChecking the GOP Responses
Tag: Presidential Election 2016
A Tale of Two Jobs Numbers
Rick Perry, in his last official speech as Texas governor, mixed and matched jobs data to embellish the state’s job gains.
Scott Walker’s Education Boast
Gov. Scott Walker says his state’s “ACT scores are up and Wisconsin now ranks second in the country.” But scores are not up, and the state’s national ranking is misleading.
Unspinning Christie’s State of the State
In his State of the State address, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie exaggerated some figures and boasted about progress that doesn’t look so impressive when compared with national trends.
Is Cuba a ‘Leading’ Sponsor of Terrorism?
Sen. Ted Cruz condemned President Obama’s announcement that he would normalize relations with Cuba, calling the communist country “a leading state sponsor of terrorism.” That’s a stretch, to say the least.
The Santorum File
Rick Santorum has announced he will run again for president in 2016. This is our report on some of the false or misleading remarks he has made over the years.
Spinning Immigration Data
President Obama exaggerated when talking about declines in illegal border crossings, and Republican Rick Santorum made a misleading claim about the foreign-born population in the United States.
Obama and Cruz Clash on Immigration
President Obama and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz made seemingly conflicting statements about public opinion on the president’s plan to address immigration issues in the U.S.
Biden’s Boasts
Vice President Joe Biden went too far in boasts about job growth and deficit reduction.
Rick Perry’s Talking Point on Defense Cuts
Rick Perry says the U.S. is at risk because “our spending on defense has declined 21 percent over four years.” But that includes war funding, which has sharply declined now that U.S. combat troops are out of Iraq and leaving Afghanistan.