Washington Post

The Fact Checker is the fact-checking column of The Washington Post in the United States. It rates claims with Pinocchios.

Checked by Washington Post7 Sep 2023United States Health

Ron DeSantis, Florida governor (R)

“I know a lady in Florida named Penny. She survived multiple abortion attempts. She was left discarded in a pan. Fortunately, her grandmother saved her and brought her to a different hospital.”

Washington Post rated this: Cannot be verified

Washington Post says: Newspaper accounts and interviews tell a different story

Checked by Washington Post6 Sep 2023United States Economy and jobs

James Comer, Member of Congress (R-Ky.)

“Joe Biden was using a pseudonym and he copied his son about a shady, shady transaction where Joe Biden was going to leverage American tax dollars to save his son’s butt.”

Washington Post rated this: Four Pinocchios

Washington Post says: The prosecutor had already been fired.

Checked by Washington Post31 Aug 2023United States Health

Joe Biden, U.S. president

“My Grandpop Biden, who died very young -- he was -- died in the hospital I was born in six days before I was there.”

Washington Post rated this: Not plausible

Washington Post says: Biden’s paternal grandfather, Joseph H. Biden, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital on Sept. 26, 1941. Biden was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Scranton, Pa., on Nov. 20, 1942, 14 months later.

Checked by Washington Post30 Aug 2023United States War and conflict

James Comer, Member of Congress (R-Ky.)

“They [Burisma] were wanting to enter into the U.S. energy market through an IPO, and they felt like they couldn’t conduct an initial public offering if they were under investigation for corruption in Ukraine. So that’s what it all pertained to. That’s where the supposed bribe happened … They also wanted to buy an existing energy company, and I believe it was in Texas.”

Washington Post rated this: Details don't match

Washington Post says: The "Texas" company was Ukrainian.

Checked by Washington Post25 Aug 2023United States Climate and environment

Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur and GOP presidential hopeful

“The climate change agenda is a hoax … The reality is more people are dying of bad climate change policies than they are of actual climate change.”

Washington Post rated this: Four Pinocchios

Washington Post says: His math doesn't add up

Checked by Washington Post25 Aug 2023United States

Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur

“I did not grow up in money.”

Washington Post rated this: Mostly False

Washington Post says: He grew up in an upper middle-class family

Checked by Washington Post24 Aug 2023United States

Matt Wallace, Social media influencer

“Joe Biden just fell asleep in the middle of his meeting with victims of the Maui fires”

Washington Post rated this: Four Pinocchios

Washington Post says: The video was manipulated

Checked by Washington Post17 Aug 2023United States Economy and jobs

James Comer, Member of Congress (R-Ky.)

“We’ve identified about 20-plus shell companies that the Bidens have created to launder the money they were receiving from foreign nationals down to their personal bank account.”

Washington Post rated this: Three Pinocchios

Washington Post says: Most of these companies are not shell companies

Checked by Washington Post16 Aug 2023United States

Donald Trump, former U.S. president

“So corrupt, Willis got caught hiding a relationship with a gang member she was prosecuting.”

Washington Post rated this: False

Washington Post says: The ad hints at an intimate relationship but there was none -- and she was not prosecuting him.

Checked by Washington Post11 Aug 2023United States

Thomas Tuberville, Senator (R-Ala.)

“Tuberville lives in Auburn, Alabama, with his wife Suzanne.”

Washington Post rated this: In doubt

Washington Post says: Campaign finance reports and roperty documents indicate that his home is actually a $3 million, 4,000-square-foot beach house he owns in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

Checked by Washington Post2 Aug 2023United States

Joe Biden, Presidential candidate

“My son has not made money in terms of this thing about, what are you talking about, China.”

Washington Post rated this: Four Pinocchios

Washington Post says: His son admitted in court in 2023 this was false

Checked by Washington Post28 Jul 2023United States Economy and jobs

Donald Trump, former US president

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opposed my China tariffs — the ones where I gave farmers $28 billion.”

Washington Post rated this: Four Pinocchios

Washington Post says: This is an invented dispute

Checked by Washington Post28 Jul 2023United States

Tommy Tuberville, Senator (R-Ala.)

“My father "drove a tank through the streets of Paris when the U.S. forces liberated the city.”

Washington Post rated this: False

Washington Post says: His father was 90 miles from Paris at the time.

Checked by Washington Post28 Jul 2023United States Science and technology

Mark Green, Member of Congress (R-Tenn.)

“The numbers are not going down. CBP’s One app shell game, not releasing the OFO numbers, moving the numbers from crossing over to the ports of entry and then getting automatic parole to those individuals.”

Washington Post rated this: False

Washington Post says: The OFO numbers are being published

Checked by Washington Post10 Jun 2023United States

Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

“By our estimates, 75 percent of late fees —$9 billion — have no purpose beyond padding the credit card companies’ profits.”

Washington Post rated this: Not the whole story

Washington Post says: We dug deep but the math doesn't add up

Checked by Washington Post10 Jun 2023United States

Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor

“How are we supposed to get our girls used to the fact that biological boys are in their locker rooms? And then we wonder why a third of our teenage girls seriously contemplated suicide last year.”

Washington Post rated this: Four Pinocchios

Washington Post says: There is no evidence of a link

Checked by Washington Post1 Jun 2023United States Politics and government

Donald Trump, former U.S. president

“I will sign an executive order making clear to federal agencies that under the correct interpretation of the law, going forward, the future children of illegal aliens will not receive automatic U.S. citizenship.”

Washington Post rated this: Legal experts disagree

Washington Post says: The court are unlikely to look with favor on an executive order

Checked by Washington Post31 May 2023United States Politics and government

Kevin McCarthy, House Speaker (R-Calif.)

“This also is the largest cut that Congress has ever voted on, more than $2.1 trillion.”

Washington Post rated this: Three Pinocchios

Washington Post says: Under no metric does this deal rank as the biggest

Checked by Washington Post24 May 2023United States War and conflict

Tim Scott, Senator (R-S.C.)

“Hundreds of people on our terrorist watch list are crossing our borders.”

Washington Post rated this: Two Pinocchios

Washington Post says: Scott framed this as happening on the southern border but most encounters -- which were not crossings -- were on the northern border

Checked by Washington Post22 May 2023United States Politics and government

MAGA Inc., pro-Trump group

“In Congress, Ron DeSantis backed a national sales tax — a 23 percent tax hike on almost everything you buy.”

Washington Post rated this: Two Pinocchios

Washington Post says: The ad attacks DeSantis but Trump also expressed support for the FairTax