Inside Trump's plan to expand detention facilities

Inside Trump's plan to expand detention facilities

No, Hurricane Irma can't be a Category 6 storm

No, Hurricane Irma can't be a Category 6 storm

Clinton Foundation not charging $7/water bottle to Houston

Clinton Foundation not charging $7/water bottle to Houston

So what is the debt ceiling all about anyway?

So what is the debt ceiling all about anyway?

Rulings from PolitiFact National

"President (Ronald) Reagan did a similar thing. George H.W. Bush did a similar order" ... — Al Franken
"We have over a million (legal immigrants) a year, more than at any time ... — Rick Santorum
Says President Barack Obama’s policy known as DACA "contributed to a surge of minors ... — Jeff Sessions
In addition to his compensation as a judge, "Roy Moore and his wife (paid ... — Senate Leadership Fund
Says video shows Mike Pence quoting the Bible as justification for "Congress not to ... — Liberal Bloggers
"We stopped traffic coming through -- 78 percent." — Donald Trump
"Two-thirds of the (Hurricane Sandy relief) bill had nothing to do with Sandy." — Ted Cruz
"I think what the authors of the (25th) Amendment principally had in mind was ... — Adam Schiff
Says his conviction is "a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice ... — Joe Arpaio
Photo shows a shark swimming on a freeway in Houston. — Bloggers
Says Kelli Ward hosted a town hall on "chemtrail conspiracy theories" and is open ... — Senate Leadership Fund
"We’ve got dozens of counties around America that have zero insurers left." — Paul Ryan
"We have become an energy exporter for the first time ever just recently." — Donald Trump
"There aren't too many people outside protesting" his speech at the Phoenix Convention Center. — Donald Trump
Says Sen. Jon Tester "believes that we should have a national registration so that ... — Matthew Rosendale

The Latest from PunditFact

Pants on Fire!

Counts veterinarians as scientists

Bloggers

"30,000 scientists have come forward confirming that man-made climate change is a hoax perpetuated by the elite in order to make money."

— PunditFact on Friday, September 8th, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Story comes from Christian satire site

Babylon Bee

"ISIS Lays Down Arms After Katy Perry’s Impassioned Plea To ‘Like, Just Co-Exist’"

— PunditFact on Friday, September 8th, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Fake projection

Bloggers

"Computer models show Irma destroying New York City on Sept. 10."

— PunditFact on Thursday, September 7th, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Satirical post

OurLandOfTheFree.com

OurLandOfTheFree.com

The Clinton Foundation is sending water to Houston "for $7 a bottle."

— PunditFact on Wednesday, September 6th, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Scale stops at Category 5

Bloggers

"Hurricane Irma could be a Category 6 by the time it hits East Coast."

— PunditFact on Wednesday, September 6th, 2017

Pants on Fire!

This claim is a monster

Bloggers

Says Lady Gaga was arrested after a confrontation with First Lady Melania Trump.

— PunditFact on Wednesday, September 6th, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Fake forecast

Bloggers

Hurricane Irma is "predicted to come through Mexico, hit us and everything in between up to Houston."

— PunditFact on Friday, September 1st, 2017

Pants on Fire!

From a military-themed satirical website

Bloggers

"Navy destroyer strikes a building in downtown Houston."

— PunditFact on Friday, September 1st, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Still fake news

Bloggers

Says Manny Pacquiao, Usain Bolt and Princes William and Harry have donated tens of millions of dollars to Hurricane Harvey victims.

— PunditFact on Friday, September 1st, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Website pretends to be a real media outlet

HoustonChronicle-tv.com

HoustonChronicle-tv.com

"Floyd Mayweather Jr. donates a whopping sum of money to Houston after hurricane."

— PunditFact on Wednesday, August 30th, 2017

Mostly False

Commuted, didn't pardon

Pavlich

Says former President Barack Obama "pardoned a traitor who gave U.S. enemies state secrets, he also pardoned a terrorist who killed Americans."

— PunditFact on Wednesday, August 30th, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Photo illustration shows LaGuardia scenario

Bloggers

Photo shows severe flooding at a Houston airport.

— PunditFact on Tuesday, August 29th, 2017

False

More attempts to draw in readers with fake quotes

Bloggers

Says Adam Sandler said "Mormons are some of the most decent people I’ve ever come across."

— PunditFact on Tuesday, August 29th, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Parody site is trolling conservatives

OurLandOfTheFree.com

OurLandOfTheFree.com

"President (Donald) Trump pardons Kim Davis."

— PunditFact on Monday, August 28th, 2017

Pants on Fire!

Photo is from 2015

Bloggers

"Obama is in Texas serving meals!"

— PunditFact on Monday, August 28th, 2017

Mostly False

The Clown Prince of Crime changes his story constantly

Tapper

Says the Joker's "Red Hood" origin story is "the true one."

— PunditFact on Friday, August 25th, 2017

False

Closer to 25 percent of Southern families

Viral image

"At the PEAK of slavery in 1860, only 1.4% of Americans owned slaves. What your history books (don't) tell you is that 3,000 blacks owned a total of 20,000 slaves the same year."

— PunditFact on Thursday, August 24th, 2017

Mostly False

Too early to call

Frum

"No president in history has imposed larger personal lifestyle costs on the taxpayer than Donald Trump."

— PunditFact on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017

Pants on Fire!

More fake details courtesy of trolls

Bloggers

Says "Barcelona terrorist" is cousins with former President Barack Obama.

— PunditFact on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017

Pants on Fire!

A fake quote, a fake child

Bloggers

"Rosa Parks’ daughter praises (President Donald) Trump’s response to Charlottesville."

— PunditFact on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017

What is PunditFact?

PunditFact is a project of the Tampa Bay Times and the Poynter Institute, dedicated to checking the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, bloggers, political analysts, the hosts and guests of talk shows, and other members of the media.

We define a pundit as someone who offers analysis or opinions on the news, particularly politics and public policy. One can engage in punditry by writing, blogging or appearing on radio or TV. A pundit is not an elected official, not a declared candidate nor anyone in an official capacity with a political party, campaign or government.

PunditFact is funded in part by $625,000 in grants over two years from the Ford Foundation and the Democracy Fund. Seed money for the project was provided by craigconnects.

Check out new After the Fact responses.

Reporters and editors from the Times fact-check statements by pundits and rate them on PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter:

TRUE – The statement is accurate and there’s nothing significant missing.

MOSTLY TRUE – The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.

HALF TRUE – The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context.

MOSTLY FALSE – The statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression.

FALSE – The statement is not accurate.

PANTS ON FIRE – The statement is not accurate and makes a ridiculous claim.

For more details, see the Principles of PolitiFact, PunditFact and the Truth-O-Meter.

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