In the lead-up to Donald Trump’s immigration address on Tuesday night, fact-checking was front and center.
After major networks decided to air the speech, media critics quickly called on them to do live fact-checking — which (Poynter-owned) PolitiFact explained more deeply in a Twitter thread. BuzzFeed News shied away from fact-checking altogether, instead opting to preempt Trump by publishing stories about the U.S.-Mexico border. And after U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) questioned how fact-checkers produce their verdicts, fact-checkers had a high-profile discussion about how their jobs work. (More on that in our fact-checking newsletter tomorrow.)
And, as fact-checkers always do during major political events, there was a lot of debunking going on.
The Washington Post Fact Checker published a cheat sheet before Trump even took the podium. PolitiFact reporters live fact-checked the speech. And the Associated Press published a myriad of pieces about the occasion — including one tweet that attracted the ire of Twitter users.
Below is a sample of the coverage that independent American fact-checkers have done related to Trump’s immigration address, with verdicts in line where applicable. Have another fact check you think we should include, or something you’re unsure is true? Email dfunke@poynter.org.
AP Fact Check
Trump and the disputed border crisis
Do ex-presidents back Trump wall? They say no
Trump’s mythical terrorist tide from Mexico
Trump’s false claim about drug smuggling
Visa overstays outpace border crossings
Defending border wall, Trump misstates facts
Trump’s political spin on migrant deaths
Factcheck.org
FactChecking Trump’s Immigration Address
Misleading Border Crime Statistic
Democratic Spin on Border Security Funds
False Claim of Immigrant Children Deaths Under Obama
PolitiFact
Live fact-checking President Donald Trump’s immigration address
No, Mexico isn’t paying for border wall through USMCA trade deal, despite Donald Trump’s claims
Verdict: False
No, 18 children didn’t die in U.S. border protection custody under Obama
Verdict: Pants on Fire
Snopes
Verdict: Mixture
Did Ted Nugent Announce a ‘Build the Wall’ Benefit Concert?
Verdict: False
Were 17,000 ‘Criminal Aliens’ and 6,000 MS-13 Gang Members Arrested in 2018?
Verdict: Mixture
Did Illegal Border Traffic Drop by 90% in Areas Where Physical Barriers Were Expanded?
Verdict: Unproven
Did These Politicians Build Walls Around Their Homes?
Verdict: Mixture
Did Nancy Pelosi Offer a Border Wall in Exchange for a Full Gun Ban?
Verdict: False
The Washington Post Fact Checker
Fact-checking President Trump’s Oval Office address on immigration
Your fact-checking cheat sheet for Trump’s immigration address
President Trump’s nonsensical claim that Mexico is paying for the wall
Verdict: Four Pinocchios
The Trump administration’s misleading spin on immigration, crime and terrorism
Verdict: Three Pinocchios
