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FactCheck.org's Weekly Update

February 14, 2020

SciCheck

Will the New Coronavirus ‘Go Away’ in April? Posted on Thursday, February 13th, 2020

President Donald Trump suggested that the new coronavirus would “go away” in April, as temperatures warm. While some viruses are seasonal, it’s not yet clear if the new virus will follow the same pattern — and experts caution against banking on the weather to resolve the outbreak.

FactCheck Posts

Roger Stone’s Crimes Posted on Friday, February 14th, 2020

President Donald Trump has criticized the Justice Department for prosecuting the president’s longtime associate Roger Stone and recommending that Stone serve up to nine years in prison. That’s his opinion, but he falsely supports it by claiming Stone did “nothing” and “nobody even can define what he did.”

Bloomberg Misleads on Stop-And-Frisk Posted on Friday, February 14th, 2020

Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg misleadingly stated that he “cut” the police practice of stop-and-frisk — a policy that he “inherited” — by “95%” by the time he left office as mayor of New York. There were nearly twice as many stops in his last year as mayor compared with the year before he took office.

Fact-Checking Trump’s Defense for Removing Vindman Posted on Wednesday, February 12th, 2020

President Trump defended removing Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman from the National Security Council by claiming that Vindman’s “superior … publicly stated that Vindman had problems with judgement, adhering to the chain of command and leaking information.” But the latter claim leaves a false impression, and the others omit important context.

Trump Has Condemned White Supremacists Posted on Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

Former Vice President Joe Biden wrongly claimed President Donald Trump has “yet once to condemn white supremacy, the neo-Nazis.” Trump has specifically condemned white supremacists and neo-Nazis on a few occasions.

Trump Attacks Romney with Baseless Viral Claims Posted on Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

Several days after Sen. Mitt Romney was the lone Republican vote to convict President Donald Trump of abuse of power in the impeachment trial, the president used his Twitter account to spread dubious and unfounded viral claims about the Utah senator.

Video: Trump’s Misleading Post on Pelosi Ripping Up SOTU Address Posted on Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

In a misleadingly edited video, President Donald Trump falsely implied House Speaker Nancy Pelosi disrespected a Tuskegee airman and others during the State of the Union. Our video shows what actually happened.

Sanders Spins Young Voter Turnout in Iowa Posted on Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

Sen. Bernie Sanders claimed there was a “huge voter turnout” among young caucusgoers in Iowa this year, saying the turnout was “even higher than Obama’s extraordinary victory in 2008.” In fact, about 10,300 fewer young voters turned out this year than in 2008.

Debunking False Stories

Meme Misquotes Virginia Governor on Abortion Bill Posted on Saturday, February 15th, 2020

A meme misquotes Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on a proposed abortion bill that aims to address nonviable pregnancies and severe fetal abnormalities. Northam, a pediatric neurologist, supports the bill, but the meme falsely implies he condones infanticide.

Viral Posts Spread Iran-‘Deep State’ Conspiracy Theory Posted on Friday, February 14th, 2020

An online conspiracy theory falsely claims that Democratic leaders coordinated the June attacks on two oil tankers and a U.S. drone and that President Donald Trump caught them in the act. The Trump administration has placed the blame squarely on Iran.

Fake Newspaper Clip About Buttigieg Circulates on Social Media Posted on Thursday, February 13th, 2020

A fabricated newspaper clipping is circulating online claiming a teenage Pete Buttigieg was arrested in the late 1990s for killing dogs. The Twitter user who created the bogus story — and the newspaper that allegedly published it — say the clipping is a fake.

Fake Coronavirus Cures, Part 3: Vitamin C Isn’t a Shield Posted on Wednesday, February 12th, 2020

Online posts claim that vitamin C can “stop” the new coronavirus. While it’s true that vitamin C can have a marginal effect on warding off a cold, there’s no evidence that it can stop or treat the new coronavirus.

Fake Coronavirus Cures, Part 2: Garlic Isn’t a ‘Cure’ Posted on Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

Online posts falsely claim the new coronavirus can be cured by drinking one bowl of freshly boiled garlic water. That’s not true; there is no cure for the virus.

Fake Coronavirus Cures, Part 1: MMS is Industrial Bleach Posted on Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

Online posts have claimed to reveal various “cures” for the new coronavirus. Some are benign, like eating boiled garlic, while others are potentially dangerous, like drinking chlorine dioxide, an industrial bleach. Neither will cure the virus.

Ask FactCheck

Pelosi, a Ripped Speech, and the Records Debate Posted on Wednesday, February 12th, 2020

Q: Did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi break the law by ripping up the president’s State of the Union address?

A: Legal experts have widely dismissed the idea that Pelosi’s copy of the address would be subject to a criminal statute cited by some conservatives.

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