The Third Trump-Free GOP Debate

For the third time this year, the Republican presidential candidates gathered for a debate without the party's clear favorite to win the nomination -- former President Donald Trump. 

This time there were only five candidates who appeared: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. 

The debate, which was held Nov. 8 in Miami, included a few testy exchanges, mostly about China. 

Haley and DeSantis sparred over their roles as governors in helping to lure Chinese companies to their respective states. Both spun some facts.

Ramaswamy and DeSantis disagreed over whether a DeSantis donor had influenced a Florida bill blocking Chinese nationals from buying property within a certain distance of military bases. Bloomberg News reported that it happened, citing unnamed sources.

There were also some misleading claims on abortion, U.S. life expectancy, TikTok and other issues.

Read the full story, "FactChecking the Third GOP Primary Debate."

Reader: Did Trump put sanctions on Russia which Biden removed when he was elected?

FactCheck.org Director Eugene Kiely: I'm not sure which sanctions you mean, but former President Donald Trump has criticized President Joe Biden for waiving sanctions that Trump imposed against companies involved in building the Nord Stream 2 project -- the Russian pipeline that would double the export of Russian natural gas to Germany. Biden lifted the sanctions in May 2021. 

However, the Congressional Research Service notes that the sanctions weren't having the intended effect. The project was temporarily suspended, but construction resumed while Trump was president and was near completion when Biden took office. 

CRS wrote: “The Biden Administration has called Nord Stream 2 a ‘bad deal’ and said U.S. opposition to the pipeline is ‘unwavering.’ Nevertheless, U.S. officials have suggested the Administration’s ability to prevent the pipeline from becoming operational is limited, even with additional sanctions. They also have expressed concern that additional U.S. sanctions could jeopardize U.S.-German and U.S.-European cooperation in other areas, including countering Russian aggression.”

For more, read our February 2022 article "FactChecking Trump's CPAC Speech." 

Wrapping Up

Here's what else we've got for you this week:

• "Posts Falsely Claim FDA ‘Required’ to Take mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Off Market Due to Adulteration": As with many medical products, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may contain trace amounts of residual DNA from the manufacturing process. It is not considered adulteration, and the Food and Drug Administration is not “required” to pull the vaccines from the market, contrary to viral claims online.
• "Video in Spanish Misleads About Mammograms": Experts agree mammograms are the best tool to screen for breast cancer and that the benefits of the exam outweigh the risks. But a video in Spanish recommended that women over 40 skip mammograms, claiming the test is “unsafe” and “unnecessary.” 
• "COVID-19 Vaccines Save Lives, Are Not More Lethal Than COVID-19": COVID-19 vaccination reduces the risk of death from COVID-19. Social media posts have misused survey data and adverse events reports to falsely claim that COVID-19 vaccines have killed more people than COVID-19. But serious adverse events resulting from vaccination, including deaths, are rare. 
• "RFK Jr. Incorrectly Denies Past Remarks on Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness": In a “PBS NewsHour” interview, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeatedly denied previously saying that “no vaccine” is safe and effective. But Kennedy said exactly that on the Lex Fridman podcast in July. 
• "No Change in George Floyd’s Cause of Death, Despite Viral False Claims": The police officer who kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes in 2020 was convicted of murder, and the medical examiner determined that police efforts to subdue Floyd caused his death. Nothing about the autopsy’s findings have changed, but social media posts falsely claim new documents show Floyd died of a drug overdose or natural causes. 
• "Taylor Swift Film Is Being Screened in Israel, Contrary to Online Post": As some celebrities issued statements in response to the Israel-Hamas war, a video posted to social media falsely claimed that pop star Taylor Swift stopped screenings of her new film in Israel. But it was technical difficulties with showtime schedules that made screenings appear unavailable in Israel. Screenings of the film have continued in Israel.

• "Video en español hace afirmaciones engañosas sobre las mamografías": Los expertos coinciden en que las mamografías son la mejor herramienta para detectar el cáncer de mama y que los beneficios del examen superan los riesgos. Pero un video en español recomendó que las mujeres sobre 40 años de edad no se hagan mamografías, afirmando que “no son seguras” y “no son necesarias”. 
• "No se ha demostrado que las vacunas contra el COVID-19 alteren el ADN ni provoquen cáncer": En las vacunas de ARNm contra el COVID-19 pueden quedar pequeñas cantidades de ADN procedentes del proceso de fabricación. Los pasos de purificación y control de calidad garantizan que cualquier resto de ADN esté presente dentro de los límites reglamentarios. No hay motivos para pensar que este ADN residual pueda alterar el ADN de una persona o causar cáncer, contrariamente a lo que se afirma en internet.