View this email in your browser ([link removed])
An update from FactCheck.org


** Trump on 'Meet the Press'
------------------------------------------------------------

With a little more than a month before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, he sat for an hour-plus interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" -- his first network interview since his 2024 election win.

Trump outlined the priorities for his upcoming second term, but made several inaccurate claims in the process.
At times, Kristen Welker, the show's host, attempted to fact-check him when he made false or misleading statements. But Trump persisted.

For example, while talking about illegal immigration, Trump claimed that that were “13,099 murderers released into our country over the last three years." When Welker noted that "the 13,000 figure ... goes back 40 years," Trump pushed back. "No, it doesn't," he said.

But Welker was correct, as we wrote in our article fact-checking the Trump interview. And that's not all he got wrong.

Our team of fact-checkers found that the soon-to-be president also repeated previously debunked claims about the Jan. 6 committee, birthright citizenship, crime, trade, tariffs, health care and more.

For the full analysis, read "FactChecking Trump’s ‘Meet the Press’ Interview ([link removed]) ."
FUNDRAISING UPDATE
As of Dec. 12, we have received 131 contributions for a total of $7,835 during our annual fundraising drive, which began Dec. 3 and will end Dec. 31. If you would like to join our fight against misinformation, you can make a credit card donation ([link removed]) online or mail a check to FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, 202 S. 36th St., Philadelphia, PA 19104-3806. Checks can be made payable to “The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania” with a note in the memo field indicating the donation is for FactCheck.org.
FEATURED FACT
Joe Biden is one of a few presidents who have pardoned a relative. In 2001, on his last day in office, then-President Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton, who was sentenced to two years in prison in 1985 for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In December 2020, then-President Trump pardoned his daughter Ivanka’s father-in-law, Charles Kushner, who was sentenced to two years in prison in 2005 for filing false tax returns, making false statements to the FEC and retaliating against a witness. Read more ([link removed]) .
WORTHY OF NOTE
In November, an Annenberg Classroom documentary, "The First Amendment: New York Times v. Sullivan," won a silver prize ([link removed]) in the 4th Annual Anthem Awards.

Annenberg Classroom is a project of the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. FactCheck.org is also a project of the policy center.

An APPC press release ([link removed]) about the film said it "traces the relationship of the press to the Civil Rights movement, outlines how segregation proponents tried to stop coverage of the violence inflicted on peaceful protestors, and how the 1964 Supreme Court case created protections for journalists."

The documentary is available to watch on the Annenberg Classroom ([link removed]) website.
REPLY ALL

Reader: Donald Trump’s pick to lead the military just had a photo of him in his underwear visiting the 9/11 Memorial holding an American flag. Is this true?

FactCheck.org Staff Writer D'Angelo Gore: Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for secretary of defense, was wearing swim trunks when he went to the 9/11 Memorial in 2020. He had just participated in the annual New York City SEAL Swim ([link removed]) that benefits programs for active Navy SEALs, veterans and their families.

At the end of the swim, participants run from Battery Park in Manhattan to the World Trade Center. According to event organizers, "At the World Trade Center, participants do 100 honor pushups and 22 pull-ups to honor all those who lost their lives on 9/11, Extortion 17, and all Americans who put it on the line for our nation."

Hegseth posted ([link removed]) photos from the 2020 event on Instagram, but he has done the swim multiple ([link removed]) times ([link removed]) .


** Wrapping Up
------------------------------------------------------------

Here's what else we've got for you this week:
* "Fox News Commentator Had Aggressive Cancer Before COVID-19 Vaccines Were Available ([link removed]) ": Fox News health commentator Dr. Kelly Powers was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in July 2020, months before COVID-19 vaccines were made available in the U.S. But social media posts are baselessly linking her death on Dec. 4 to the vaccines. There is no evidence that the vaccines cause or worsen cancer.

* "Posts Falsely Question Citizenship of Trump’s Children Under His Birthright Plan ([link removed]) ": President-elect Donald Trump has renewed his call to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. whose parents are not in the country legally. Online posts falsely claim this would strip four of Trump’s children of citizenship because of their mothers’ citizenship status when they were born.

* "Sen. Mullin’s Misleading Vaccine Testing Claim ([link removed]) ": Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s suggestion that vaccines might cause autism because “there’s not been a direct study on each individual vaccine” misunderstands what’s known about autism, the extensive research on the subject and how science works.

* "Bush, Carter Didn’t Pardon Relatives, Contrary to Posts ([link removed]) ": President Joe Biden is one of only a few presidents who have granted pardons to a relative. But social media posts falsely claim that former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush also pardoned family members. While Billy Carter and Neil Bush faced controversies, neither was criminally charged nor received a pardon.

Y lo que publicamos en español ([link removed]) (English versions are accessible in each story):
* "Una mirada retrospectiva a las afirmaciones de Robert F. Kennedy Jr., el elegido de Trump como secretario de Salud ([link removed]) ": En una de sus elecciones más controvertidas para el gabinete, el presidente electo Donald Trump dijo que nominaría a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. para dirigir el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos. Aquí, resumimos nuestro trabajo anterior verificando los hechos sobre las afirmaciones de Kennedy sobre salud y ciencias.

* "La agenda de Trump: Aranceles ([link removed]) ": Mientras hacía campaña para un segundo mandato, el presidente electo Donald Trump declaró que “arancel” era su “palabra favorita” y “la palabra más hermosa del diccionario”. Explicaremos cómo funcionan los aranceles, qué ha propuesto Trump y qué dicen los expertos al respecto, y qué ocurrió durante el primer mandato de Trump.

* "Lo que Biden omitió en su declaración de indulto ([link removed]) ": El 1 de diciembre, el presidente Joe Biden otorgó un indulto general a su hijo Hunter por cualquier posible delito cometido durante un período de casi 11 años. En la declaración que Biden proporcionó para justificar su cambio de posición, omitió algunos hechos inconvenientes.

Do you like FactCheck.Weekly? Share it with a friend! They can subscribe here ([link removed]) .
Donate to Support Our Work ([link removed])

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** TikTok ([link removed])
We'll show up in your inbox every Friday with this fact-focused rundown. But you can message us any day of the week with questions or comments: [email protected].
Copyright © 2024 FactCheck.org, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
FactCheck.org
Annenberg Public Policy Center
202 S. 36th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3806

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed][UNIQID]&c=ff9a7620f9&utm_source=FactCheck.org&utm_campaign=686a45d3aa-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_12_11_10_40&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-686a45d3aa-48392213)
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed][UNIQID]&c=ff9a7620f9&utm_source=FactCheck.org&utm_campaign=686a45d3aa-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_12_11_10_40&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-686a45d3aa-48392213)
.

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
FactCheck.org: A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania . 202 S 36th St. . Philadelphia, Pa 19104 . USA