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Lie of the Year 2015: Readers' Choice

National

Who will win PolitiFact's Lie of the Year?

Angie Drobnic Holan

By Angie Drobnic Holan December 10, 2015

Aaron Sharockman

By Aaron Sharockman December 10, 2015

PolitiFact and PunditFact will soon announce our Lie of the Year -- the most significant falsehood of 2015, as chosen by our editors and reporters. We're also inviting PolitiFact readers to vote for the Readers' Choice award.

Here are our 11 finalists and a link to our survey so you can vote for your favorite. We accept write-ins. We also have a mobile-friendly version of this survey.

VOTE NOW FOR THE 2015 LIE OF THE YEAR

PolitiFact and PunditFact will soon announce our Lie of the Year -- the most significant falsehood of 2015, as chosen by our editors and reporters.

We're also inviting PolitiFact readers to vote for the Readers' Choice award.

Here are our 11 finalists and a link to our survey so you can vote for your favorite. We accept write-ins. We also have a mobile-friendly version of this survey.

Create your own user feedback survey

Janet Napolitano

stated on August 27, 2013 in a speech at the National Press Club:

The 2010 DREAM Act failed despite "strong bipartisan support."

barely-true

barely-true

stated on May 29, 2013 in a chain email:

Says the word "Dhimmitude" is on page 107 of the health care law and means "Muslims are specifically exempted from the government mandate to purchase insurance."

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on May 3, 2013 in a position on legislation:

On an early date for Florida's presidential primary

full-flop

full-flop

stated on September 27, 2020 in a speech:

Says Amy Coney Barrett “has a written track record, disagreeing adamantly with the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ACA. In fact, she publicly criticized Chief Justice Roberts’ opinion upholding the law eight years ago.”

mostly-true

mostly-true

Instagram posts

stated on September 22, 2020 in an Instagram post:

Like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, Amy Coney Barrett has said her “end goal is to end the separation of church and state & build a ‘Kingdom of God’ in the United States.”

false

false

stated on March 23, 2019 in a speech:

Says that the Council on American-Islamic Relations was founded in response to 9/11.

false

false

stated on September 4, 2016 in an interview on "Meet the Press":

Says Hillary Clinton "wants to increase Syrian refugees to this country by 550 percent."

true

true

Antonio Sabato Jr.

stated on July 19, 2016 in an interview with ABC News:

Says President Barack Obama is "absolutely" a Muslim.

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on June 22, 2016 in a speech in New York City:

Says Hillary Clinton "said she was under attack (in Bosnia) but the attack turned out to be young girls handing her flowers."

true

true

stated on January 17, 2016 in an interview on "Meet the Press":

Hostages were released as soon as Ronald Reagan took office because Iran perceived that America was "no longer under the command of someone weak."

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on September 27, 2015 in an interview on ABC's "This Week":

"We've had examples like in Yuma County, where we've been able to stop 97 percent of the illegal (immigration) flow, and those programs, they abolish."

barely-true

barely-true

stated on October 14, 2014 in a campaign ad:

Says Rick Scott changed his promise from 700,000 jobs created "on top of what normal growth would be" to just 700,000 jobs.

true

true

stated on March 3, 2014 in in an interview on CNN:

On the economic stimulus.

half-flip

half-flip

Americans For Tax Reform

stated on April 14, 2014 in in a press release:

"Obama has proposed 442 tax hikes since taking office."

barely-true

barely-true

National Republican Congressional Committee

stated on February 12, 2014 in a television ad:

"300,000 Floridians will lose their current health plans" because of Obamacare, a plan Alex Sink supports.

half-true

half-true

Janet Napolitano

stated on August 27, 2013 in a speech at the National Press Club:

The 2010 DREAM Act failed despite "strong bipartisan support."

barely-true

barely-true

stated on May 29, 2013 in a chain email:

Says the word "Dhimmitude" is on page 107 of the health care law and means "Muslims are specifically exempted from the government mandate to purchase insurance."

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on May 3, 2013 in a position on legislation:

On an early date for Florida's presidential primary

full-flop

full-flop

stated on September 27, 2020 in a speech:

Says Amy Coney Barrett “has a written track record, disagreeing adamantly with the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ACA. In fact, she publicly criticized Chief Justice Roberts’ opinion upholding the law eight years ago.”

mostly-true

mostly-true

Instagram posts

stated on September 22, 2020 in an Instagram post:

Like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, Amy Coney Barrett has said her “end goal is to end the separation of church and state & build a ‘Kingdom of God’ in the United States.”

false

false

stated on March 23, 2019 in a speech:

Says that the Council on American-Islamic Relations was founded in response to 9/11.

false

false

Michael Lawler
stated on March 21, 2025 in a television interview:

“If we don’t pass the tax bill by the end of the year, we will have the largest tax increase in American history.”

By Jill Terreri Ramos • April 20, 2025
X posts
stated on April 13, 2025 in a post on X:

Arizona Democrats “needed a lawsuit to force them to remove 50,000 noncitizens from voter rolls.”

By Madison Czopek • April 18, 2025
Facebook posts
stated on April 16, 2025 in Facebook posts:

Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney wrote a viral letter to Democrats suggesting steps to take against the Trump administration.

By Loreben Tuquero • April 18, 2025
Byron Donalds
stated on April 10, 2025 in a NewsNation interview:

Under the SAVE Act, “as long as you have a Real ID … it should be easy for you to register to vote.”

By Grace Abels • April 18, 2025
Tim Walz
stated on April 6, 2025 in an interview:

“Less than half of Americans have $1,000 in savings.”

By Claire Cranford • April 16, 2025
X posts
stated on April 13, 2025 in a post on X:

Cody Balmer, the person charged with setting fire to Pennsylvania governor’s residence, posted a photo that said “F--- Trump.”

By Madison Czopek • April 14, 2025
TikTok posts
stated on April 5, 2025 in a TikTok post:

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett says “she ‘simply forgot' to inform Social Security that her grandmother died in 2012 … She’s been collecting $2,600 a month for 13 years.”

By Maria Briceño • April 14, 2025
X posts
stated on April 6, 2025 in a post:

Photos and videos show Washington, D.C., protests against White House adviser Elon Musk are “staged & paid — bussed in, scripted, clocked out.”

By Grace Abels • April 11, 2025
Donald Trump
stated on April 9, 2025 in remarks at a White House event:

In 2024, “China made $1 trillion off trade with the United States.”

By Louis Jacobson • April 11, 2025
TikTok posts
stated on April 9, 2025 in una publicación en TikTok:

“China cancela la venta de TikTok” y “a partir de finales de abril los usuarios estadounidenses tendrán que pagar una tarifa mensual obligatoria para seguir usando TikTok".

By Maria Briceño • April 11, 2025

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