Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Shortly after winning election, President-elect Donald Trump (left) chose Wisconsinite Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, to be his White House chief of staff. (Associated Press)
This edition of the High Five, our items that got the most page-views during November 2016, all relate to one little event from early in the month:
The presidential election.
Readers wanted to know whether President-elect Donald Trump really won in an electoral landslide, what he actually said about a Hispanic judge and whether a top aide to his chief rival had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
They also were attracted by the bright, flashing lights of Pants on Fire on a claim made about "outlawed" voting machines and Wisconsin.
And they were curious to know whether folks who didn’t vote would be publicly shamed.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
Click for yourself.
1. Reince Priebus says Donald Trump's presidential victory was "an electoral landslide."
Our rating: False.
Aside from the fact Trump lost the popular vote, his margin in the Electoral College wasn’t all that high, either, despite the claim from Trump’s choice for White House chief of staff. And none of the 10 experts we contacted said Trump’s win crossed that threshold.
2. Amy Schumer: "Anyone who knows you can just" look it up to "see if you voted."
Our rating: Half True.
Generally speaking, an individual’s voting history is a public record, though how easy it is to access can vary quite a bit, despite the characterization by the politically active comedian. Moreover, an individual’s voting history is not a public record in at least one state (Virginia).
3. Sean Duffy says Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin has "ties to the Muslim Brotherhood."
Our rating: False.
The Republican Wisconsin congressman, an early Trump backer, made the claim in the context of stories in the campaign that got relatively little media coverage. But he cited no evidence to back his statement, and we couldn’t find any for this September 2016 fact check, which got more attention as Election Day approached.
4. Donald Trump's racial comments about Hispanic judge in Trump University case
This In Context item, from June 2016, also attracted a new round of clicks around election time. We provided context to comments by Trump, roundly denounced by the left and right, for saying U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel may be biased against him because of his Mexican heritage.
5. Jill Stein: "Wisconsin uses voting machines that are outlawed, they are illegal."
Our rating: Pants on Fire.
The Green Party’s 2016 presidential nominee made this claim while leading an effort to get presidential election recounts in Wisconsin and other states. She told us she was referring to California’s ban on certain touch-screen machines. But each state decides which machines are legal. The touch-screen machines used in Wisconsin are approved by the state election commission. They’re legal.
Finally, an extra note:
If Priebus’ Truth-O-Meter file were considered a single item, it would also be in the High Five. The Republican National Committee chairman from Wisconsin got a lot of attention during the month after Trump tabbed him for chief of staff.
Our Sources
PolitiFact Wisconsin items as noted
