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The first presidential debate annotated

National

Trumptight — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during the presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

By Allison Graves
September 27, 2016

By Joseph Cariz
September 27, 2016

By Katherine Burns
September 27, 2016

By Rachel Tiede
September 27, 2016

We’re annotating the first presidential debate on Medium. See the transcripts and the facts behind what the candidates said here.

Our Sources

Listed inside the Medium annotations.

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Allison Graves

Democratic Governors Association
stated on July 13, 2018 in a post on Medium:

Says Adam Putnam “backed a water bill that gutted water quality regulations.”

By Allison Graves • July 18, 2018

Rick Scott
stated on June 13, 2018 in an ad:

Says Sen. Bill Nelson “voted for higher taxes” 349 times.

By Allison Graves • July 5, 2018

Ron DeSantis
stated on June 28, 2018 in a Fox News debate:

Says Adam Putnam “endorsed the Schumer-Obama Gang of Eight immigration amnesty.”

By Allison Graves • June 29, 2018

Bill Nelson
stated on June 21, 2018 in an ad:

Says he “actually wrote the bipartisan law that makes it illegal to drill off Florida’s coast.”

By Allison Graves • June 29, 2018

Adam Putnam
stated on June 7, 2018 in an interview with Fox News:

Florida taxpayers “pay tens of millions of dollars a year to feed and house in our prison system criminal illegal aliens.”

By Allison Graves • June 26, 2018

New Republican PAC
stated on June 11, 2018 in a political ad:

Says Bill Nelson voted for “cuts to Medicare providers” and voted to weaken “Social Security protections” as a U.S. senator.

By Allison Graves • June 15, 2018

Andrew Gillum
stated on June 20, 2018 in a debate:

Under Philip Levine, Miami Beach “passed a resolution to ban assault rifles, which was not enforceable and never enforced. He passed a resolution to raise the minimum wage, which actually no one got the benefit of because it was not enforced.”

By Allison Graves • June 9, 2018

Florida Democratic Party
stated on June 6, 2018 in in a press release:

“Flip Flop! After opposing term limits for decades, Adam Putnam adopts Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis’ position.”

By Allison Graves • June 8, 2018

Ron DeSantis
stated on June 2, 2018 in during a BBQ :

“The bulk of the problem with the opioid epidemic is the fentanyl and all the synthetic drugs coming across the southern border.”

By Allison Graves • June 7, 2018

Florida House Majority Office
stated on May 17, 2018 in a video:

It is a “myth” that “per-student funding only rose by 47 cents this year.”

By Allison Graves • May 30, 2018

Senate Majority PAC
stated on May 21, 2018 in in an ad:

Says Bill Nelson is “one of America’s most independent senators.”

By Allison Graves • May 24, 2018

Bloggers
stated on May 14, 2018 in a post on Facebook:

“BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump On His Way To Donate Kidney To Melania Trump.”

By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018

Bloggers
stated on May 15, 2018 in a post on Facebook:

“Legendary Actor Sidney Poitier: Donald Trump might become ‘The Greatest Of All Time.’ ”

By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018

The Collective super PAC
stated on May 11, 2018 in an ad:

Says Gwen Graham “voted against President Obama 52 percent of the time.”

By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018

Bloggers
stated on May 14, 2018 in a post on the Internet:

Says Julia Roberts told Celine Dion, “If you hate Trump you can go in your country.”

By Allison Graves • May 15, 2018

The first presidential debate annotated

Clear

Sarah Trone Garriott
stated on October 21, 2026 in a social media post:

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn “took thousands of dollars from Chinese companies.”

By Shreya Reddy • October 30, 2026

Christina Bohannan
stated on October 7, 2026 in a Des Moines Register candidate Q&A:

President Donald Trump’s tariffs are “costing the average family $4,200 out of their pocket.”

By Anna Olson • October 30, 2026

Angie Nixon
stated on October 23, 2026 in an interview:

Florida U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody “is trading stocks and she’s gotten richer” by $2 million since entering Congress.

By Samantha Putterman • October 30, 2026

New Deal for All
stated on October 23, 2026 in an ad:

Florida U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody “cast the deciding vote to block the release of the Epstein files.”

By Samantha Putterman • October 28, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on October 12, 2026 in a rally in Youngstown, Ohio:

Ohio gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton “is trying to double your state income tax.”

By Cami Henry-Seymore • October 27, 2026

Social Media
stated on October 20, 2026 in social media posts:

A woman’s account of a message displayed on a Cook County, Illinois, voting machine proves the election is “rigged.”

By Loreben Tuquero • October 27, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on October 25, 2026 in a rally:

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is “a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member.”

By Caleb McCullough • October 27, 2026

Josh Turek
stated on October 7, 2026 in a debate:

“We lead the nation in farm foreclosures now here in Iowa.”

By Riley Dunn • October 27, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on October 24, 2026 in a rally in Perry, Georgia:

For gasoline prices, “You’re still paying lower than (under) Biden and Obama.”

By Louis Jacobson • October 27, 2026

Chris Pappas
stated on October 13, 2026 in a debate:

New Hampshire U.S. Senate candidate John E. Sununu “cashed in” with “Big Pharma,” earning “up to $35 million.”

By Louis Jacobson • October 26, 2026

David Jolly
stated on October 20, 2026 in a speech:

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds “suggests there were good parts of Jim Crow.”

By Samantha Putterman • October 26, 2026

Josh Stein
stated on October 20, 2026 in an X post:

In North Carolina, “thousands more absentee ballots (are) being rejected this election — at a rejection rate twice as high as in 2022.”

By Paul Specht • October 23, 2026

WinSenate
stated on October 19, 2026 in an ad:

“After just five years in Washington,” Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson is “$8 million richer.”

By Caleb McCullough • October 23, 2026

X posts
stated on October 21, 2026 in X posts:

This video shows a former James Talarico student accusing him of misconduct.

By Jeff Cercone • October 22, 2026

Club for Growth Action
stated on September 14, 2026 in an ad:

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor “repeatedly” violated “a law aimed at stopping members of Congress from insider trading.”

By Loreben Tuquero • October 22, 2026

Kelly Ayotte
stated on August 23, 2026 in an ad:

New Hampshire Democratic governor candidate Cinde Warmington “was a Purdue Pharma lobbyist. She said that OxyContin was a miracle drug.”

By Louis Jacobson • October 22, 2026

JD Vance
stated on October 17, 2026 in un foro con votantes de CBS News:

“La razón principal por la que los precios de la gasolina están tan altos es porque cuando Joe Biden era presidente, alrededor del 20% de la capacidad de refinación estadounidense dejó de operar”.

By Louis Jacobson • October 21, 2026

Roger Marshall
stated on October 16, 2026 in an interview with Sean Hannity:

Kansas U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton “wants to shut down the beef industry.”

By Amy Sherman • October 20, 2026

Ashley Moody
stated on October 6, 2026 in a TV ad:

Florida U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon “backed a $4 trillion tax hike on everyone in this diner,” including a server and older adults.

By Maria Briceño • October 20, 2026

Mike Rogers
stated on October 18, 2026 in an interview:

Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed “didn’t disavow” the Muslim Brotherhood.

By Caleb McCullough • October 19, 2026

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The first presidential debate annotated

Our Sources

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Allison Graves

The first presidential debate annotated