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PolitiFact's 2019 Lie of the Year coverage

National

Katie Sanders

By Katie Sanders December 16, 2019

Lie of the Year: Donald Trump's incessant claim that whistleblower got his Ukraine call 'almost completely' wrong

A look back at Lie of the Year, 2009-2018

The Silence of the Year: Hunter Biden and Burisma

10 of Donald Trump's false claims during impeachment

2019 Lie of the Year Readers’ Poll results

Sign up for PolitiFact texts

See stories.

stated on October 22, 2015 in an op-ed in Breitbart:

"Even after Syrian troops began to shoot protesters in the streets with live ammunition in 2011, Clinton labeled Bashar al-Assad a ‘reformer.' "

half-true

half-true

stated on October 15, 2015 in a video shared on social media:

Says CNN deleted an online poll showing Bernie Sanders won the first Democratic presidential debate to help out Hillary Clinton.

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on October 4, 2015 in tweets:

Says Donald Trump’s "Make America Great Again" hats were made in China.

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on July 15, 2021 in Facebook posts:

An image shows President Joe Biden touching Olivia Rodrigo’s shoulders during a White House press briefing.

pants-fire

pants-fire

Mitch McConnell

stated on September 18, 2020 in a statement:

On confirming a Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year.

full-flop

full-flop

Instagram posts

stated on September 19, 2020 in a faked screenshot:

Says Ruth Bader Ginsburg tweeted, “I have information that will lead to the arrest of Hillary Clinton.”

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on September 7, 2020 in a post:

Photo shows “some of the firefighters in California fighting fires 24/7 to save people's lives and property.”

false

false

stated on September 11, 2020 in a post:

“KXL Radio in Portland reported today that Firefighters are now being shot at by suspected Antifa and BLM members.”

false

false

stated on February 1, 2020 in a post on Facebook:

Says the CEO of Camping World told Trump supporters “Frankly, don’t shop at my business.”

barely-true

barely-true

stated on June 18, 2017 in a tweet:

"The new Rasmussen Poll, one of the most accurate in the 2016 Election, just out with a Trump 50% Approval Rating. That's higher than O's #'s!"

barely-true

barely-true

stated on June 4, 2017 in a tweet:

"At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’ "

false

false

stated on May 1, 2017 in her new book:

Says John Quincy Adams said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader."

false

false

stated on February 12, 2017 in an interview on ABC's "This Week":

"This issue of busing voters in to New Hampshire is widely known by anyone who’s worked in New Hampshire politics. It’s very real, it’s very serious."

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on July 19, 2016 in a speech at the Republican convention:

As a senator, Hillary Clinton "paid women less than the men" in her office.

barely-true

barely-true

stated on January 19, 2016 in a town hall in Underwood, Iowa:

"I have a D-minus voting record from the NRA."

mostly-true

mostly-true

stated on October 22, 2015 in an op-ed in Breitbart:

"Even after Syrian troops began to shoot protesters in the streets with live ammunition in 2011, Clinton labeled Bashar al-Assad a ‘reformer.' "

half-true

half-true

stated on October 15, 2015 in a video shared on social media:

Says CNN deleted an online poll showing Bernie Sanders won the first Democratic presidential debate to help out Hillary Clinton.

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on October 4, 2015 in tweets:

Says Donald Trump’s "Make America Great Again" hats were made in China.

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on July 15, 2021 in Facebook posts:

An image shows President Joe Biden touching Olivia Rodrigo’s shoulders during a White House press briefing.

pants-fire

pants-fire

Mitch McConnell

stated on September 18, 2020 in a statement:

On confirming a Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year.

full-flop

full-flop

Instagram posts

stated on September 19, 2020 in a faked screenshot:

Says Ruth Bader Ginsburg tweeted, “I have information that will lead to the arrest of Hillary Clinton.”

pants-fire

pants-fire

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
Donald Trump
stated on April 9, 2025 in a memo:

The 2020 election was “rigged” and Chris Krebs, former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director, “baselessly” dismissed “election malfeasance.”

By Maria Ramirez Uribe • April 10, 2025
Donald Trump
stated on April 8, 2025 in a speech:

The U.S. is “taking in almost $2 billion a day in tariffs.”

By Amy Sherman • April 10, 2025
Brooke Rollins
stated on April 6, 2025 in an interview:

“We had an agriculture export deficit that increased from zero when President Trump left to $49 billion” under former President Joe Biden.

By Maria Ramirez Uribe • April 9, 2025
Donald Trump
stated on April 9, 2025 in a Truth Social post:

On enacting country-by-country tariffs April 9.

By Amy Sherman • April 9, 2025
Ruben Gallego
stated on March 24, 2025 in a podcast episode:

Men “have the lowest college attainment rate ever.”

By Claire Cranford • April 9, 2025

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