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Live fact-checking the first 2020 presidential debate: Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden

By PolitiFact Staff September 29, 2020

UPDATE: See our fact-checks from the first debate here.

PolitiFact, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, has been fact-checking presidential politics since 2007 and has rated more than 18,000 individual claims on our Truth-O-Meter.

Follow along below for our live coverage. PolitiFact is also partnering with WRAL, our PolitiFact North Carolina affiliate, to present a live video stream with live fact-checking. If you prefer to stream the debate live, click here.

This page will update automatically.

Live fact-checking of the 2020 debates from PolitiFact.

Listed in the live feed.

stated on December 8, 2021 in an interview with Hugh Hewitt:

Gas prices were "$1.86 when I left" the White House.

false

false

Louise Slaughter

stated on September 5, 2017 in a tweet:

Rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program "will harm our economy."

true

true

stated on March 2, 2017 in a headline:

"Doctors who discovered cancer enzymes in vaccines all found murdered."

pants-fire

pants-fire

David Menchetti

stated on November 28, 2016 in testimony before the Illinois House Labor and Commerce Committee:

"The causation standard in Indiana is exactly the same as it is in Illinois."

true

true

stated on September 16, 2016 in a White House press conference:

"If you look at any real analysis," the Trans-Pacific Partnership is "going to generate better-paying jobs that are more stable."

half-true

half-true

stated on November 17, 2015 in press release:

While the smoking rate nationally has fallen, more than 18 percent of Georgians still light up.

mostly-true

mostly-true

NextGen Climate Action Committee

stated on August 8, 2014 in a campaign ad:

Says Rick Scott "is letting Duke (Energy) keep collecting billions" despite troubled power plants.

half-true

half-true

Georgia Department of Transportation

stated on July 19, 2011 in a press release:

The Northwest Corridor highway project in Cobb and Cherokee counties "is expected to create over 9,700 jobs statewide."

false

false

Republican National Committee

stated on June 5, 2008 in in a news release:

Obama couldn't have afforded his home without Rezko's help.

false

false

Eric Hovde
stated on October 18, 2024 in TV debate:

Ballot drop boxes 'were only used for a pandemic.'

By D.L. Davis • October 25, 2024
United Auto Workers
stated on October 23, 2024 in a Meta ad:

Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers “wants to cut Medicare and Social Security.”

By Caleb McCullough • October 24, 2024
Kamala Harris
stated on September 27, 2024 in a campaign ad:

Former President Donald Trump wants to take away the Affordable Care Act.

By Marta Campabadal Graus • October 24, 2024
Facebook posts
stated on October 13, 2024 in una publicación en Facebook:

"Se ha desaparecido el famoso Dr. Juan Rivera después de revelar este simple secreto de salud que podría dejar los hospitales vacíos", la ashwagandha.

By Maria Briceño • October 24, 2024
Tammy Baldwin
stated on October 11, 2024 in Interview:

Says opponent Eric Hovde “supports a $4 trillion tax plan that would disproportionately advantage the well-off and profitable corporations”

By Laura Schulte • October 24, 2024
X posts
stated on October 22, 2024 in posts on X:

A photo shows The Atlantic published a story headlined “Trump is Literally Hitler.”

By Madison Czopek • October 23, 2024
Facebook posts
stated on October 15, 2024 in a Facebook post:

“Breaking news: Elon Musk endorses Caitlin Clark, will soon donate $10 million: ‘You are the pride of America, I support you.’”

By Ciara O'Rourke • October 23, 2024
Instagram posts
stated on October 21, 2024 in Instagram posts:

Jussie Smollett is Kamala Harris’ nephew.

By Sofia Ahmed • October 23, 2024
Marjorie Taylor Greene
stated on October 18, 2024 in an X post:

"Reports from Whitfield County, GA that Dominion machines are flipping votes. This is exactly the kind of fraud we saw in 2020."

By Loreben Tuquero • October 23, 2024
Instagram posts
stated on October 19, 2024 in an Instagram post:

“BREAKING: Diddy hospitalized after being jumped in prison.”

By Ciara O'Rourke • October 23, 2024