Snopes Debunker - Debunking the Debate

Snopes Coverage of the First 2020 U.S. Presidential Debate ​ Last night, we did something we’ve never done before: We followed along with the first presidential debate of the 2020 U.S. election season and posted fact checks to match topics that were discussed in real time.  It’s safe to say it was a success. We even broke our record for site visits — more than 62,000 visitors were on our site at the same time!  Do you have any lingering questions about things that were said during the debate? We’ve collected all the fact checks we could find for easy reference. Read More Fact Checks Does Joe Biden Support ‘Defunding’ Police? U.S. President Donald Trump has made the claim about his political opponent on numerous occasions.   ❌ False Were Trays of Mail, Including Mail-In Ballots, Found in a Ditch? The U.S. Postal Service has been under fire for several problems concerning mail-in ballots in 2020. ✅ True Did Obama Get Caught ‘Spying’ on Trump’s 2016 Campaign? U.S. President Donald Trump claimed his predecessor, or unidentified political opponents, "spied on our campaign illegally" numerous times. ❌ Mostly False Did Amy Coney Barrett’s Religious Group Inspire ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’? In the dystopian Margaret Atwood novel, a futuristic American society is ruled by a Christian fundamentalist government, and women are deprived of their rights, including reproductive rights. ❌ Mostly False Did Bloomberg Pay Fines for 31,000 Florida Felons So They Can Vote? Under Florida law, some convicted felons may have their voting rights reinstated if they fulfill all requirements — including monetary — of their court-ordered sentencing. ✅ True View Latest Fact Checks What’s Your Voting Plan?  Are you voting early or mailing in your vote? If you’re still deciding how to cast your ballot for this year’s U.S. presidential election, we’ve got the information you need to make an informed choice.  Read More News Biden ‘Secret Earpiece’ Rumor Sounds a Lot Like False Claims Made About Clinton in 2016 Snopes cannot predict the future, but we can recognize false claims we have debunked in the past. Read More Viral Video Spreads Unfounded Claim About Rep. Ilhan Omar and Voter Fraud Omar is a frequent target of disinformation campaigns. Read More Organizer Arrested After Driving Car into California Protest An organizer of a Southern California demonstration against racism was in jail on suspicion of attempted murder after authorities say she drove through a crowd and struck two counterprotesters. Read More Amy Barrett Tied to Faith Group Ex-Members Say Subjugates Women President Donald Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court has close ties to a charismatic Christian religious group that holds men are divinely ordained as the “head” of the family and faith. Read More COVID-19 Cases Rising Among US Children as Schools Reopen Children of all ages now make up 10% of all U.S cases, up from 2% in April. Read More

View Latest News Staff Pick ​ Does This Video Show a Drone Delivering Instant Noodles? Drone technology and its possibilities are no longer strange — but are the robots taking delivery orders yet? Read More