High Five: Claim on net worth of Trump’s cabinet leads hit parade

The concentration of wealth in America continues to hold strong interest for PolitiFact Wisconsin readers.

Easily the most-clicked Truth-O-Meter item in January was U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan’s claim that Donald Trump’s first 17 Cabinet appointments “have a net worth of more than a third of America.”

We rated that Mostly True.

The rest of our High Five list for the month reflected fallout from the November campaign.

Our check of then-candidate Donald Trump’s claim that Hillary Clinton once “wanted a wall” on the Mexican border was the second most-viewed item.

In 2006, Clinton voted for 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, but not for a version of the taller, longer concrete wall Trump has vowed to build. We rated that claim Half True.

The rest of the five:

3. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan’s claim that Obamacare “is in what the actuaries call a death spiral” was rated False.

A “death spiral” has a specific definition, and Obamacare does not fit. The latest data shows enrollment is increasing slightly and younger (typically healthier) people are signing up at the same rate as last year. And while premiums are increasing, that isn’t affecting the cost to most consumers due to built-in subsidies.

4. Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus drew a False rating for saying Trump’s presidential victory was “an electoral landslide.”

Aside from the fact Trump lost the popular vote, his margin in the Electoral College wasn’t all that high, either. None of the 10 experts we contacted said Trump’s win crosses that threshold.

5. Another Priebus claim — that Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s email password was “password” — rated False.

We’re still waiting to see any evidence of that.