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Take the Texas Truth-O-Meter Quiz

Texas
By W. Gardner Selby
October 31, 2014

Did Wendy Davis get it right when she made a claim about Greg Abbott and a salesman who assaulted a customer?

Was Abbott right about Davis’ legal work drawing an FBI investigation?

Go ahead and tackle the inaugural PolitiFact Texas Truth-O-Meter quiz!

You’ll find some of our most-read fact checks invoked including questions reaching to lieutenant-governor nominees Dan Patrick and Leticia Van de Putte plus a couple Austin-centric specials. All credit goes to the Austin American-Statesman‘s Christian McDonald and Andrew Chavez.

What else?

Our Sources

Try the quiz right here.
 

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by W. Gardner Selby
Ken Paxton
Ken Paxton
stated on October 25, 2018 a TV ad:
Says Ken Paxton "shut down the world’s largest human trafficking marketplace."
Mostly False
By W. Gardner Selby • November 1, 2018
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
stated on October 22, 2018 a rally for Republican candidates in Houston:
Says Beto O’Rourke "voted to shield MS-13 gang members from deportation."
Mostly False
By W. Gardner Selby • October 25, 2018
Beto O'Rourke
Beto O'Rourke
stated on October 16, 2018 a debate televised from San Antonio:
Says "only one other senator from either party over the last 25 years" has "a worse record on bipartisanship" than Ted Cruz.  
True
By W. Gardner Selby • October 18, 2018
Alexander Strenger
Alexander Strenger
stated on October 1, 2018 response cited in an interactive voter guide:
Says 60 percent of Austin’s "waterways are found to be contaminated with fecal matter and deemed unsafe to swim."
Half-True
By W. Gardner Selby • October 16, 2018
Beto O'Rourke
Beto O'Rourke
stated on September 29, 2018 an Austin rally:
Says that in Texas, "you can be too gay to adopt" a foster child "who needs a loving home."  
Half-True
By W. Gardner Selby • October 4, 2018
Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz
stated on September 21, 2018 a debate at Southern Methodist University:
Says Beto O’Rourke described police as "modern-day Jim Crow."
Mostly False
By W. Gardner Selby • September 25, 2018
Beto O'Rourke
Beto O'Rourke
stated on September 21, 2018 a debate at Southern Methodist University:
Says he "did not try to leave the scene of the accident" that led to his arrest for driving while intoxicated.
Mostly False
By W. Gardner Selby • September 25, 2018
Texans Are
Texans Are
stated on September 12, 2018 a TV ad:
Says Beto O’Rourke voted "against body armor for Texas sheriffs patrolling the border."  
False
By W. Gardner Selby • September 13, 2018
Ken Paxton
Ken Paxton
stated on August 26, 2018 an interview on Fox & Friends:
Says Texas has "had over 600,000 crimes committed by illegals since 2011. Over 1,200 homicides."  
Pants on Fire!
By W. Gardner Selby • September 7, 2018
Greg Abbott
Greg Abbott
stated on August 30, 2018 a TV ad:
Says Texas "high school graduation rates are at all-time highs."  
True
By W. Gardner Selby • September 7, 2018
Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz
stated on September 4, 2018 a video:
Says Beto O’Rourke said he’s grateful that people are burning or desecrating the American flag.
False
By W. Gardner Selby • September 5, 2018
Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz
stated on August 28, 2018 an online video ad:
Says Beto O’Rourke "voted against" Hurricane Harvey "tax relief."
Mostly True
By W. Gardner Selby • August 29, 2018
M.J. Hegar
M.J. Hegar
stated on August 21, 2018 an interview on Spectrum Cable's "Capital Tonight":
Says U.S. Rep. John Carter "hasn’t held a town hall in five years."
Mostly True
By W. Gardner Selby • August 29, 2018
Beto O'Rourke
Beto O'Rourke
stated on July 26, 2018 an ad in the Houston Defender:
Says "black Americans have 10 times less wealth than white Americans."
Mostly True
By W. Gardner Selby • August 23, 2018
Silvestre Reyes
Silvestre Reyes
stated on May 22, 2012 a TV ad:
Says Beto O’Rourke "has a criminal record that includes DWI and burglary arrests."
True
By W. Gardner Selby • August 22, 2018

Take the Texas Truth-O-Meter Quiz

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TikTok posts
TikTok posts
stated on una publicación en TikTok:
Estas imágenes no son de personas infectadas con el hantavirus, fueron sacadas de contexto
False
By Maria Briceño • May 13, 2026
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
stated on on May 7, 2026 in remarks to reporters:
Trump is wrong: Gas prices have reached near record highs, not ‘come down very substantially’
False
May 11, 2026
Liz Krueger
Liz Krueger
stated on March 5, 2026 an op-ed:
Proposed data centers in New York state would use “approximately double the energy usage of all households in the state combined.”
Mostly False
By Conor Amendola, Ryan Lombardi • May 7, 2026
X posts
X posts
stated on May 6, 2026 a social media post:
“California only has ‘enough’ oil and gas supply to meet demand for the next six weeks.”
False
By Louis Jacobson • May 7, 2026
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
stated on May 4, 2026 a White House event:
“Consumer confidence is way up."
False
By Louis Jacobson • May 6, 2026
Sam Sutton
Sam Sutton
stated on March 11, 2026 a rally:
From January 2025 to January 2026, “hate crimes in New York City increased by 152%”
Mostly True
By Emma Gavazzi • May 5, 2026
Fentrice Driskell
Fentrice Driskell
stated on April 29, 2026 an interview:
“Under federal law, you cannot engage in partisan gerrymandering.”
False
By Samantha Putterman • May 1, 2026
Instagram posts
Instagram posts
stated on April 26, 2026 una publicación en Instagram:
Imagen muestra que “950 inmigrantes derrumbaron el muro fronterizo entre México y Estados Unidos intentando ingresar a Estados Unidos” en abril 2026.
False
By Maria Briceño • April 30, 2026
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
stated on April 22, 2026 a Senate committee hearing:
“As a result of the 'Big Beautiful Bill' 15 million Americans have been thrown off the healthcare that they need."
Mostly False
By Amy Sherman • April 30, 2026
Tim Scott
Tim Scott
stated on April 26, 2026 an X post:
“Secret Service remains unpaid” during the partial government shutdown.
False
By Louis Jacobson • April 29, 2026
Pine Tree Results PAC
Pine Tree Results PAC
stated on April 26, 2026 an ad:
“Graham Platner blames Maine’s women for getting raped because he says they get f----- up drunk"
Half-True
By Amy Sherman • April 29, 2026
Social Media
Social Media
stated on April 26, 2026 social media posts:
Video shows “unedited raw security footage” of the shooter at the April 25 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
False
By Maria Briceño • April 29, 2026
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
stated on April 23, 2026 remarks at the White House:
“We are right now producing more oil than Saudi Arabia and Russia combined.”
Mostly True
By Louis Jacobson • April 29, 2026
Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis
stated on April 27, 2026 an interview with Fox News Digital:
Since the 2020 census, Florida has "moved from a Democrat majority to a 1.5 million Republican advantage."
Half-True
By Louis Jacobson, Samantha Putterman • April 29, 2026
Social Media
Social Media
stated on April 26, 2026 publicaciones en redes sociales:
“Tras el atentado a Trump”, en la cena de corresponsales de la Casa Blanca el 25 de abril, “Irán lanza un mensaje fuerte: ‘no le crean nada, miente’”.
False
By Maria Briceño • April 28, 2026
Jay Collins
Jay Collins
stated on April 20, 2026 a campaign document:
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds voted "against three pay raises for military service members, including the largest pay raise for the military in 22 years."
Mostly False
By Samantha Putterman • April 23, 2026
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on April 22, 2026 testimony to the Senate Finance Committee:
"There's two ways of calculating percentage" decreases. “If you have a $600 drug and you reduce it to $10, that's a 600% reduction."
Pants on Fire!
By Louis Jacobson • April 23, 2026
Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan
stated on April 18, 2026 comments at the Oval Office:
“With one dose of ibogaine, more than 80% of people are free of (opioid) addiction. With two doses, it's more than 90%.”
Mostly False
By Grace Abels • April 22, 2026
X posts
X posts
stated on April 21, 2026 an X post:
“Newly released FOIA door logs show that former President Joe Biden didn't enter the Oval Office once after the 2024 election.”
Pants on Fire!
By Maria Briceño • April 22, 2026
Chris Wright
Chris Wright
stated on April 19, 2026 an interview on CNN's "State of the Union":
Solar and wind have not reached “3% of global energy.”
Half-True
By Louis Jacobson • April 22, 2026
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