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PolitiFact’s annotated vice presidential debate

National

Table tight — Gov. Mike Pence, right, speaks as Sen. Tim Kaine listens during the vice-presidential debate at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. (Andrew Gombert/Pool vi

By Allison Graves
October 5, 2016

By Joseph Cariz
October 5, 2016

By Katherine Burns
October 5, 2016

By Rachel Tiede
October 5, 2016

PolitiFact’s writers annotated the transcript of the vice presidential debate on Medium. Read the transcript of the debate with our analysis and fact-checks by clicking here.

Our Sources

Listed in the annotation

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Allison Graves

Democratic Governors Association
stated on July 13, 2018 a post on Medium

Says Adam Putnam "backed a water bill that gutted water quality regulations."

By Allison Graves • July 18, 2018

Rick Scott
stated on June 13, 2018 an ad

Says Sen. Bill Nelson "voted for higher taxes" 349 times.

By Allison Graves • July 5, 2018

Ron DeSantis
stated on June 28, 2018 a Fox News debate

Says Adam Putnam "endorsed the Schumer-Obama Gang of Eight immigration amnesty."

By Allison Graves • June 29, 2018

Bill Nelson
stated on June 21, 2018 an ad

Says he "actually wrote the bipartisan law that makes it illegal to drill off Florida’s coast."

By Allison Graves • June 29, 2018

Adam Putnam
stated on June 7, 2018 an interview with Fox News

Florida taxpayers "pay tens of millions of dollars a year to feed and house in our prison system criminal illegal aliens."

By Allison Graves • June 26, 2018

New Republican PAC
stated on June 11, 2018 a political ad

Says Bill Nelson voted for "cuts to Medicare providers" and voted to weaken "Social Security protections" as a U.S. senator.

By Allison Graves • June 15, 2018

Andrew Gillum
stated on June 20, 2018 a debate

Under Philip Levine, Miami Beach "passed a resolution to ban assault rifles, which was not enforceable and never enforced. He passed a resolution to raise the minimum wage, which actually no one got the benefit of because it was not enforced."

By Allison Graves • June 9, 2018

Florida Democratic Party
stated on June 6, 2018 in a press release

"Flip Flop! After opposing term limits for decades, Adam Putnam adopts Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis’ position."

By Allison Graves • June 8, 2018

Ron DeSantis
stated on June 2, 2018 during a BBQ

"The bulk of the problem with the opioid epidemic is the fentanyl and all the synthetic drugs coming across the southern border."

By Allison Graves • June 7, 2018

Florida House Majority Office
stated on May 17, 2018 a video

It is a "myth" that "per-student funding only rose by 47 cents this year."

By Allison Graves • May 30, 2018

Senate Majority PAC
stated on May 21, 2018 in an ad

Says Bill Nelson is "one of America’s most independent senators."

By Allison Graves • May 24, 2018

Bloggers
stated on May 14, 2018 a post on Facebook

"BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump On His Way To Donate Kidney To Melania Trump."

By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018

Bloggers
stated on May 15, 2018 a post on Facebook

"Legendary Actor Sidney Poitier: Donald Trump might become 'The Greatest Of All Time.' "

By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018

The Collective super PAC
stated on May 11, 2018 an ad

Says Gwen Graham "voted against President Obama 52 percent of the time."

By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018

Bloggers
stated on May 14, 2018 a post on the Internet

Says Julia Roberts told Celine Dion, "If you hate Trump you can go in your country."

By Allison Graves • May 15, 2018

Fabricated headline says Julia Roberts told Celine Dion to leave country if she hates Trump so much

Clear

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on January 7, 2026 a press briefing

Says “90% of health care spending treats chronic disease.”

False

By Grace Abels • February 19, 2026

stated on January 14, 2026 a statement

New York ranks No. 1 in the nation for individual tax burden.

Mostly True

By Jill Terreri Ramos • February 17, 2026

Social Media
stated on February 14, 2026 social media posts

The Epstein files “expose Ellen DeGeneres” as a cannibal.

Pants on Fire!

By Loreben Tuquero • February 16, 2026

X posts
stated on February 12, 2026 an X post

Savannah Guthrie's husband’s company is listed as a "co conspirator" in the Epstein files, “in case you're wondering why now of all times for (her) mother to be 'kidnapped.'"

False

By Maria Briceño • February 16, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on February 8, 2026 an interview on NBC

Crime in Minneapolis “is down 25, 30% because we’ve removed thousands of criminals from the area.”

Mostly False

By Amy Sherman • February 13, 2026

stated on January 20, 2026 an op-ed

“New Yorkers pay 49% more than the national average for electricity.”

Mostly True

By Brooke Johnpier • February 13, 2026

Claudia Tenney
stated on January 16, 2026 a post on X

Said she has led the House effort to build a large Micron semiconductor facility near Syracuse.

Half-True

By Andrew McGurl • February 13, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on February 3, 2026 remarks in the Oval Office

"The crime rate now is the lowest it's been since 1900. That's 125 years."

Half-True

By Louis Jacobson • February 12, 2026

Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 publicaciones en redes sociales

“Durante su presentación en el Super Bowl, Bad Bunny le regaló su premio Grammy a Liam Conejo Ramos”, el niño de 5 años que fue detenido por ICE.

False

By Samantha Putterman • February 9, 2026

Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 social media posts

An image shows Bad Bunny wearing a dress and burning the U.S. flag.

Pants on Fire!

By Loreben Tuquero • February 9, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on January 27, 2026 remarks at a restaurant in Iowa

“We right now have more factories and plants being built in our country than we've ever had before.”

Half-True

By Louis Jacobson • February 9, 2026

Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 posts

During the Super Bowl halftime show, “Bad Bunny brought Liam Conejo Ramos onto the stage,” the 5-year-old detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis.

False

By Samantha Putterman • February 9, 2026

Social Media
stated on February 5, 2026 social media posts

An image shows Jeffrey Epstein “still alive and walking the streets of Tel Aviv,” Israel.

Pants on Fire!

By Loreben Tuquero • February 6, 2026

Gretchen Whitmer
stated on February 2, 2026 a Substack

Under Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, there are “fewer families living in poverty” than under her predecessor.

Half-True

By Amy Sherman • February 6, 2026

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on stated on November 17, 2025 in remarks at George Washington University:

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. said ‘we’re not cutting science’ or research. NIH grant cuts show that’s wrong

Pants on Fire!

February 5, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on February 2, 2026 an interview with Dan Bongino

Among Somalis in Minnesota, “92% of them don’t work.”

Pants on Fire!

By Amy Sherman, Louis Jacobson • February 2, 2026

X posts
stated on January 31, 2026 an X post

Images show New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a child with his mother, Mira Nair, and Jeffrey Epstein.

Pants on Fire!

By Maria Briceño • February 2, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on January 21, 2026 remarks

In artificial intelligence, “We're leading China by a lot.”

Half-True

By Loreben Tuquero • January 29, 2026

Jared Moskowitz
stated on January 22, 2026 an X post

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “backlog of unanswered disaster assistance applications has exploded to the largest in its history.”

Mostly True

By Samantha Putterman • January 28, 2026

JD Vance
stated on January 22, 2026 a press conference

"Right now we're focused on Minneapolis because that's where we have the highest concentration of people who have violated our immigration laws."

False

By Amy Sherman • January 28, 2026

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