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The first presidential debate annotated

National

Trumptight — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during the presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

By Allison Graves
September 27, 2016

By Joseph Cariz
September 27, 2016

By Katherine Burns
September 27, 2016

By Rachel Tiede
September 27, 2016

We’re annotating the first presidential debate on Medium. See the transcripts and the facts behind what the candidates said here.

Our Sources

Listed inside the Medium annotations.

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Allison Graves

Democratic Governors Association
stated on July 13, 2018 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 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 in 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 in 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 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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

The first presidential debate annotated

Clear

Jon Ossoff
stated on June 27, 2026 in a campaign speech:

Did Mike Collins help double health insurance premiums for 1 million Georgians?

By Ben Brasch • July 16, 2026

Paul Renner
stated on July 10, 2026 in a debate:

FL governor’s race: Did Jay Collins sponsor a bill giving permanent tax breaks to AI data centers?

By Samantha Putterman • July 9, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on July 1, 2026 in remarks to reporters:

"You know why I'm profiting? Because the stock market's going up. ... I'm profiting because I have a lot of money and a lot of cash."

By Louis Jacobson • July 7, 2026

Abdul El-Sayed
stated on June 14, 2026 in an X post:

Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers “took a $14 million payout as a pharma lobbyist.”

By Caleb McCullough • July 2, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on June 30, 2026 in a Truth Social post:

“The United States Supreme Court just ruled against men playing in women’s sports."

By Caleb McCullough • July 1, 2026

Mike Collins
stated on June 17, 2026 in an advertisement:

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff “cast the deciding vote for the inflation disaster,” referring to the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

By Ben Brasch • June 29, 2026

Tommy Tuberville
stated on June 24, 2026 in an interview with Fox News:

Says benefits of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act are “going to go to a lot of people that are here illegally to build houses for them.”

By Alex Min, Louis Jacobson • June 26, 2026

Move Indigo
stated on June 1, 2026 in a statement:

New York state law allows citizens with dual residences to choose where they want to vote.

By Jill Terreri Ramos • June 26, 2026

Graham Platner
stated on June 17, 2026 in an ad:

Sen. Susan Collins “sided with Trump, giving billionaires and corporations a hand out, paid for by cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.”

By Amy Sherman • June 25, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on June 23, 2026 in a speech in Macungie, Pennsylvania:

In the past 13 months, “The typical 401(k) … is up almost $30,000.”

By Louis Jacobson • June 25, 2026

David Jolly
stated on June 11, 2026 in a speech:

Florida is “49th in avoidable hospital costs.”

By Samantha Putterman • June 24, 2026

Marsha Blackburn
stated on June 19, 2026 in an X post:

The Obama Presidential Center is "requiring photo ID to enter."

By Alex Min • June 23, 2026

Susan Collins
stated on June 12, 2026 in an interview with the media:

The Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling on abortion “has not had an impact on the state of Maine in that Maine actually expanded its law.”

By Amy Sherman • June 23, 2026

Jon Ossoff
stated on June 17, 2026 in an ad:

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins “admitted” that President Donald Trump is in the Epstein files.

By Ben Brasch • June 18, 2026

Bernie Sanders
stated on June 12, 2026 in an X post:

"Today, Elon Musk, a trillionaire, pays the same amount into Social Security as someone making $184,500."

By Caleb McCullough • June 17, 2026

Kenzie Annis
stated on June 16, 2026 in an episode of "Love Island USA":

A 20/30 vision score means “people have to be at 20 feet to see” things that “I can see at 30 feet.”

By Gracey Abernethy • June 17, 2026

Steve Robinson
stated on June 5, 2026 in Fox News “The Ingraham Angle”:

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Graham Planter’s “oyster business (is) totally fake.”

By Ben Brasch • June 16, 2026

Josh Hokit
stated on June 14, 2026 in a UFC event at the White House:

“Michelle Obama is a man.”

By Loreben Tuquero • June 15, 2026

Elizabeth Warren
stated on June 5, 2026 in an X post:

“If you live near one of these large data centers, your electricity bills over the last five years have gone up by as much as 267%."

By Caleb McCullough • June 12, 2026

Donald Trump
stated on May 22, 2026 in remarks in Suffern, New York:

“No Republican wins in Nassau.”

By Conor Amendola • June 12, 2026

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The first presidential debate annotated

Our Sources

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Allison Graves

The first presidential debate annotated