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John McCain

John McCain

John McCain was a U.S. senator from Arizona, a post he held from 1987 to his death in 2018. He previously served two terms in the U.S. House. He was the Republican nominee for president in 2008. McCain was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and spent his career in the military, as his father did. He was a combat pilot in Vietnam who was shot down and spent 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war. He was born in 1936 in Panama. 

John McCain Website

Scorecard

true
0% 37 Checks
mostly true
0% 37 Checks
half true
0% 31 Checks
mostly false
0% 32 Checks
false
0% 39 Checks
Pants on Fire
0% 8 Checks
For more details, see the Principles of PolitiFact

Latest Fact-Checks By John McCain

Clear
John McCain
John McCain
stated on January 18, 2017 an interview on Fox News
"The Taliban went after and murdered" people identified in the Chelsea Manning leaks. 
Mostly False
By Lauren Carroll • February 1, 2017
John McCain
John McCain
stated on September 6, 2016 a political advertisement
Says Ann Kirkpatrick walked out "on constituents when questioned" on the Affordable Care Act.
Half-True
By Anthony Cave • September 21, 2016
John McCain
John McCain
stated on May 17, 2016 a campaign advertisement
"30,000 Arizonans may have no choice" on Affordable Care Act coverage.
Mostly True
By Anthony Cave • June 11, 2016
John McCain
John McCain
stated on January 4, 2016 a newspaper interview
The Every Student Succeeds Act "did away basically with Common Core."
Mostly False
By Anthony Cave • February 29, 2016
John McCain
John McCain
stated on February 8, 2016 remarks made on the Fox News segment, Outnumbered
North Korea’s missiles are "not going to have a capability to reach the United States anytime real soon."
True
By Anthony Cave • February 16, 2016
John McCain
John McCain
stated on January 27, 2016 a committee hearing
"Today Russia holds many of our most precious national security satellites at risk before they ever get off the ground."
Mostly True
By Anthony Cave • January 30, 2016
John McCain
John McCain
stated on May 24, 2015 an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation"
If you count United States airstrikes against ISIS, "75 percent of those combat missions return to base without having fired a weapon."
True
By Louis Jacobson • May 28, 2015
John McCain
John McCain
stated on January 13, 2015 a press conference
"About 30 percent" of those released from Guantanamo "have re-entered the fight."
Mostly False
By Lauren Carroll • January 15, 2015
John McCain
John McCain
stated on October 12, 2014 comments on CNN's "State of the Union"
"We were told there would never be a case of Ebola in the United States."
False
By Lauren Carroll • October 12, 2014
John McCain
John McCain
stated on September 10, 2014 an interview on CNN
Says President Obama "has never made a statement ... that he wanted a residual force left (in Iraq)."
Mostly True
By Lauren Carroll • September 12, 2014
John McCain
John McCain
stated on September 10, 2014 an interview on CNN
"(Obama's) entire national security team, including his secretary of state, said we want to arm and train and equip (Syrian rebel forces), and he made the unilateral decision to turn them down."  
Mostly True
By Steve Contorno • September 11, 2014
John McCain
John McCain
stated on August 27, 2014 comments on MSNBC's "Daily Rundown"
Says he holds the record for "most appearances on 'Meet the Press'."
Mostly True
By Linda Qiu • August 27, 2014
John McCain
John McCain
stated on June 1, 2014 an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation"
The five Taliban detainees being released from Guantanamo in exchange for captured Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl "are the hardest of the hard-core. These are the highest high-risk people."
Mostly True
By Louis Jacobson • June 2, 2014
John McCain
John McCain
stated on September 1, 2013 an interview on "Face the Nation"
Fleeing Syria, "a million children are now refugees."
True
By Jon Greenberg • September 3, 2013
John McCain
John McCain
stated on April 26, 2013 a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
"Over half" of science, technology, engineering and mathematics students "receiving advanced degrees are not citizens of the United States of America."
Half-True
By Louis Jacobson • April 30, 2013
John McCain
John McCain
stated on March 6, 2011 an interview on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour"
Says iPads and iPhones "are built in the United States of America."
False
By Louis Jacobson • March 9, 2011
John McCain
John McCain
stated on December 14, 2010 a statement on the U.S. Senate floor
Earmarks requested in a federal spending bill included  "$277,000 for potato pest management in Wisconsin."
True
December 19, 2010
John McCain
John McCain
stated on August 3, 2010 a report
Federal stimulus money went to a Georgia Tech project that will "apparently involve the professor jamming with 'world-renowned musicians' to 'hopefully also create satisfying works of art.'"  
Mostly False
By Willoughby Mariano • September 13, 2010
John McCain
John McCain
stated on July 29, 2010 a campaign commercial
"The border security plan of Sens. McCain and Kyl called for 3,000 additional troops to keep us safe. President Obama says he'll send 524."
Half-True
By Angie Drobnic Holan • August 11, 2010
John McCain
John McCain
stated on May 7, 2010 a campaign ad
"Of all the illegals in America, more than half come through Arizona."
Mostly False
By Alex Holt • July 23, 2010
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Latest Fact-Checks About John McCain

Kelli Ward
Kelli Ward
stated on July 3, 2016 a campaign advertisement
Says Sen. John McCain spent the July 4 weekend in Islamabad, Pakistan, selling "F-16s and advanced weapons to the folks who harbored Osama bin Laden."
False
By Anthony Cave • July 14, 2016
Ann Kirkpatrick
Ann Kirkpatrick
stated on May 8, 2016 an interview with MSNBC's Al Sharpton
Says Sen. John McCain "told dreamers that he’ll support the Dream Act, then he voted against it."  
Half-True
By Anthony Cave • May 24, 2016
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
stated on July 19, 2015 comments on ABC's This Week.
Says John McCain "has done nothing to help the vets."
False
By Linda Qiu • July 21, 2015
Harry Reid
Harry Reid
stated on December 4, 2010 the Senate floor
"The senior senator from Arizona (John McCain) said he couldn't support repealing 'don't ask, don't tell' because of the economy."
Half-True
December 6, 2010
J.D. Hayworth
J.D. Hayworth
stated on August 5, 2010 a TV ad against John McCain
McCain opposed the border fence.
False
By Lukas Pleva • August 11, 2010
J.D. Hayworth
J.D. Hayworth
stated on June 14, 2010 a campaign commerical
John McCain "began his career in Washington as a lobbyist when he was appointed in 1976 as the Navy's liaison to the United States Senate."
Half-True
By Louis Jacobson • July 5, 2010
J.D. Hayworth
J.D. Hayworth
stated on June 4, 2010 a campaign commercial
John McCain "voted against the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, wrongly claiming they helped only the rich."
Mostly True
By Louis Jacobson • June 15, 2010
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