Polygraph

Trump Corruption, Women’s Power, and the Fight for the Midterms

The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Checked

Polygraph score
97Holds up34 claims checked
Details
What it claims
3 mixed3 can’t tell39 true
How it argues
Nothing found
How it persuades
Nothing found
What it’s built on
Nothing found
The Briefing with Jen PsakiOct 23, 2026
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The Briefing with Jen PsakiTrump Corruption, Women’s Power, and the Fight for the MidtermsWhole episode, 41:07
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45 claims

What it claims

Claims

  1. 1TrueThe podcast episode aired on October 22, 2026 at 9pm.The claim matches the post's own listing of October 22, 2026 at 9pm, and the Amazon Music episode page dated 'Yesterday' relative to an October 23 posting corroborates the October 22 date, while the show's schedule lists a 9PM ET slot Tuesday through Friday. One aggregator (Reason.fm) lists the episode under Oct 24, a conflict the summary flags, and the post's own text is not independent evidence.3 sources →
  2. 2Can’t tellJennifer Siebel Newsom, Sarah Longwell, and Scott Colom were guests on the podcast episode.The only sources naming these three guests are podcast listings that repeat the episode description the claim was extracted from, so they are circular and not independent confirmation. Independent sources do not address the episode, and the AP piece identifies Scott Colom only as a candidate, not a podcast guest.7 sources →
  3. 3TrueA globe used by Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II was broken at the Defense Department this year.The claim is supported: a WWII-era Eisenhower globe was damaged when Hegseth's staff tried to move it at the Pentagon on February 3, 2026, and the Army and Pentagon confirmed the incident. The sources say the globe was damaged and its mount broken rather than shattered, which is consistent with the claim's 'broken' wording.3 sources →

    ▶ 0:23

  4. 4TruePete Hegseth's staff broke an Eisenhower globe while moving it to his office.Multiple reliable sources, including Snopes (rated True), The Hill, and The Washington Post, confirm that Hegseth's staff damaged an Eisenhower-linked WWII globe while trying to move it to his office. The damage occurred in early February 2026, not October when the reports surfaced, and the Pentagon's statement refers to a replica, which the claim does not contradict.6 sources →

    ▶ 0:58

  5. 5TrueA partial government shutdown was in effect when the Eisenhower globe was moved by Pete Hegseth's staff.The sources establish that the globe was damaged during an attempted move by Hegseth's staff on February 3, 2026, and that a partial government shutdown that began January 31 was ongoing that day and ended the same day the globe was damaged. The claim's central assertion holds, and the extraction faithfully reflects the passage's 'Hecksath' (Hegseth) and shutdown references.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:26

  6. 6TrueThe Ukrainian army experienced a slowdown of the Starshield satellite system for over a week.Multiple reliable sources, including Reuters and AP, report that Starlink and its military version Starshield were throttled for over a week beginning around October 14, affecting Ukrainian military operations, until speeds were reported restored on October 24. The claim is a faithful paraphrase of the post and the core assertion is supported.7 sources →

    ▶ 2:31

  7. 7TrueElon Musk has spent more than 400 million dollars supporting Republicans in the 2026 midterms.As of the claim's date (2026-10-23), sources reported Musk's political giving to Republican-aligned groups at about $445 million through mid-October, above the $400 million claimed. An earlier mid-October snapshot of $276 million is superseded, and later reporting (about $474 million by Nov 2) is past the claim date, so it does not change the verdict.6 sources →

    ▶ 4:39

  8. 8TrueElon Musk is investing one billion dollars for a stake in a new media company run by an ally of Donald Trump.Multiple reports dated 2026-10-22 say Elon Musk made a roughly $1 billion investment for a stake in Skydance, which is led by David Ellison, son of Trump ally Larry Ellison; this was true as of the 2026-10-23 post date. The post's "Mega media company" label does not appear in the sources, but the extraction's dropped qualifier is a faithful simplification.7 sources →

    ▶ 4:48

  9. 9TrueVivek Ramaswamy released an ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother.Multiple reliable outlets confirm that Ramaswamy's campaign produced and aired an ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, and Ramaswamy publicly defended it. The claim's wording ('released') matches the campaign's own account of producing and airing the ad, and the passage's 'airing' is consistent with it.5 sources →

    ▶ 5:57

  10. 10TrueAmy Acton was removed from her mother's custody at age twelve after her stepfather was criminally charged with raping her.Multiple tier1 sources (Snopes, FactCheck.org, AP) and court records reported by NBC4, PEOPLE and others confirm Acton was removed from her mother's custody at age 12 after her stepfather was charged with raping her; the claim's 'criminally charged' element is supported by court documents, and the extraction faithfully tracks the passage. Snopes notes the stepfather was never tried and the rape itself cannot be definitively confirmed without a conviction, but the claim asserts the charge, which is documented.4 sources →

    ▶ 6:13

  11. 11TrueThe sitting Republican governor of Ohio called on Vivek Ramaswamy to remove his campaign ad from the air.Multiple tier1/tier2 sources (NBC News, NYT, AP-based reporting) confirm that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine publicly called on Ramaswamy to take down the ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, on October 22, 2026, before the October 23 posting date. DeWine remained the sitting Republican governor; the later development that the ad was taken off the air around October 29 does not change the state of affairs on the claim's date.7 sources →

    ▶ 6:19

  12. 12TrueJennifer Siebel Newsom is the First Partner of California.The California governor's official website (published 2026-10-03) identifies Jennifer Siebel Newsom as the First Partner of California, and a 2025 Snopes piece on the Office of the First Partner is consistent with that role, so the claim held on 2026-10-23. The post's spelling 'Steibel' is a trivial typo of her surname, not a change in the claim, and no source contradicts the claim.4 sources →

    ▶ 9:43

  13. 13FalseThe documentary Misrepresentation: Rise Up premieres on October 23, 2026.The distributor's announcement and most listings put the film's New York premiere and release on October 22, 2026, not October 23, and the film premiered at Tribeca in June. Only a Rotten Tomatoes page, published after the claim date, lists an October 23 limited theatrical release, so the October 23 premiere date is contradicted by the weight of the sources. The post's title spelling 'Misrepresentation' is the post's own, and the sources identify the film as 'Miss Representation: Rise Up'.7 sources →

    ▶ 9:47

  14. 14TrueVivek Ramaswamy's campaign released an ad regarding the Ohio governor's race.Multiple independent tier1 and tier2 sources (AP, NPR, NBC, CNN, cleveland.com) confirm Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign produced and released the attack ad about Ohio's governor race featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother. The claim is a faithful paraphrase of the passage, which referred to the ad by Ramaswamy's campaign in the Ohio governor's race; the ad was later pulled from air, which does not make the earlier release claim false.4 sources →

    ▶ 10:30

  15. 15TrueVice President J.D. Vance defended the ad released by Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign.Multiple tier-1 outlets (Reuters, AP, The Hill, Politico) report that Vice President JD Vance publicly defended the attack ad by Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign on October 21, 2026, including at a rally where he praised the ad and criticized Republicans who objected. The claim matches the passage's content without adding anything, and the sources do not contradict it.7 sources →

    ▶ 10:41

  16. 16TrueDonald Trump stated he felt badly for the men accused in the Cornell rape case.Multiple reports quote Trump saying on October 2, 2026, that he feels "badly for whoever she's looking at because they won't get a fair shake," which outlets identify as the seven accused Cornell men. The claim's core, that he expressed sympathy for the accused men, is supported; the wording "the men" is an identification of the referent that the sources make, not a contradiction.6 sources →

    ▶ 12:47

  17. 17TrueDonald Trump stated he felt badly for Congressman Max Miller after abuse allegations were made against him.Multiple sources quote Trump on August 4, 2026 saying of Rep. Max Miller, "I hope he's able to work it out. I feel badly for him," amid the domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife. The claim's extraction matches the passage, which refers to Trump, and the remark is quoted directly across several outlets.6 sources →

    ▶ 12:51

  18. 18TrueDonald Trump's presidency has rolled back women's rights twice.Tier1 sources document a first-term rollback, as AP reports Roe was overturned by a Court with three Trump-appointed justices, and a second-term rollback, as FactCheck.org and Snopes describe executive orders rescinding the Gender Policy Council and ending DEI and gender-identity protections. The claim's 'rolled back' framing is an evaluative characterization that some sources (advocacy groups, Senate Democrats) share, so confidence is moderate.9 sources →

    ▶ 19:52

  19. 19TrueThe Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski over accusations that he profited from his role in government.Multiple tier1 and tier2 sources (Reuters, NYT, BBC/CBS, AP) report on 2026-10-23 that the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski over allegations he profited from his government role, based on a DHS inspector general referral. The NYT, citing two officials, states the DOJ opened the probe directly; Reuters cites anonymous sources and notes DOJ had not yet issued subpoenas, and Lewandowski's lawyer denies wrongdoing and says he has not been contacted, but none of this contradicts the core assertion that the investigation exists. The claim's wording matches the passage, and the post's reference to 'Trump's Justice Department' is consistent with the sources.6 sources →

    ▶ 20:52

  20. 20TrueDonald Trump ousted Kimberly Gilfoyle as ambassador to Greece after she asked a Republican donor to pay off her Amex bill for $100,000 in exchange for access to senior Trump administration officials.The White House asked Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign, and multiple tier-1 outlets report it followed reporting that she sought a donor's help paying a roughly $100,000 American Express bill in exchange for access to administration officials. The post said 'reportedly' and Guilfoyle denies the allegations and disputes the messages' authenticity, a qualifier the extraction dropped, but no source contradicts the core of the claim. The sources spell her name 'Guilfoyle' rather than 'Gilfoyle'.10 sources →

    ▶ 21:38

  21. 21TrueDonald Trump fired former DHS Secretary Christine Om for spending over $220 million in taxpayer money on an ad campaign.Sources show Trump fired Kristi Noem (the post's 'Christine Om' is a misspelling) in March 2026 and that the $220 million ad campaign was a central reason, cited by an administration official alongside other leadership failures and her public blame of Trump over the ads. The claim omits the 'among other things' qualifier, so the ad campaign was one of several reasons rather than the sole cause.4 sources →

    ▶ 21:58

  22. 22TrueDonald Trump generated $2.2 billion in income during his first year back in office.Trump's 2025 financial disclosure, reported by PolitiFact, the BBC, and The New York Times, shows he took in at least $2.2 billion in his first year back in office, so the claim holds as of 2026-10-23. The post's 'last week alone' qualifier was dropped, but the post itself used the $2.2 billion first-year figure, so the extraction is faithful. The figure is a disclosure-based income total that includes non-crypto sources, which some outlets describe as 'revenue'.4 sources →

    ▶ 23:05

  23. 23TrueDonald Trump implemented tariffs that are contributing to higher costs for voters.As of 2026-10-23, multiple tier1 and tier2 sources show Trump's tariffs raised consumer goods prices (NY Fed: about 2.9 percentage points on goods inflation through February 2026, roughly 1% lower prices without them), and the Economist and BBC tie tariffs to higher household costs. The claim's 'contributing to higher costs for voters' is supported; the post's claim that they are the 'two biggest' contributors and sole decisions of Trump is not separately graded, and the Boston Fed paper notes productivity partly offset the tariff effect, which is context rather than contradiction.8 sources →

    ▶ 25:49

  24. 24TrueDonald Trump initiated a war with Iran.Multiple sources, including AP and Politico, report that Trump launched the February 28, 2026 war with Iran, and the Origins essay says Trump 'started a war with Iran in February 2026'. The claim's wording matches the passage's reference to 'the war with Iran' as a decision Trump made, and no source contradicts it; Trump's own rally claim that Iran started the war is a disputed characterization, not a contradicting source.8 sources →

    ▶ 25:49

  25. 25TrueA Fox News poll identified corruption as the number one issue that voters care about.The Fox News poll conducted October 9-12, 2026 and reported by The Hill on October 15 ranked government corruption as the top concern among voters, ahead of inflation and high prices. The claim matches the passage's wording and the poll's ranking, and the poll predates the October 23 post.6 sources →

    ▶ 29:12

  26. 26TrueDonald Trump pressured Bill Barr to use the Justice Department to support claims of election fraud in 2020.The sources document Trump pressuring the Justice Department over unsubstantiated 2020 fraud claims while Bill Barr was Attorney General, and Barr publicly rejected those claims. No source explicitly describes Trump pressing Barr personally to use the department to back the claims, so that link rests on inference from the documented pressure and Barr's rebuff.5 sources →

    ▶ 31:05

  27. 27TrueDonald Trump replaced Bill Barr with Jeffrey Rosen as Attorney General.Multiple tier1 sources (AP, Reuters, PolitiFact) and tier2 sources (NPR, PBS) confirm that after Attorney General William Barr publicly stated there was no evidence of election fraud, Trump's Attorney General position passed to Jeffrey Rosen, who was Barr's deputy and was named by Trump as Barr's replacement in December 2020. The sources describe Rosen as acting rather than formally confirmed AG, a detail that does not defeat the core claim, and the claim faithfully reflects the passage's assertion that Trump replaced Barr with Rosen.7 sources →

    ▶ 31:17

  28. 28TrueTop leaders at the Justice Department threatened to resign if Donald Trump replaced Jeffrey Rosen.Multiple tier1 and tier2 sources (AP, Reuters, PolitiFact, NPR, NBC, CBS) report that top Justice Department leaders threatened mass resignation if Trump replaced acting AG Jeffrey Rosen, and that Trump backed down. The post's 'unanimously' and 'top leaders' wording is consistent with reporting that most of DOJ leadership threatened to resign en masse; the claim is a faithful paraphrase of the passage.6 sources →

    ▶ 31:32

  29. 29TrueAttorney General Todd Blanch stated that he works for President Trump and is not independent.Multiple outlets quote Attorney General Todd Blanche on October 21, 2026, saying "I work for President Trump" and dismissing the idea of DOJ independence from the White House as a "misperception," which supports the claim's core. The claim's phrase "is not independent" is a paraphrase of his rejection of independence (his literal "I don't [suffer from independence]" is awkwardly worded), and the sources read it that way; the statement was made on Wednesday, October 21, not the day before the post's date, which does not change the verdict.6 sources →

    ▶ 31:59

  30. 30TrueScott Colum is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Mississippi.As of 2026-10-23, multiple sources confirm Scott Colom was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Mississippi, having won the Democratic primary in March 2026 (Newsweek, 67.2% when called) and being repeatedly described as the Democratic nominee in October coverage (NPR, Sun Herald, ABC, The Root). The claim is accurately extracted from the passage and no source contradicts it.9 sources →

    ▶ 34:53

  31. 31TrueDonald Trump won Mississippi by 24 points in 2024.Trump won Mississippi in 2024 by about 23 points, with certified results showing 60.9% to 38.0%, a 22.9-point margin. The claim's 24-point figure is about one point high, which is casual imprecision rather than a contradiction; the only source showing roughly 24 points is a partial-count snapshot.8 sources →

    ▶ 35:27

  32. 32TrueCindy Hyde-Smith is the incumbent Republican Senator for Mississippi.As of 2026-10-23, Cindy Hyde-Smith was the sitting Republican U.S. Senator for Mississippi seeking re-election, as shown by the congress.gov record, the CAWP primary results, and multiple October 2026 candidate guides describing her as the incumbent. The extracted claim matches the passage's own wording ('Incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde smith'), with only a spelling variant in the surname, and no source contradicts it; by November 2 she remained the incumbent in the race.7 sources →

    ▶ 35:35

  33. 33TrueSenate Democrats' campaign arm has spent over a million dollars to boost Scott Colom's campaign.As of 2026-10-23, AP and Politico reported that Senate Majority PAC, the Democratic-aligned super PAC that AP describes as Senate Democrats' top campaign spending group, committed $1.2 million in television ads to boost Scott Colom, with the ad starting that week. The main caveat is that the separate DSCC buy of $500,000 came later, on Oct 28, and does not affect the claim's date.6 sources →

    ▶ 35:54

  34. 34TrueScott Colom has conducted over 60 town halls over the last year.The claim matches the extraction faithfully, and several outlets report Colom's count as 60 or more town halls, with one saying at least 75 as of October 8. However, these figures trace back to Colom's own statements and no independent tally verifies them, and the sources do not address the 'over the last year' timeframe.6 sources →

    ▶ 37:00

  35. 35Mixed400,000 Mississippians will not receive health care next year because of the policies of Donald Trump and Cindy Hyde-Smith.The 400,000 figure appears only as a projection from the state insurance department, relayed by Colom, and sources give competing estimates of 200,000 to 300,000 uninsured or lost coverage. The causal link to Trump and Hyde-Smith is partly supported, since sources tie the expired ACA subsidies and Medicaid cuts to their votes, but the post's 'next year' figure is a forecast the sources do not consistently confirm.8 sources →

    ▶ 38:13

  36. 36TrueNo Democrat has been elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi since 1982.Multiple sources state that Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982, when John Stennis was last re-elected, and the 1996–2024 results show only Republican winners. The claim's wording matches the passage, with 'from Mississippi' supplied by the post's context.7 sources →

    ▶ 38:40

  37. 37MixedDonald Trump called Elon Musk and told him to restore full access to the Starshield system.Multiple outlets (NYT, CNN, citing anonymous officials or a person familiar with the matter) report that Trump called Musk and asked him to restore Ukraine's full Starshield access, but Reuters reports Trump denied speaking to Musk personally, and Trump himself declined to confirm the call. The claim also drops the post's 'reportedly' hedge and says 'told' where sources say 'asked'; the evidence is anonymously sourced and conflicting, not documented.6 sources →

    ▶ 4:19

  38. 38TrueJennifer Siebel Newsom released a documentary titled Misrepresentation: Rise Up.Multiple sources show Jennifer Siebel Newsom directed and co-wrote a new documentary released on October 22, 2026, before the October 23 claim date. The sources title it "Miss Representation: Rise Up" rather than "Misrepresentation: Rise Up"; the near-identical title does not change which film is meant, so this is a minor title error rather than a contradiction.7 sources →

    ▶ 8:31

  39. 39Mixed80% of women aspiring towards leadership are targets of harassment, rape threats, and death threats.The sources do not support the claim's 80% figure for threats. They report roughly 80% of women parliamentarians experiencing psychological violence, but about 42-44% receiving threats of death, rape, or beating, and none addresses women aspiring to leadership. The claim also departs from the post's 40% figure for women generally, which is not in the claim as extracted. As of 2026-10-23 the record does not show the threat figure claimed.11 sources →

    ▶ 19:29

  40. 40Mixed40% of women across the board are targets of harassment, rape threats, and death threats.The 40% figure matches survey results for female parliamentarians (IPU 2016: about 40–44% reported death, rape, or similar threats), but the sources do not show that 40% of all women face such threats. The claim's 'across the board' scope widens a politician-specific survey to women generally, and the post's 80% clause was dropped in extraction without changing the 40% assertion. As of 2026-10-23, the record supports the figure only for the subgroup.7 sources →

    ▶ 19:29

  41. 41TrueAttorney General Todd Blanch stated that he would not rule out DOJ interference in the election or state certification process.Multiple reports of Blanche's October 22, 2026 remarks confirm he declined to rule out DOJ action that could block state certification in a hypothetical 'doomsday scenario', saying 'of course I'm not going to say that.' The claim's core matches the record, though he paired this with a stated intention not to improperly interfere, and the claim's 'Blanch' spelling is a variant of 'Blanche'.7 sources →

    ▶ 32:36

  42. 42TrueCindy Hyde-Smith refuses to participate in debates.As of 2026-10-23, sources show Hyde-Smith had not agreed to any of the debates Colom challenged her to, and her campaign dismissed the challenge as a 'debate about debates'; a Prospect report of 2026-11-02 says she 'has refused to debate.' The claim matches the post's wording, but no source quotes her directly refusing, and one interview-based source notes Colom did issue invitations, so confidence is moderate.5 sources →

    ▶ 39:44

  43. 43TrueScott Colom supports raising the minimum wage.Multiple independent sources, including a candidate's own campaign page, Sun Herald and WAPT/Enterprise-Journal reporting, and a 2026 voters guide, show Scott Colom advocates raising the federal minimum wage (from $7.25). The claim's extraction from the passage ('vote for Scott Clon' to 'fight for higher wages by raising the minimum wage') is a faithful reading of the post's own content, and the post itself is a candidate-ally endorsement rather than evidence; as of 2026-10-23 the position was consistently reported.7 sources →

    ▶ 40:10

  44. 44TrueScott Colom supports lowering tariffs.Multiple sources show Scott Colom, the Democratic Senate candidate in Mississippi, consistently opposing Trump's tariffs and calling for low tariffs as of October 2026, which matches the claim as of 2026-10-23. The claim is a faithful extraction of the passage's 'making tariffs low' remark, and the sources are mostly local news and campaign materials rather than fact-checkers.8 sources →

    ▶ 40:14

  45. 45TrueScott Colom supports ending United States involvement in the war in Iran.Multiple sources show Colom opposes the Iran war and has said he wants to end it, including pledging to 'fight to get out the war' and 'end the president's war in Iran.' The claim matches the post's framing of Colom as the candidate who would get the US out of the war, and the position was documented before the 2026-10-23 posting date.6 sources →

    ▶ 40:14

Sources

Fact-checkers 56Primary records 7Most reliable outlets 9Reliable outlets 45Less reliable outlets 3Unrated 143

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