Amanda Carpenter and Evan Gershkovich: Trump's and Putin's Authoritarian Projects

What it claims

Claims

1. 1TrueDonald Trump attempted to rig the 2026 midterm elections.Tier1 and tier2 sources document concrete federal efforts in the 2026 midterms, including DOJ subpoenas to California election officials, criminal and civil probes tied to the Alaska Senate race, and attempts to block certification, which support the claim that Trump attempted to manipulate the midterms. The claim's characterization as "rigging" is an interpretive label, and the post itself says these efforts "have so far flopped," which is consistent with an attempt; the sources do not show the efforts succeeded, and the claim does not assert that they did.8 sources →
2. 2OpinionThe Bulwark Daily hosts treat Trump's efforts to rig the midterms as having flopped and see his broader project as failing.A judgement, not a statement of fact. It has no true or false answer.
3. 3MixedDonald Trump planned to blame China for hacking voting machines.Sources confirm Trump blamed China for election interference and voter-data theft in his July 16, 2026 address, and called US voting machines vulnerable. However, the sources say he did not allege China hacked voting machines or altered votes (The Nightly: he never claimed evidence of compromised machines), and none address a plan to blame China for machine hacking. The claim also departs from the passage's framing of a self-sabotaged plan, which no source addresses.8 sources →
4. 4Can’t tellMoney was stolen for the ballroom, the arch, and Pentagon contracts with Trump family members.The sources document ballroom donors, Trump-family-linked Pentagon loans and contracts, and Democratic plans to investigate them, but none establishes that money was stolen; they report allegations, inquiries, and denials. The claim also departs from the passage's framing in one respect: the sources do not address the arch at all.6 sources →
5. 5TrueEvan Gershkovich was held in Russian captivity for 16 months.Multiple sources state that Gershkovich spent 16 months in Russian captivity, detained in March 2023 and freed in August 2024. The claim matches the passage's wording, and no source contradicts it.7 sources →
6. 6TrueThe Chili Pad 2.0 mattress topper controls bed temperature from 55 to 115 degrees.The sources consistently report a 55°F to 115°F operating range for the Chilipad 2.0, including the manufacturer's own product page published before the 2026-09-29 post date, and the claim's 'controls' wording matches the active heating and cooling described. One Business Insider review gives 55–110°F, but its own specifications list 55°F–115°F, so it does not change the verdict.8 sources →

   ▶ 0:22

7. 7TrueThe Chili Pad 2.0 provides temperature regulation from 55 to 115 degrees.As of 2026-09-29, the Chilipad 2.0's stated temperature range was 55 to 115°F, confirmed by the manufacturer's product page (published 2026-09-22) and by independent reviews from Wareable, Mattress Clarity and others. One Business Insider review gives an upper limit of 110 degrees, a minor discrepancy that does not overturn the 55–115 range the other sources report.6 sources →

   ▶ 24:30

8. 8TrueEvan Gershkovich spent 500 days in a Russian prison.Multiple sources say Gershkovich spent nearly 500 days in Russian custody, and others give a precise 491 days, so the claim's 500 is within rounding of the record. The extraction matches the passage, which itself says 'the 500 days he spent in a Russian prison'.7 sources →

   ▶ 2:36

9. 9TrueAmanda Carpenter is a writer and editor at protectdemocracy.org.Multiple sources show Amanda Carpenter was a writer and editor at Protect Democracy (protectdemocracy.org) as of the claim date. The Ash Center interview (2026-08-18) and Protect Democracy's own staff page (2026-01-29) both list her as writer and editor there, and LinkedIn shows the role from July 2023 to present. The post says 'now a writer and editor,' matching the claim; the extraction is faithful.4 sources →

   ▶ 2:49

10. 10Can’t tellDemocrats are planning to cheat in the upcoming midterm elections.The claim departs from the passage: the post's "they" refers to Trump and his administration, who it accuses of trying to rig the midterms, not to Democrats. The sources describe Democrats preparing defensively for interference and fraud claims, and Republicans and the administration as the side accused of rigging, so nothing here supports or refutes a claim that Democrats plan to cheat.6 sources →

    ▶ 5:47

11. 11TrueThe Supreme Court issued a decision on Friday allowing the use of a federal database for individual checks of voter registration.The Supreme Court ruled on Friday, September 25, 2026, to lift restrictions on the Trump administration's revamped SAVE database, letting states use it to verify voters on their rolls before the midterms. The post's phrase 'individual checks' matches the reporting, which notes that broad purges are barred within 90 days of the election, so the claim is accurate as extracted.9 sources →

    ▶ 6:56

12. 12TrueSecretary Lutnick released a census report claiming it would identify thousands of non-citizen voters.Multiple sources show Commerce Secretary Lutnick announced the unsigned Census Bureau report claiming over 24,000 noncitizen voters in 2020, and predicted the next analysis would find tens of thousands more. The sources attribute posting to the Census Bureau rather than to Lutnick personally, a label difference that does not change the core claim.7 sources →

    ▶ 7:54

13. 13TrueMark Wayne Mullen released a report claiming there were 16,000 illegal voters.DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin (the post's "Mark Wayne Mullen") publicly claimed in July 2026 that about 16,000 noncitizens were illegally on Nevada's voter rolls, with DHS's own press release giving 15,903; the claim is about the act of claiming, which is supported. The figure was later reduced to 185 and then to zero, and Nevada officials found those people were citizens, but that does not make the claim that it was made false.7 sources →

    ▶ 8:08

14. 14TrueThe President of the United States gave a prime time address two months ago accusing China of rigging past U.S. elections.Multiple tier-1 sources confirm President Trump gave a prime-time address on July 16, 2026, accusing China of interfering in the 2020 election and warning elections were vulnerable to being rigged; that is about 2.5 months before the September 29 post, so "two months ago" is a close approximation. Fact-checkers say the evidence he offered was overstated, but that does not undo the accusation itself.7 sources →

    ▶ 9:33

15. 15TrueThe President of the United States invited Chairman Sheik to the White House last week.Sources show Xi Jinping, China's leader with the title Chairman, made a state visit to the White House on September 23-25, 2026, at Trump's invitation, which fits 'last week' relative to the September 29 post. The post and claim spell the name 'Sheik', which no source uses; the context (China and election rigging) makes Xi the evident referent, so the verdict is true with reduced confidence because the name mismatch and thin sourcing leave some doubt.2 sources →

    ▶ 9:42

16. 16TrueSecretary of War Pete Hegseth issued a memo regarding special notice to prevent foreign interference in the election with machines.Multiple reliable sources, including AP, CNN and a primary War Department release, confirm that Hegseth signed a memo (dated Sept. 22, publicly announced Sept. 28-29, 2026) directing military cyber and intelligence forces to defend US election systems from foreign interference. The post's 'special notice' wording is loose, but the core claim that he issued such a memo is supported, and the memo's date and phrasing match the post's timing.3 sources →

    ▶ 10:13

17. 17Can’t tellThe Trump administration is planning to go raid voting machines.The sources show officials, agents and commentators fearing or speculating that the Trump administration could seize voting machines, and they document a January 2026 FBI seizure of 2020 election records in Fulton County. None of them documents a plan to raid voting machines, and the CNN report says the administration has not yet taken such action. The claim is also a paraphrase of the speaker's view of what 'they' want, so it is graded as an unconfirmed future plan rather than a documented fact as of 2026-09-29.6 sources →

    ▶ 10:32

18. 18TrueJoe diGenova and Kurt Olson have left their positions investigating former administration officials.Multiple reliable sources confirm that Kurt Olsen resigned from the DOJ 'grand conspiracy' probe on September 28-29, 2026, and that Joseph diGenova, who led it, had departed weeks earlier. The probe targets former government officials, so the claim's description matches the sources; the post's 'Cardolson' and 'Joe to Geneva' are garbled names for the same two people.6 sources →

    ▶ 11:32

19. 19TrueBeau French called for the execution of Donald Trump's political foes.Multiple outlets reporting on a CNN KFile investigation say Bo French, the Texas Railroad Commission Republican nominee (the post spells his name "Beau"), repeatedly called for public executions or the death penalty for political opponents, including Obama and Adam Schiff in 2020 posts tied to Trump's Russia investigation. Those reports trace back to a single investigation, so confidence is capped, and the sources do not describe French's targets as "Trump's foes" in those exact words.9 sources →

    ▶ 15:11

20. 20Can’t tellA drone parts manufacturer backed by Donald Trump Jr. congratulated a drone manufacturer backed by Eric Trump on winning a Department of Defense contract.The sources confirm that Donald Trump Jr. backs Unusual Machines and that Eric Trump backs Xtend and Powerus, and that Unusual Machines and Xtend have won defense work. No source reports that Unusual Machines congratulated any Eric Trump-backed company on a DOD contract, so the central act is unaddressed. The claim matches the post's wording, so this is not an extraction departure.5 sources →

    ▶ 16:48

21. 21MixedTrump is stealing taxpayer money by raiding Secret Service and National Parks funds to build the ballroom.Sources document roughly $300-400 million in Secret Service funds redirected by OMB toward White House security work that Democrats and reporters say helps fund the ballroom, so the Secret Service element is largely supported. The National Parks diversion rests mainly on Heinrich's partisan reporting, the White House says the funds are for security rather than the ballroom itself, and no authority has ruled the spending illegal or theft, so the 'stealing' and 'illegal' framing is contested.9 sources →

    ▶ 18:34

22. 22MixedDonald Trump is using money from the Secret Service and National Parks to fund the construction of a ballroom.Sources support that the Secret Service's taxpayer appropriations (about $350M to $1.17B, reported as redirected in June 2026) were directed toward the ballroom project, though the administration says donors fund the ballroom and Democrats' diversion claims are their own characterization. No source shows money actually taken from National Parks accounts; the National Parks element appears only in a GOP senators' funding proposal that was abandoned, so that part of the claim is not supported.7 sources →

    ▶ 18:43

23. 23TrueClark Construction is performing work on property that Donald Trump does not own.Multiple sources show Clark Construction was performing construction work on the East Wing ballroom site at the White House, and a D.C. Circuit opinion states that each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House, so the claim holds as of 2026-09-29. The post's separate allegation that the work is illegal is not part of the extracted claim and is not graded here.5 sources →

    ▶ 19:43

24. 24TrueDonald Trump regilded the statues on the Memorial Bridge.Multiple sources report that the Arts of War statues on Arlington Memorial Bridge were regilded in 23.75-karat gold leaf under Trump's 'Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Again' initiative, and Trump personally shared photos of the work on Truth Social. The sources attribute the project to his initiative and the Interior Department rather than describing him as personally gilding the statues, but the standard reading of 'Trump regilded the statues' holds.6 sources →

    ▶ 21:09

25. 25TrueThe Trump administration performed a pocket rescission of $800 million across multiple programs.Multiple tier1 and primary sources (Reuters, AP, GAO-related reporting, Senate statements) report that the Trump administration announced a pocket rescission of roughly $800 million in Congress-approved funds across multiple programs and accounts (11 accounts across several agencies), so the claim matches the sources; the post's 'story over the last few days' wording is consistent with the late-September announcement.7 sources →

    ▶ 22:05

26. 26TrueDonald Trump used funds from the Secret Service and national parks to build a ballroom.Multiple sources, including two Senate press releases, report that taxpayer funds were redirected from Secret Service accounts toward the White House ballroom, and one reports NPS records showing money rerouted for projects on White House grounds. The sources differ on amounts ($300M to $1.17B), but the core assertion holds, and the national parks element rests on less direct reporting.5 sources →

    ▶ 22:51

27. 27MixedThe architect for the ballroom project quit due to health and safety standards regarding fire hazards.The Washington Post reporting, relayed by many outlets, says architect James McCrery II resigned after repeatedly warning that the ballroom design violated fire and safety codes, so the safety-and-fire-hazard motive is reported. However, the White House calls the code-related departure story 'factually false and totally inaccurate,' and McCrery himself gave the Post no specific reason, so the causal claim that he quit because of fire-safety standards is contested.6 sources →

    ▶ 23:04

28. 28Can’t tellThe Chili Pad 2.0 has a value of up to 1038 dollars when including a three-year protection plan.None of the sources mentions a $1,038 figure or defines a 'value' that includes a three-year protection plan. Sources show the Chilipad 2.0 priced from $1,599 to $3,198 and the three-year plan at $199 (Yahoo, Mattress Clarity) or $398 (Business Insider), so $1,038 cannot be checked as a total and does not match any listed price. The claim matches the passage's wording, which describes the plan as free, and the sources do not show whether that offer existed on 2026-09-29.8 sources →

    ▶ 25:16

29. 29Can’t tellThere are laws that apply to judges and members of Congress that do not apply to the president and the vice president.The sources do not directly test the claim that some laws apply to judges and members of Congress but not to the president and vice president. The main conflict-of-interest and emergency-powers statutes in the sources exempt all of these officials alike, which cuts against the claim's implied asymmetry, but the impeachment and Texas Law Review sources do not settle the point either way.6 sources →

    ▶ 28:21

30. 30TruePeter Navarro directed a Department of War official to execute a contract involving Donald Trump Jr.ProPublica's reporting, relayed by NPR and cited in Senate Democrats' primary-source letters, says Peter Navarro asked Pentagon officials to approve the $620 million loan to Vulcan Elements, a company in which Donald Trump Jr.'s firm had taken a stake, and that staff were then pushed to move quickly. The claim's wording ('directed' and 'execute a contract') is slightly stronger than the sources' 'requested' and 'loan', but the core assertion holds; the Pentagon's denial concerns Trump Jr.'s role, not Navarro's.7 sources →

    ▶ 29:46

31. 31TrueEvan Gershkovich spent nearly 500 days in a Russian prison on an espionage charge.Multiple sources agree that Gershkovich was held in Russian detention for roughly 491 days, which is 'nearly 500 days', on espionage charges that sources describe as baseless or false. The extraction dropped the word 'fabricated' from the post, but that is a dropped qualifier, so the claim is graded as stated.8 sources →

    ▶ 35:10

32. 32TrueThe Moscow Times was launched in 1992.Multiple independent tier-1 sources (AP and Reuters) state The Moscow Times was founded in 1992, and the paper's own retrospective gives an October 2, 1992 launch date. The claim matches the passage's wording and no source contradicts it. Some sources date the first edition to March 1992, but that still falls within 1992.5 sources →

    ▶ 39:02

33. 33TrueEvan Gershkovich moved to Russia in late 2017.Multiple sources, including Reuters and Gershkovich's own recorded remarks in a UCLA lecture transcript, state that he moved to Russia (Moscow) in late 2017, so the claim holds. The claim's referent matches the passage, where "I" is Gershkovich, and no source contradicts the timing.6 sources →

    ▶ 39:18

34. 34TrueBoris Nemtsov was murdered in the streets near the Kremlin.Multiple independent reliable sources, including Reuters, BBC, NPR, and a US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe primary record, confirm that opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was shot dead on February 27, 2015, on a street or bridge near the Kremlin in Moscow. The claim faithfully reflects the passage, which describes the same event, and the 'in the streets' wording matches reports of a street shooting.7 sources →

    ▶ 39:35

35. 35MixedThe last time a foreign correspondent was taken on fabricated espionage charges in Russia was in the late 1980s.The sources agree the last foreign correspondent espionage case in Russia was in the Soviet era, the Daniloff arrest, but they date it to 1986 (mid-1980s), not the late 1980s the claim states. The post's own "late '80s" wording is the claimant's, so the claim matches the passage, and the gap is one of dating rather than the core assertion.Minor detail. The sources confirm the claim; only a minor detail differs, such as a name's spelling, a title's wording or a rounding.6 sources →

    ▶ 40:00

36. 36TrueRussia passed censorship laws requiring the war in Ukraine to be called a special military operation.Multiple sources confirm that after Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, authorities required media to call the war a 'special military operation' and made calling it a war risky under the March 2022 censorship laws. Reuters attributes the initial requirement to a Roskomnadzor directive, while AP and Freedom House describe it as a legal requirement, a difference in mechanism that does not reverse the claim.7 sources →

    ▶ 40:26

37. 37TrueThe 76th Division of the Russian Air Forces occupied the town of Bucha in Ukraine and committed war crimes.Multiple authoritative sources place units of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division in Bucha during the Russian occupation and document or allege war crimes there, including executions and torture. The post's garbled town name 'Putcha' is the same town as Bucha, so the claim's referent matches the post.6 sources →

    ▶ 41:10

38. 38TrueEvan Gershkovich was held in Russian custody for a year and a half before being released in a prisoner swap.Multiple tier1 sources (AP, BBC, Reuters-linked coverage) and others confirm Gershkovich was detained in March 2023, held about 16 months, and freed in an August 2024 prisoner swap, matching the claim's 'year and a half' framing. The extraction is faithful: the post itself says 'held for a year and a half and used in a swap,' and the claim's 'Russian custody' and 'prisoner swap' are supported by the sources.8 sources →

    ▶ 42:50

39. 39TrueBefore the 2018 World Cup, Vladimir Putin ordered the FSB to catch terrorists and extremists.Sources show Putin ordered the FSB head in December 2017, before the World Cup, to have officers act decisively against suspected terrorists, and that the FSB led World Cup security. The specific pre-tournament address with the quoted 'catch terrorists and extremists' wording is not found in the sources, but nothing contradicts the core assertion.3 sources →

    ▶ 44:05

40. 40TrueRussia uses journalists as cover for its intelligence operatives.Multiple sources, including a Reuters report quoting Dmitry Muratov that journalists can sometimes be used as spies, a 2017 Politico report on Kremlin agents masked as journalists, and a 2025 Lansing Institute analysis of intelligence officers under journalistic cover, support the claim that Russia uses journalists as cover for intelligence operatives. The claim matches the passage's wording and no source contradicts it; the sources describe the practice as ongoing, though the most recent direct account is from 2025.5 sources →

    ▶ 44:45

41. 41Can’t tellVladimir Putin expressed confusion to Tucker Carlson that the United States would work to secure the release of a basketball player but not a spy.No source reports Putin telling Carlson he was confused that the US would work harder to recover a basketball player than a spy; the claim comes from the post's own account of a post-interview Kremlin tour. The sources cover the February 2024 Carlson interview and Putin's remarks on Gershkovich, but none addresses this tour remark, so it can be neither confirmed nor refuted.5 sources →

    ▶ 46:23

42. 42MixedValerie Hopkins of The New York Times reported that she had to track receipts to monitor supermarket price changes in Russia because people were afraid to speak to her.The NYT article by Valerie Hopkins (Sept. 23, 2026) confirms she has been tracking grocery receipts in Russia to document price changes. However, the excerpt does not say people were afraid to speak to her; it describes shoppers giving scripted 'everything is fine' answers to her questions, which is a different account from the claimed reason.5 sources →

    ▶ 50:43

43. 43TrueEvan Gershkovich was held in Lefortovo prison.Multiple independent reliable sources state that Evan Gershkovich was held at Lefortovo prison in Moscow during his pretrial detention, including AP (2024), the Washington Post (2023) and the BBC (2026). The claim faithfully reflects the passage, which describes his own transfer to Lafortovo.6 sources →

    ▶ 52:25

44. 44Can’t tellA man Evan Gershkovich met in prison was sentenced to 17 years for spray-painting four words on a wall protesting the war.The claim's central figure (17-year sentence for spray-painting four words protesting the war) is not found in the sources; the passage describes an unnamed prisoner Gershkovich met, and the sources cover other anti-war graffiti cases (Lizunova, Kozyreva, Razumova, Bushuev) but none matching a four-word wall protest with a 17-year sentence. The claim departs from the passage, which does not state a four-word count in a way that matches the sentence length as checked, and the sources do not identify the man.9 sources →

    ▶ 58:52

45. 45TrueEvan Gershkovich was held in a prison cell for 23 hours a day for 500 days.Multiple sources report Gershkovich spent 23 hours a day in his cell at Lefortovo, and several describe his detention as nearly 500 days (one gives 491). The claim's figures fall within rounding of the record, though the sources note a cellmate and a shared daily routine, so the 23-hour figure describes a typical day rather than strict solitary confinement throughout.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:03:49

46. 46TrueVladimir Putin is 73 years old.Putin was born October 7, 1952, so on the posting date of 2026-09-29 he was 73, turning 74 only on October 7, 2026. The claim matches the passage's own wording ('he's 73') and the post's referent, so it is graded as made; the later Britannica '74' entry reflects the birthday passing after the claim date.9 sources →

    ▶ 1:09:23

47. 47TrueAlexei Navalny and Boris Nemtsov attempted to build a democratic and free Russia.Sources consistently describe Navalny and Nemtsov as opposition leaders working for a democratic Russia, including a 2015 joint democratic coalition and later accounts of their democratic goals. The claim's wording matches the passage, and no source contradicts the core assertion.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:09:54

48. 48MixedDonald Trump Jr.'s wedding was paid for by the head of the boxing association.The record strongly supports that IBA president Umar Kremlev paid for hundreds of thousands of dollars of Trump Jr.'s wedding celebrations, but Bettina Trump's account (Reuters) says he paid for two after-parties rather than the wedding itself, so the literal reading ('the wedding') and the intended reading ('the wedding festivities') get different grades. The later AP report that Trump Jr. repaid Kremlev (Oct 6) postdates the Sept 29 claim and does not make it false as of that date.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:11:28

49. 49TrueThe FBI announced that it caught a ring of five foreign nationals working for the Russians who were trying to carry out an assassination on U.S. soil.The DOJ and FBI announced on September 15-16, 2026 charges against five people working for Russian intelligence in an alleged plot to murder a Russian dissident in the Washington, D.C. area, with the FBI saying it disrupted the plot. The defendants are a Russian, a Cuban, and a Venezuelan, and all remain at large, so 'caught' is loose wording, and the announcement was about two weeks before the post's 'last week' framing.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:12:58

50. 50TrueAn FSB assassin murdered someone in Germany in broad daylight.The sources consistently report that Vadim Krasikov, an FSB agent, shot dead Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in broad daylight in a Berlin park on 23 August 2019, and that a German court convicted him of murder. The extracted claim is a faithful paraphrase of the post and no source contradicts its core assertion.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:13:16

51. 51FalseThe 1996 Russian presidential election was rigged.Official and authoritative assessments do not support the claim: OSCE monitors found the fraud charges unsubstantiated, and the Central Election Commission and observers reported no significant fraud. Some real irregularities (Tatarstan ballot stuffing, anomalous between-round shifts, Chechnya counting problems) are documented, but they fall far short of the broad allegation that the election was rigged.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:16:07

52. 52TrueRussian serfs were not emancipated until 1861.Multiple reliable sources date the emancipation of Russia's serfs to the 1861 Emancipation Manifesto (19 February Julian / 3 March Gregorian), so serfdom was not ended before 1861. The post's garbled wording ('serfs until 18... from up until 1861') matches this reading, and the claim is a faithful paraphrase.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:16:16

53. 53TrueViolating Russia's law against fake news can result in a 10-year prison sentence.The claim matches the 2022 Russian 'fake news' law, under which penalties reach up to 15 years, with tiers of 5 to 10 years and 10 to 15 years for aggravated cases, so a 10-year sentence is a possible outcome. Some sources describe lower maxima for the basic offense of Article 207.3 (up to 3 or 5 years), but these do not contradict the claim that a 10-year sentence can result. The extraction faithfully reflects the post's 'can land you for 10 years in prison'.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:16:49

54. 54TrueAnna Politkovskaya was a journalist for Novaya Gazeta who was murdered on Vladimir Putin's birthday in 2006.Multiple independent sources confirm Anna Politkovskaya was a Novaya Gazeta journalist shot dead on October 7, 2006, which was Vladimir Putin's birthday. The claim's wording ('murdered on Putin's birthday in 2006') matches the passage's intent; the passage's garbled 'Nova Gazeta' and 'polikovsky' are resolved to the same journalist by the sources.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:17:05

55. 55TrueThe Russian government split the KGB into multiple agencies after the formation of the Russian Federation.Multiple sources, including a primary Congressional Research Service report, state that after the KGB was dissolved in December 1991 its functions were divided among several agencies, such as the SVR and what became the FSB. The claim's 'after the formation of the Russian Federation' timing is a peripheral detail that the sources describe as coinciding with the same 1991 transition, and the extraction faithfully reflects the passage.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:18:10

56. 56TrueDonald Trump stated during his first campaign that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose support.Multiple independent outlets (Reuters, NBC, Politico, NPR, CNN, ABC) report Trump saying at a January 23, 2016 Sioux Center, Iowa rally, during his first presidential campaign, that he could stand on Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and not lose any voters. The claim matches the reported quote and the 'first campaign' timing; the sources note he was a campaign candidate then and the remark was widely reproduced accurately, though the broader loyalty context was often omitted.10 sources →

    ▶ 1:19:55

57. 57TrueGreece and Spain had autocratic regimes in the past.Reuters reports that Franco ran Spain as a right-wing dictatorship for four decades until 1975, and several sources describe the 1967–1974 military junta in Greece as an authoritarian regime. The claim's 'not that long ago' qualifier was dropped in extraction, which does not change the verdict.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:20:23

58. 58TrueWeezer is playing a concert at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.Concert listings published on or before the 2026-09-29 posting date show Weezer scheduled at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC on Friday, October 2, 2026, and a Parklife DC live review confirms the show took place there. The post's 'Capitol One Center' is a misnaming of the same DC venue, so the claim matches the passage. The concert was scheduled as of the posting date and later took place.6 sources →

    ▶ 3:04

59. 59TrueFBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey has resigned.Multiple tier1 and tier2 sources (AP, Reuters, CBS, NYT, Politico, CNN, Bloomberg) report that FBI co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey, the number two at the bureau, announced his resignation on September 28, 2026, citing family reasons; the resignation takes effect October 2. The extraction matches the passage's referent (Bailey, the FBI's second-ranking official) and the claim is graded as stated, with the title 'Deputy Director' matching how sources describe him as co-deputy director.8 sources →

    ▶ 11:44

60. 60Can’t tellVladimir Putin told a head of state that Evan Gershkovich was a spy who operated too openly.The sources corroborate that Putin told a world leader Gershkovich was an intelligence operative and said he was 'much too obvious,' but the extracted claim's 'operated too openly' is not in the passage, which says only 'a stupid spy,' so the claim departs from the post and is graded unverifiable.4 sources →

    ▶ 45:35

61. 61TrueUkrainian journalist Victoria Roschina died in a Russian prison.Multiple independent reliable sources (Reuters, Washington Post, CPJ, RSF, IPI) report that Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, detained by Russian forces in occupied Ukraine, died in Russian custody in September 2024. The extracted claim's core matches the passage, which describes her as killed in Russian prison; the cause and circumstances remain disputed, but the death in Russian detention is well supported.7 sources →
62. 62TrueThe Russian judicial system has a 99% conviction rate.The AP report (2024) states Russian courts convict more than 99% of defendants, and acquittal figures from 2011 to 2023 (0.15% to 0.3%) are consistent with that. A Novaya Gazeta analysis puts the conviction share nearer 80% once dismissed cases are counted, so the figure depends on how the rate is measured; the claim is not refuted as a defendant-level figure. Sources are dated before 2026-09-29 and none reports a change.7 sources →

    ▶ 58:03

63. 63TrueRussia experienced a financial crisis in 1998.Multiple independent reliable sources, including Reuters, the IMF, the World Bank, and a Springer chapter, document that Russia experienced a major financial crisis in August 1998 involving currency, banking, and debt collapse and default. The extraction faithfully reflects the passage's reference to the 1998 financial crisis, and the claim's scope (Russia, 1998, financial crisis) matches the sources.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:15:56

64. 64TrueRussia had a period of democratic reform from 1991 to 1993.Sources support that Russia went through a democratic breakthrough and an attempt at democratization from 1991 to 1993, beginning with Yeltsin's election as the first democratically elected president and ending in the 1993 constitutional crisis. Several scholars describe that period as a failed or incomplete transition, which is context on the outcome rather than a contradiction of the claim that the reform period existed; the claim's wording matches the passage's 'stab at democracy from '91 to '93'.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:16:01

Sources

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• The Headlines · Sep 16, 2026Plus, the Russian businessman who rented an island for Donald Trump Jr. Here’s what we’re covering: Rising Fuel Prices Set Off Anger and Protests Around the World, by Damien CaveHouse Directs Trump to Halt War With Iran or Secure Congress’s Approval, by Robert JimisonTrump ApproSays something close: Umar Kremlev paid for the cost of renting a private island in the Bahamas and a fireworks show for Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding after-party.2 mixed1 can’t tell14 true
• Deadline: White House · Oct 28, 2026October 28, 2026, 5pm; With less than a week to go until election day, as ever, it's the voters with their hands on the wheel in this country. And they're proving today, what they'll prove next week: that they're the ones driving. For more from Nicolle, follow and download her pSays something close: Federal corruption and conflict of interest laws do not apply to the president.2 false5 mixed5 can’t tell32 true
• The NPR Politics Podcast · Sep 29, 2026Voters are already voting in this year's midterms. With Election Day just five weeks away, we take a look at how things are going so far in an election cycle filled with confusion and questions about voting by mail and potential federal interference in election processes. This eSays something close: The Supreme Court revived the SAVE system, a Department of Homeland Security data system, allowing it to be used before the upcoming election.2 mixed23 true
• Kevin Kietzman Has Issues · Sep 17, 2026At our America 250 event Wednesday evening with www.kcmotalkradio.com, my eyes were opened a little bit by a couple things that stood out as our panel on stage discussed the state of American politics.   It featured Guy Benson of Fox News, syndicated radio hosts Vince Coglianese Says something close: Democrats are planning to cheat at elections.2 false2 mixed10 can’t tell37 true
• Letters from an American · Sep 15, 2026September 14, 2026 News broke about a Russian oligarch spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding, The inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security released a report detailing violations of standards at the now-closed detention camp in theSays something close: Umar Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the wedding of Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson in May 2026.1 false1 mixed16 true
• The Lawfare Podcast · Sep 14, 2026In a conversation on YouTube, Lawfare Editor in Chief Benjamin Wittes sat down with Associate Editor Peter Beck and Senior Editors Anna Bower, Eric Columbus, Molly Roberts, and Roger Parloff to discuss an Afghan legal permanent resident deported less than 2 months after case is fSays something close: Joe DiGenova resigned from his position.10 mixed4 can’t tell72 true
• Deadline: White House · Sep 7, 2026September 4, 2026, 4pm; Now even as Americans start casting their ballots, Trump refuses to give up on his effort to suppress the vote. For more from Nicolle, follow and download her podcast, “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace,” wherever you get your podcasts. To listen to tSays something close: The Trump administration is planning to seize ballots and make fraud claims after the midterms to justify interference.3 false6 mixed2 can’t tell32 true