TDS Time Machine | Jon Stewart vs. Fox News

What it claims

Claims

1. 1Can’t tellNew customers can save 35% on their first month of a Dose subscription by using the code TDS.The claim faithfully reflects the post's sponsor read, but no source addresses the TDS code or confirms its 35% first-month offer on 2026-08-28. The sources show other 35% new-customer Dose offers under different codes, and the repeated ad copy in podcast listings is circular, so the claim cannot be graded in either direction.10 sources →

   ▶ 8:14

2. 2TrueThe Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central.The claim that The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central matches multiple sources, including Reuters and AP, which report an 11 p.m. Eastern (10 Central) weeknight slot on Comedy Central, and a Radio.net listing that uses the exact '11/10c' phrasing. Sources describe the timeslot as 11 p.m. ET/PT, consistent with 11/10c, and the claim is treated as holding as of 2026-08-28; the schedule is shown unchanged in later coverage.6 sources →

   ▶ 45:11

3. 3TrueFrank Rich has not appeared on The Daily Show since 2006.Episode-guide data lists Frank Rich's last Daily Show appearance as October 17, 2006, and no later appearance appears in the sources, so the claim that he has not appeared since 2006 is supported. The claim faithfully matches the passage, which is Jon Stewart's on-air bit, and the guides are non-primary, unrated sources, which caps confidence.4 sources →

   ▶ 1:15

4. 4FalseFox News uses the slogan 'fair and balanced'.The claim uses the present tense, but multiple sources report that Fox News dropped the 'fair and balanced' slogan, with a Fox spokesperson confirming it had not been used in external marketing or on-air promotions since August 2016. A 2026 CJR piece also describes the network's current line as 'Most Watched. Most Trusted.' The extraction faithfully tracks the post's 'That's your slogan' remark, so the post's own wording is graded as is.6 sources →

   ▶ 1:37

5. 5OpinionFox News is a terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization.A judgement, not a statement of fact. It has no true or false answer.

   ▶ 2:36

6. 6Can’t tellFox News engages in relentless conservative activism.The claim is a sweeping characterization of Fox News, lifted from Jon Stewart's satirical rebuttal of Bernie Goldberg, and it is not a checkable factual assertion. Sources document critics calling Fox partisan and conservative-leaning, but none establish or refute 'relentless activism' as a factual matter, and the claim is graded as of 2026-08-28.4 sources →

   ▶ 5:39

7. 7TrueDose for Cholesterol contains turmeric, COQ10, ginger, and amla.The claim matches the post's wording, and multiple product listings (HEB, Target, Hy-Vee, Wegmans, Fresh Thyme) plus a 2026 clinical trial paper all list turmeric, CoQ10, ginger (ginger juice powder) and amla (amla extract) as ingredients of Dose for Cholesterol. The product listings are retailer and manufacturer-derived rather than independent testing, and the trial was published before the 2026-08-28 posting date, so the claim holds as of that date.7 sources →

   ▶ 7:42

8. 8MixedThere have been 17 government shutdowns in the United States.The 17 figure matches a 2013 Washington Post count of 'so-called shutdowns' since 1976, which American Progress disputed as inflated by six pre-1980 funding gaps that were not true shutdowns. Current sources give different totals depending on the measure: about 10 to 11 shutdowns (Al Jazeera, Wikipedia) versus about 21 to 22 funding gaps (NYT, USA Today), so 17 does not match any current count under a standard definition. The claim is also a 2026 present-tense statement, and the cited sources do not give one agreed total.8 sources →

   ▶ 9:42

9. 9TrueThe Department of Justice released a report on the Ferguson, Missouri, Police Department shooting of Michael Brown that exonerated Officer Darren Wilson.The DOJ's March 4, 2015 report on the Michael Brown shooting cleared Officer Darren Wilson of federal civil rights charges, finding no prosecutable violation, and multiple sources confirm this. The claim omits the post's 'two weeks ago' timing, which the sources do not support, but that peripheral detail does not affect the core assertion.8 sources →

   ▶ 12:43

10. 10TrueThe Department of Justice released a report stating that the Ferguson Police Department violates the Constitution and federal law with a pattern of racial bias, unreasonable force, and intentional discrimination.The DOJ's March 4, 2015 Ferguson report, a primary source, found a pattern or practice of conduct that routinely violates the Constitution and federal law, driven by racial bias, excessive force, and intentional discrimination, and several independent outlets reported the same findings. The extraction drops the post's 'routinely' and 'mistreatment of detainees' without changing the core claim. The post's 'two weeks ago' timing is wrong, since the report dates from 2015, but the claim does not assert a date.7 sources →

    ▶ 12:56

11. 11TrueMembers of Congress used the phrase 'Hands up, don't shoot' in relation to the Ferguson protests.Multiple independent sources (Politico, NY Daily News, Wikipedia, Bustle, Atlanta Black Star, Veasey's office) report that members of Congress, including Reps. Jeffries, Clarke, Jackson Lee and Green, made the 'Hands up, don't shoot' gesture on the House floor in December 2014 in solidarity with Ferguson protesters. The claim's wording is a loose paraphrase of the post's line, which refers generally to members of Congress saying the phrase; sources document the gesture and the slogan's use by lawmakers, so the core assertion holds.9 sources →

    ▶ 14:53

12. 12TrueThe Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee released a report on Benghazi on November 21, 2014.Multiple tier1 and primary sources confirm the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (Republican-controlled) released its final Benghazi report on November 21, 2014, as the claim states. The post's wording matches the claim's date and actor, so no extraction departure applies.5 sources →

    ▶ 18:05

13. 13TrueThe November 2014 House Intelligence Committee report concluded that Susan Rice did not deceive the public regarding the Benghazi attack.The November 2014 House Intelligence Committee report, as described by AP, PBS, NYT, CNN, VOA and the committee's own fact sheet, found that Susan Rice's inaccurate talking points were not deliberate and that the report did not conclude she or other officials acted in bad faith or intentionally misled the public. The claim's 'did not deceive' framing matches the report's no-intentional-misleading finding, though sources note her statements were inaccurate.7 sources →

    ▶ 18:17

14. 14TrueThe November 2014 House Intelligence Committee report concluded that the administration did not ignore credible warnings about the Benghazi attack.The November 2014 HPSCI report, as reported by AP, Politico, CNN and the committee's own statement, found no intelligence failure, no wrongdoing by administration officials, and no deliberate misleading. The report did find the intelligence community had warned of an increased threat environment but lacked specific tactical warning, and it found security at the outpost weak; the claim's 'did not ignore credible warnings' wording is a reasonable reading of the no-intelligence-failure finding, though the report's exact phrasing is not quoted. The Politifact and FactCheck.org items cite different committees (Senate Intelligence, House Foreign Affairs), so they do not refer to this report.7 sources →

    ▶ 18:22

15. 15TrueThe November 2014 House Intelligence Committee report concluded there was no stand-down order given during the Benghazi attack.The November 2014 House Intelligence Committee report concluded there was no stand-down order, as stated by the committee chairman, the BBC, AP, Politico and CNN. The committee's no-stand-down finding was tied mainly to intelligence community personnel, which the chairman's statement notes it did not fully examine for other agencies, but the claim as extracted matches the post and the report's reported conclusion.5 sources →

    ▶ 18:28

16. 16TrueThe November 2014 House Intelligence Committee report concluded there was no massive intelligence agency cover-up regarding Benghazi.The November 2014 House Intelligence Committee report, as described by AP and PolitiFact, found no intelligence failure, no wrongdoing by officials, and no evidence officials intentionally misled the public, which supports the claim that it found no cover-up. The sources do not use the exact phrase 'cover-up' from the report itself, and the claim's 'massive' qualifier is not separately addressed, so confidence is capped. The claim matches the post's own wording and date, so no extraction departure applies.7 sources →

    ▶ 18:36

17. 17TrueThe House Intelligence Committee released a report on Benghazi.Multiple independent sources, including the House Intelligence Committee's own fact sheet, confirm the committee released its Benghazi report in November 2014. The post's passage refers to the same Republican-led report, so the extracted claim matches the passage.7 sources →

    ▶ 19:45

18. 18TrueMike Rogers was the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee when the Benghazi report was released.Multiple sources confirm that Mike Rogers was Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee when it released its Benghazi report in November 2014. The claim faithfully reflects the passage, which says Rogers, as chair, released the report.7 sources →

    ▶ 19:52

19. 19TrueFox News mentioned Benghazi frequently for two years.The claim is a faithful extraction of the post's point that Fox News repeatedly covered Benghazi over roughly two years. Media Matters counted about 1,098 Fox evening segments on Benghazi in the first 20 months, averaging about 13 per week and at least 20 per month in 18 of 20 months, and a Washington Post piece cites Politico's count of 1,101 Fox programs mentioning Benghazi in a year. Media Matters is an advocacy group and the count covers 20 months rather than the full two years, so confidence is moderate.2 sources →

    ▶ 20:08

20. 20Can’t tellFox News claimed the mainstream media rushed to judgment on the Ferguson shooting of Michael Brown.The passage says Fox News wanted people to apologize for rushing to judgment on the Ferguson shooting, and sources show Fox hosts such as Hannity made that apology demand. The extracted claim adds that the target was the 'mainstream media,' which the passage never says, so the claim departs from the passage and cannot be graded as the poster's statement.3 sources →

    ▶ 21:19

21. 21TruePete Williams reported on the Boston Marathon bombing.Multiple sources (NBC-linked biography, NBC retirement profile, Wikipedia-derived profile, and 2013 reporting by Politico and U.S. News) confirm Pete Williams, an NBC News correspondent, reported on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The claim is a faithful, neutral paraphrase of the post, which praised his reporting; the post's praise is not separately graded here.4 sources →

    ▶ 21:44

22. 22TrueFox News launched in 1996.Multiple tier1 sources confirm Fox News Channel launched on October 7, 1996, so the claim is accurate. The post addresses Fox News as "your network," so the extracted claim faithfully reflects the passage.5 sources →

    ▶ 25:52

23. 23TrueJon Stewart served as the host of The Daily Show for 16 years.Multiple reliable sources, including Reuters, AP, CBS News and NBC News, describe Jon Stewart's 16-year run as host of The Daily Show, which ended in August 2015. The claim's name spelling ('Jon' vs. the post's 'John') is a correction, not a change of meaning. Later coverage shows Stewart returned as a Monday host in 2024 and was extended through 2028, but that does not make the past-tense 16-year claim false.10 sources →

    ▶ 26:10

24. 24FalseJon Stewart is 52 years old.On 2026-08-28, Jon Stewart (born November 28, 1962) was 63, not 52. The age of 52 appears only in 2015 coverage of his final Daily Show episode, which was accurate then but is outdated.9 sources →

    ▶ 26:33

25. 25False15 states have approved voter ID laws in the absence of any meaningful evidence of voter fraud.The sources put the number of states with voter ID requirements at 32 to 36, not 15, so the central figure is contradicted by primary and NCSL data. The sources do support the second half of the claim, that there is little meaningful evidence of voter fraud.7 sources →

    ▶ 34:19

26. 26TrueAn Oklahoma state house committee voted to ban AP History for not sugarcoating slavery enough.An Oklahoma House education committee did vote, in February 2015, to pass a bill restricting state funds for AP U.S. History, and sources describe it as a ban. The sources frame the objection as the course's negative portrayal of America and its focus on race, which fairly matches 'not sugarcoating slavery', though no source uses that exact phrase. The vote predates the 2026 post, so the post's undated 'voted' refers to the 2015 event.5 sources →

    ▶ 34:26

27. 27TruePresident Obama held a 76-minute discussion at Georgetown University regarding personal responsibility and government assistance.The sources confirm that Obama took part in a poverty discussion at Georgetown University on May 12, 2015, where he stressed personal responsibility and argued against treating government help and personal responsibility as opposites. No source states the 76-minute length; Slate's report of 'about an hour' is consistent with it, so the duration is unconfirmed but not contradicted.5 sources →

    ▶ 36:43

28. 28TrueThe head of the American Enterprise Institute participated in a discussion on poverty with President Obama at Georgetown University.Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, took part in the May 12, 2015 poverty panel with President Obama at Georgetown University, as confirmed by the White House, Georgetown, and USA Today. The claim departs from the passage only in dropping the Fox News framing, which does not change the core assertion.5 sources →

    ▶ 37:44

29. 29Can’t tellFox News reported that President Obama accused the media, specifically Fox News, of propagating harmful stereotypes about poor Americans.Sources confirm that Obama criticized Fox News in May 2015 for portraying poor people as lazy 'leeches' and freeloaders, and a Fox News segment responded to it. But the claim's framing that Fox News reported this departs from the passage, which is a Daily Show post using mock 'Fox News alert' framing and never says Fox reported it, so the verdict is unverifiable.4 sources →

    ▶ 38:05

30. 30FalseThe United States government hands out 79 billion dollars every January to poor people.The $79 billion figure matches federal SNAP spending for fiscal 2013, the era of Stuart Varney's 2013 remark, not 2026. Current sources show roughly $100 billion or more a year, spent by fiscal year rather than handed out every January, so the claim as made on 2026-08-28 is contradicted.7 sources →

    ▶ 42:37

31. 31True99% of poor families in the United States have a refrigerator.The claim is supported: the 2026 BLS research paper reports 98% of poor households have refrigerators, and a 2026 Heritage report says fewer than 1% of poor households lack one, so the figure is close to 99%. The 2011 Heritage/EIA-based figures (99.6% to 99.9%) are consistent, and the claim's wording matches the post's own referent ('many poor families' / 'them'), so the extraction is faithful.7 sources →

    ▶ 42:55

32. 32Mixed81% of poor families in the United States have a microwave.The 81% figure matches a 2011 Heritage Foundation analysis of government consumption data (81.4% in Investors.com's report of that study), but other Heritage-based estimates in the sources give 89% and 92%, and none of the sources measure current (2026) microwave ownership. The claim, posted 2026-08-28, uses a present tense that the sources cannot confirm for that date, and it rests on a figure about six years older than the survey it cites.7 sources →

    ▶ 42:57

33. 33TrueFox News has used the words lazy, sponges, and leeches to describe poor people.Multiple reports describe Jon Stewart's 2015 Daily Show montage of Fox News hosts and guests calling the poor lazy, sponges, or leeches, and an O'Reilly transcript shows a Fox host calling poor people lazy. The support is secondhand descriptions of the clips rather than a direct check of each clip, and Fox denied the leeches characterization, so confidence is moderate.6 sources →

    ▶ 44:33

Sources