Polygraph

China is building 100 fission reactors.

Posted by The Dan Bongino Show, Checked

Polygraph verdictFalse
Sources
4 contradict
Said
1 time·
Confidence
75%
The Dan Bongino ShowSep 16, 2026
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61 claimsThe check →

The claim that China is building 100 fission reactors is contradicted by the sources, which put China's reactors under construction at roughly 33 to 38 (EIA citing PRIS: 36; Nuclear News Network: 33; World Nuclear Association: 38).

A played clip makes this claim. Listeners heard it, so it counts against the post.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What was said

… Remember all the claims around nuclear, that it was going to kill all the kids, that Ralph Nader, that it would wipe out the city of Cleveland. Not a single person in this country died or was injured by nuclear energy, but we shut down 67 nuclear reactors. We unilaterally disarmed while China is building a hundred fission reactors. Why did we do that? Because of alarmist activists that went uncountered. And all I'm asking here is for a balanced conversation that looks at both the risk and the rewards of AI, and I think we're moving forward safely. I don't know this guy. …
The Dan Bongino Show · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Contradicts. The EIA, citing the IAEA PRIS database, reports China has 36 reactors under construction across 19 sites as of mid-2026.[2]

Contradicts. Nuclear News Network's tracker lists 33 units under construction in China as of October 2026, and World Nuclear Association data gives 38 under construction.[3][4]

Contradicts. Reuters reports 36 nuclear units under construction and 60 in commercial operation as of April 2026, so 100 would only be reached by adding operating units to those under construction.[1]

Context. China's State Council approved eight new units in July 2026, which adds to the pipeline but does not approach 100 units under construction.[1][4]

Sources

4 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 primary, 2 not rated

  1. 1China approves eight new nuclear power unitsreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: contradicts, context
  2. 2China's nuclear power capacity nearly doubled since 2016 - EIAeia.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts
  3. 3Nuclear reactor projects in China | Nuclear News Networknuclearnewsnetwork.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
  4. 4Nuclear Power in Chinaworld-nuclear.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts, context

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Said in 1 published post

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