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).

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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