Fact-checkers take a look at Bill and Hillary Clinton
It was Bill Clinton’s night at the Democratic convention.
And the non partisan fact-checkers from PolitiFact were there, assuring him a ride on the AJC Truth-O-Meter, courtesy of PolitiFact and PolitiFact Georgia.
Want to see how he fared? Abbreviated versions of our fact checks are below.
The latest fact-checks can be found at www.myajc.com/s/news/politifact/.
Check us out daily at 7:45 a.m. during the convention on News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB.
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Bill Clinton said this of his wife:
Hillary Clinton helped “get done” the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Hillary Clinton did work behind the scenes to create the program to offer health care to children.
Her husband avoided specifying how much credit she should get for that and whether she worked with both parties to make that happen.
We rate this claim Mostly True.
Bill Clinton also said this:
“The approval of the United States was 20 points higher when (Hillary Clinton) left the secretary of state’s office than when she took it.”
The approval ratings for the United States did go up on Hillary Clinton’s watch.
But the median increase in the Pew polling was a more modest 10 points. The increases in the BBC and Gallup polls were in the same ballpark .
We rate Clinton’s claim Half True.
Hillary Clinton said this in a video:
When an interviewer asked Donald Trump if he treats women with respect, Trump replied, “I can’t say that.”
The four-second clip is an example of where context can be crucial and how political opponents can spin your words.
It omits Trump’s subsequent response that “I treat women with great respect.” Other context is also missing.
The claim is heavily spun to misconstrue what Trump said.
We rate Clinton’s it Mostly False.
California Sen. Barbara Boxer:
Said Donald Trump “said a woman should be punished for exercising her right to choose.”
Trump once said that, but immediately clarified his position and said he meant doctors should be punished for providing abortions, not women who undergo the procedure.
There’s no evidence that punishing women for abortions was was a long-held position by Trump.
Boxer’s statement is partially accurate but misleading.
We rate it Half True.
New York Congressman Joseph Crowley:
Says Donald Trump “cashed in” on Sept. 11, “collecting $150,000 in federal funds intended to help small businesses recover — even though days after the attack Trump said his properties were not affected.”
Trump did receive a grant for his building at 40 Wall Street, which was less than a mile away from the Trade Center, but the property was eligible under the grant criteria.
He also did say in 2001 that his properties were not affected by the attack, although he likely meant physically. The grant also provided compensation for economic losses.
We rate Crowley’s claim Half True.
