Why has fact-checking disappeared under Biden?
By: Joe Concha, Opinion Contributor (The Hill)
No, no, no. There just isn't any such thing as liberal bias in press. The facts speak for themselves.
When Republicans are in charge, the press assiduously turns facts into lies. When Democrats are in charge, the press goes to great lengths to turn lies into facts.
For the press, the ends justify the means.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Fact-checking under President Trump was a bustling business. Seemingly every day, and sometimes by the hour, the 45th president's every word was scrutinized, which all comes with the job.
But under President Biden, fact checkers are enjoying what feels like extended vacations or have simply checked out in terms of scrutinizing the many ways that he is misleading the public.
Take CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale as a prime example of apathy around holding the current president accountable.
From June 2019 until November 2020, Dale appeared or was mentioned on CNN more than once per day, on average, according to Mediaite. Estimating conservatively, that's more than 500 appearances or mentions on a national network in the span of just 16 months.
But Dale has become the fact-checker version of Edward Snowden under Biden. He's almost impossible to find these days. In fact, Dale has not conducted even one fact-check of the president since June.
Of course, Biden supporters will insist that Dale simply doesn't have any material to work with. But that's not true. In August, Biden declared that inflation in July was zero, despite the number being near a 40-year high at 8.3 percent.
Last week, Biden claimed the Inflation Reduction Act, which numerous studies have concluded will do almost nothing to reduce inflation, had already "helped reduce inflation at the kitchen table." In a related story, food prices rose again in August, with the Consumer Price Index up 10.6 percent year-over-year.
There are many other examples from the summer, but you get the point: The most powerful man in the country needs to be held accountable for his words and actions, particularly in an election year, when each side is attempting to shape the narrative through the press. But fact-checkers at mainstream outlets refuse to do it.
The situation is worse when it comes to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. She has been fact-checked only once by Politifact since June.
This is the same press secretary who claimed earlier this month that people aren't just walking into this country across the U.S. Southern border, when in fact it's happening daily, per border agents and reporting on the ground.
She also claimed the Biden administration is "doing a lot more [than the Trump administration] to secure the border."
Yup. She claimed that the administration that halted border wall construction and ended the effective "Remain in Mexico" policy is doing more than the previous administration to secure the border.
In a related story, the numbers don't lie: More than 2 million migrants will come into this country illegally this year, an all-time record. This is the easiest of fact-checks to make, but Politifact doesn't seem interested. Why?
Overall, since taking over for Jen Psaki on May 13, Jean-Pierre has not been fact-checked at all by Factcheck.org, the Associated Press, Reuters, Washington Post or CNN. This is the equivalent of being a toll collector in an E-Z Pass lane, a job that doesn't require, you know, actually working.
The perception of fact-checkers has taken a big hit as a result, at least among Republicans and independents. A Pew Research survey found that seven in 10 self-identified Republicans say fact-checkers favor one side, while nearly half of independents feel the same way.
The midterm elections are 50 days from now. The balance of power in Washington hangs in the balance. More than ever, words matter.
Lies and half-truths must be called out. It shouldn't matter if a Republican or Democrat occupies the Oval Office. Fact-checkers must hold lawmakers and other public officials accountable without favor to party.
But apparently fact-checkers are mostly on a four-year sabbatical at this point. And it's pathetic.
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The fact of the matter is that facts don't matter. At least not when 'you know who' is running things.
"Why Has Fact-Checking Disappeared Under Biden?"
According to who?
According to the seeded article. Reading the article really is necessary to understand the headline.
It's not like the Inflation Reduction Act. The headline really does relate to what's in the article.
But if they are confused by words like "the" or "a" then reading won't help their understanding.
That's a problem when people start thinking in terms of 'them' and 'they'. The fact of the matter is that facts don't matter. Facts are incomprehensible to some.
We all know why. The (d) after his name.
What a bunch of crap. Politifact is still doing fact checks all the time. Joe biden's scorecard shows his fact-checked statements were true, mostly true, or half true, 57% of the time. Hardly newsworthy so you have to actually look for it. For a comparison DJT's scorecard shows true, mostly true, or half true, at a measly 23%.
If you look at what it was "fact checkers" were looking at during the Trump years, most had nothing to do with what affected this country. It was mostly things he said that hurt liberal feelings, and the "false" determinations ere based on opinions only.
Politifact is aptly named. Pretty easy to squirrel the numbers by carefully selecting what is fact checked.
Politifact is reporting 238 checks on Joe Biden versus 953 checks on Donald Trump. Biden's fact checks are mostly about policy statements. Trump's fact checks are mostly about political statements.
But, hey, the ends justify the means. Rigging the game is just business as usual -- for liberal minded factcheckers.
See 3.2.7 for the obvious reason.
Can you translate it for us?
I see. Trump is a liar (according to the fact checkers) so it's unnecessary to even pay any attention to Biden.
You know, it just ain't a fact that Biden is as honest as the day is long. Just because the press rigs its fact checking so Biden appears to be honest doesn't make it so.
You know, I didn't say that and don't recall any member of the press saying it either. But next to trump Biden is Honest Abe.
So, does that mean Trump is the squirrel? Biden lies -- look squirrel!
Too bad Biden can't stand on his own. Biden has to hide behind Trump.
I can't make any sense out of your reply.
No surprises there.
Gee, I thought the obvious reason was that Biden was a democrat.
It must have been his Grow Manufacturing Jobs Act that he got Congress to pass.
The Biden administration knows it doesn't even have to try anymore. Clinton famously went overboard trying to spin arguments using points that had at least some truth in them.
Biden just issues Orwellian declarations like "the border is secure" and knows the MSM will parrot the narrative and ignore reality.
I'd like to see the fact-checkers out this morning - the pandemic's over and US troops will defend Taiwan?
And don't forget: All of a sudden: he may not run in 2024.
The WH quickly corrected him on the US defending Taiwan. That should be an easy fact-check. As you say: where the hell are they?
The people who actually run the executive branch aren't going to be happy.
No wonder Biden is only allowed about an interview a year
Ah ha! I've been digging diligently and have found one cold, hard truth -
“Look, my intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again,” he said. “But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.”