Each infrequently, the “fact-checkers” at PolitiFact publish reader feedback, and this one caught out: “Your website appears to be largely about Trump on a regular basis,” learn one remark. “How about rather less Trump, and write extra about every other falsehood topics?”
PolitiFact’s viewers chief Ellen Hine acknowledged they’ve revealed over 1,000 “truth checks” on President Donald Trump — 1,124, to be exact. However then she trotted out the false declare that their concentrating on is nonpartisan: “With out holding depend, we attempt to choose info to test from all sides of the political spectrum. On the identical time, we extra typically fact-check the celebration that holds energy or individuals who repeatedly make attention-getting or deceptive statements.”
That “with out holding depend” is an apparent excuse. Anybody who makes an attempt to depend what they’re doing will shortly notice they’re very partisan of their concentrating on — and of their scores on fact and falsehood.
Within the first 5 months of 2025, PolitiFact carried out 68 “Fact-O-Meter” truth checks on Republicans to simply 23 on Democrats. Even so, this web site discovered the Republicans “Largely False,” “False” or “Pants on Hearth” liars in 85% of these articles, whereas the Democrats landed on the false facet solely 39%.
From Jan. 1 by way of Oct. 22, Trump landed on the False facet of the “Fact-O-Meter” 50 out of 54 instances, or 92.5% of the time. The opposite 4 have been “Half True” scores, which means he was rated “True” or “Largely True” on zero events.
PolitiFact rated Trump as a “Pants on Hearth” liar 13 instances this yr, 24% of the time. Since they started in 2007, PolitiFact has written up 217 “Pants on Hearth” claims on Trump, to simply seven on former President Joe Biden over these years.
In the event you take the identical time interval in 2021, Biden drew 34 checks, however they discovered him on the False facet simply 14 instances, or 41% of the time. Biden was “True” or “Largely True” 10 instances.
The lean in concentrating on is so clearly partisan. In 2025, when the “Pants on Hearth” tag has been utilized to people and never social media websites, each single goal was on the suitable. Along with the pile of assaults on Trump, the flaming record was Pam Bondi (twice) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Elon Musk, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Florida Surgeon Normal Joseph Ladapo, Kevin O’Leary of the TV present “Shark Tank,” and Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
Let’s stipulate that a few of these truth checks are figuring out unfactual statements. However the aggression is overwhelming. The fitting facet is sort of at all times flawed and blatantly mendacity, whereas the left facet supposedly stumbles into falsehood each infrequently.
Trump is tagged as “False” when he calls New York Metropolis mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani a “communist,” and Mamdani has by no means been fact-checked. Trump was “Pants on Hearth” when he referred to as Kamala Harris a “communist,” however the Democrats can name him a “fascist” each day and there’s no checking.
This isn’t “impartial fact-checking.” It’s weaponized public relations.
Tim Graham is director of media evaluation on the Media Analysis Middle and government editor of the weblog NewsBusters.org.
