One Candidate Trumps Politifact’s Lie of the Year

This year’s biggest whoppers come from the campaign trail of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

By Alain StephensDecember 29, 2015 2:39 pm,

Donald Trump fans like his style – they say the New York businessman is authentic, a straight talker, and blissfully less scripted than typical politicians.

Still and all, what this Trump says landed him a dubious distinction for not getting his facts straight. Gardner Selby works with the PolitiFact Texas fact-checking franchise, which brings together researchers from the Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News.

So, what brings us today about Trump, the Republican presidential hopeful?

PolitiFact in Washington, D.C., has bestowed its Lie of the Year designation on Trump’s many campaign misstatements.

Meaning, this label didn’t go to a single claim, but several?

Correct.

Elaborate?

Listeners may be aware that anyone checked by PolitiFact accumulates a Truth-O-Meter report card–which piles up all their accuracy ratings in one place. Ted Cruz has one, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton too. There are many.

Sounds handy. How’s Trump come out?

As of late December, nearly 80 Trump claims had been fact-checked — with 76 percent of them rated Mostly False, False or Pants on Fire. Angie Drobnic Holan, PolitiFact’s editor, advises that no other politician has as many statements rated so far down on the dial.

And why apply Lie of the Year to multiple statements?

In considering the claims eligible for this, PolitiFact found all leading contenders were said by Trump — whose various statements also led its Readers’ Poll. That is, it was hard to single one out so they got rolled into a categorical award.

Your worst-possible rating is Pants on Fire. How’s Trump done there?

He’s a collector.

Listen to the full interview to see what claims from Trump made the Lie of the Year list.