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Founded: 2003
Ownership
FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania, based at the Annenberg School for Communication in Philadelphia. It was co-founded in 2003 by APPC founding director Kathleen Hall Jamieson and former CNN/AP journalist Brooks Jackson. The APPC itself was established in 1993 by Walter and Leonore Annenberg.
Funding
It is funded primarily through the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which draws on an endowment created by the Annenberg Foundation, plus additional Annenberg Foundation grants and individual reader donations. It does not accept funding from corporations, unions, political parties or advocacy groups.
Affiliation & stance
FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan, university-based fact-checking nonprofit with no party or government control over its content and an explicit policy against funding from partisan or corporate interests. Because it is an academically housed, philanthropically funded nonprofit rather than a party/state-controlled body, it is correctly classified as INDEPENDENT with a centrist orientation.
Editorial lean
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Factual
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Objective
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Recent coverage
Born in the U.S.A.: Protecting the right of birthright citizenship
The article discusses the legal concept of birthright citizenship in the United States, as outlined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. It states that anyone born in the U.S., except for children of diplomats or invading forces, is automatically a citizen. Professor Amanda Frost explains that the wording of the amendment leaves little room for interpretation. However, public opinion remains split, with roughly half of Americans supporting granting citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants and the other half opposing it. In January 2025, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order attempting to reinterpret the 14th Amendment to exclude most children of undocumented immigrants from automatic citizenship, but this was blocked by a lower court and is currently under review by the Supreme Court. The article references historical cases such as Dred Scott v. Sandford, where the Supreme Court ruled that Black individuals could not be citizens, leading to the creation of the 14th Amendment. Another landmark case, Wong Kim Ark v. United States, affirmed birthright citizenship for those born in the U.S., including children of immigrants.
Democrats’ and Republicans’ Screwworm Blame Spin
Both Democratic and Republican politicians in the U.S. have blamed each other's administrations for the recent resurgence of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly affecting cattle. The USDA confirmed the first case in Texas in June 2024, raising concerns over its impact on the cattle industry and beef prices. The Biden administration approved nearly $275 million in emergency funding to address the issue, while critics argue that previous administrations failed to adequately fund or manage screwworm prevention programs. Democrats, including Rep. Ted Lieu and the Democratic National Committee, accuse the Trump administration of cutting staff and funding for USDA programs, linking the outbreak to these reductions. Republicans, led by Sen. Roger Marshall and USDA official Brooke Rollins, blame the Biden administration for lax immigration policies and an open border, suggesting that migrants from Central America may have introduced the screwworm. Experts note that the cause is complex and not solely attributable to any one administration.
No Evidence for Trump’s Right to Try Claim
FactCheck.org examined President Donald Trump's claim that the Right to Try law, which he signed in 2018, has 'saved thousands of lives.' Researchers and experts dispute this assertion, stating there is little evidence to support such a large impact. Medical ethicists like Holly Fernandez Lynch and Alison Bateman-House argue that while some patients have accessed experimental drugs through the program, the number is far below what Trump suggested. Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer, a supporter of the law initially, now acknowledges it has failed to deliver on its promises. The FDA reports only a small number of investigational drugs being used under the law, with no clear data on how many patients have benefited. The White House did not provide any supporting evidence for Trump's claim during the 2024 election cycle.
How Trump’s Preliminary Deal with Iran Compares with His Rhetoric
President Donald Trump signed a preliminary agreement with Iran on June 17, outlining conditions for ending the conflict between the two nations. The 14-point memorandum of understanding allows Iran to resume exporting crude oil and other petroleum products, granting it significant revenue. This contradicts Trump's earlier statements, where he claimed he would not unfreeze Iranian assets or lift sanctions upfront. Additionally, the agreement includes references to a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, despite Trump initially dismissing such reports as false. The document does not provide detailed provisions regarding Iran's nuclear program, though it reaffirms Iran's commitment to not developing nuclear weapons. Trump had previously criticized the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran but now appears to align closely with its terms.
The Shaky Assumptions Behind Trump’s Over $500 Billion in Projected Drug Savings
President Donald Trump has claimed that his policies will result in over $500 billion in prescription drug savings over 10 years. However, these projections are based on assumptions rather than concrete actions taken by the administration. The main component of the projected savings comes from the Most Favored Nation (MFN) policy, which aims to lower drug prices to those paid in other countries. The White House Council of Economic Advisers estimated that if all new drugs were priced at MFN rates in the U.S., it would save $529 billion. Additional savings of $64.3 billion are expected from the
Trump Makes Unsupported Claims About Drug Flows
The article examines President Donald Trump's claims that his administration has reduced the flow of illegal drugs into the United States by 97% through water routes and by 59% for fentanyl. It highlights that these claims lack supporting federal data and are based on seizure statistics rather than comprehensive measures of drug trafficking. Experts note that seized drugs do not reflect the full extent of drug flows due to undetected shipments.
Trump’s Inaccurate Anecdote on ‘Right to Repair’ Cars
President Donald Trump made claims during a speech about a man being jailed for seven years for fixing his own car, which were later clarified as incorrect. Trump referenced a pardon he issued for Troy Lake, a Wyoming diesel mechanic who received a one-year sentence (served for seven months) for tampering with a vehicle's emissions system, not for fixing his own car. The article notes that Trump's account of the case was inaccurate.
Trump Exaggerates Previous Spending on Reflecting Pool
FactCheck.org analyzed claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the spending by previous administrations on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump stated that the Biden and Obama administrations had spent 'hundreds of millions of dollars' attempting to repair the pool, while his administration spent only around $10–$12 million. The article found that there is no record of significant spending under the Biden administration, and the total cost of the Obama-era overhaul was approximately $35 million. The Trump administration reportedly spent about $14 million on repainting and
FactChecking Trump’s Contentious ‘Meet the Press’ Interview
FactCheck.org documents false and unsupported claims made by President Trump during a 'Meet the Press' interview with Kristen Welker, including assertions about California's election integrity, Iran's nuclear program, and U.S. military commitments. The article contrasts Trump's statements with information from official sources such as the IAEA and U.S. Intelligence Community.
Ohio Senate Candidates Spar Over Donations Tied, Loosely or Not, to Epstein
Ohio Senate candidates are exchanging accusations over campaign donations linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Democrat Sherrod Brown claims Republican Senator Jon Husted accepted $116,892 in donations from Les Wexner, an Epstein associate, and voted to keep Epstein-related files secret. Husted counters that Brown received $100,000 from Epstein associates and accuses Brown of lying about his stance on releasing the Epstein files. Wexner, who was labeled a 'co-conspirator' in a 2019 FBI document, denies any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities.
Trump’s Push to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
FactCheck.org reports on legislative efforts to make daylight saving time permanent year-round, supported by former President Donald Trump. Trump argues that the current system of changing clocks twice a year imposes unnecessary costs on individuals, cities, and states. The Sunshine Protection Act, which would implement this change, was included in a motor vehicle safety bill and passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee with a 48-1 vote. Trump expressed strong support for the act on his social media platform, emphasizing potential economic benefits and claiming it would be a win for the
Trump Misrepresents Climate Change Scenarios
President Donald Trump misrepresented recent climate change scenarios in a social media post, claiming that experts had 'admitted' previous projections were wrong. The article explains that the new scenarios reflect narrowing ranges of plausible outcomes due to progress in reducing fossil fuel dependence. Trump used the update to downplay the seriousness of global warming, while experts clarify that RCP8.5 was a low-probability, high-impact scenario.
Stopping Fraud Won’t ‘Save’ Social Security, Create ‘Balanced Budget,’ as Trump Suggests
FactCheck.org analyzes claims made by President Donald Trump regarding reducing fraud in federal programs and its potential impact on Social Security and the federal budget. The article states that while fraud reduction is ongoing, experts argue that such efforts alone would not 'save' Social Security or create a 'balanced budget,' as Trump has suggested.
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