Outgoing President Donald Trump has told an unprecedented number of lies—over 20 thousand and counting—since his inauguration in 2017. Nearly 75 percent of Trump's statements on Politifact range from "mostly false" to "pants on fire."
The President has lied about everything from his father's country of birth to the paths of hurricanes to the size of his crowds to the threat posed by the virus that's killed over 300 thousand Americans. He continues to lie about the United States' election integrity, absurdly claiming that widespread voter fraud coordinated by Democrats tipped the election to President-elect Joe Biden.
The sheer number of lies coming from the White House has kept CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale more than a little busy. Dale frequently fact-checks the President in real time—a feat that often leaves him out of breath.
So when Dale spoke to The Atlantic about what he expects for fact-checking during the Biden administration, Dale said he expected to have the bandwidth to fact-check online disinformation in addition to the Biden White House.
Dale told the publication:
"It will not be a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week job to fact-check Biden."
Trump supporters—including the President's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.—pointed to the statement as evidence of media bias.
CNN “fact checker" admitting that he's pivoting from fact checking Biden to focusing on “online disinformation," AKA CNN code for Republicans who use the internet + "congressional leaders" which will almost undoubtedly = congressional Republicans in practice.
So predictable 🙄 https://t.co/SzkFuYKIFJ
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 29, 2020
Trump Jr. accused Dale of "pivoting" from presidential fact-checking to target Republican discourse online.
Dale didn't take long to fact-check claims about his fact-checking.
Not at all what I said; no “pivot." What I said: Since Biden - like every non-Trump Republican in the 2016 field and potential 2024 field! - lies way less frequently than Trump, there'll be time in the Biden era to *also* fact check others in addition to the president. https://t.co/rptI57OSjQ
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 29, 2020
CNN will rigorously fact check President Biden. It's just objective and obvious fact that it takes less time to fact check basically everyone in politics than it takes to do Trump, a staggeringly incessant liar. If you choose to call me biased for stating that fact, feel free.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 29, 2020
I can't even count how many days I spent writing stories like “Trump makes 25/30/40 false claims at rally." That doesn't happen with Biden - as it doesn't with McConnell or McCarthy or etc. And so, post-Trump, there's more time to spend on people other than the prez. The end.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 29, 2020
Dale pointed out that Trump lies more than any politician on either side of the aisle, requiring extra energy and time to properly investigate each claim.
In the nearly 24 hours since Dale issued his rebuke of Trump Jr., no fewer than eight of the President's tweets have been flagged by Twitter as false or misleading—and those are only including his lies regarding the election.
To name one obvious lie, the President falsely tweeted that the brother of Georgia's Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, "works for China." In reality, Raffensperger doesn't even have a brother.
People agreed with Dale's assessment that fact-checking Trump's lies is a full-time job.
Daniel just dropped the mic! https://t.co/7FLY1sRiga
— Cassie Pyles (@SassyCassie324) December 29, 2020
I heard you correctly @ddale8. Keep up the great work... https://t.co/0GZerNMlbP
— Rebecca Bixby (@RebeccaBixby1) December 29, 2020
A Booya! response if ever there was one. I applaud you, @ddale8 - keeping it real! https://t.co/Ayxgum0W8R
— SamIAm (@SamGrishamArts) December 30, 2020
Important thread. Thankfully, fact checking the president will no longer be a full time job soon. That being said, it will still be critical. Thankful for @ddale8's work. https://t.co/CKH9uFay6s
— Martin Carcasson (@mcarcasson) December 29, 2020
But Dale wasn't the only one to call out Trump Jr.'s lack of reading comprehension skills.
When your father, who's a pathological liar and the most prolifically mendacious man in the history of American politics, if not the planet, leaves the presidency, @ddale8 is going to have a lot of time on his hands to fact-check numerous people in addition to President Biden. https://t.co/CUvrpUrKk0
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) December 30, 2020
Very predictable. In the Winter, I don't have to use my flyswatter very much. Low IQ @DonaldJTrumpJr probably doesn't understand analogies, though. https://t.co/TZ5AfuGuF1
— Bill Esparza (@streetgourmetla) December 30, 2020
Imagine having to spin the fact that a presidential fact checker will now have more free time on his hands come January 21st. https://t.co/vn8wpLCc85
— The Keymaster (@Sarkastik_Pupil) December 29, 2020
It's almost like one needs to be fact checked constantly and one doesn't! https://t.co/DTvHYXuOTi
— On Ducktales Stephen (@SHGrove90) December 29, 2020
"My father lied so much it was a full time job to cover all of them" is not quite the own that his son thinks it is. https://t.co/Ol7wC6DD25
— marcüs (@marcusrebmann) December 29, 2020
While Trump's presidency will end on January 20th, the web of online disinformation he's fomented will persevere for years to come—hopefully with Daniel Dale to fact-check it.
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AMC