The Republican candidates met once again, and we found several claims worthy of fact-checking.
Full analysis at the link, but here are the highlights:
Former CEO Carly Fiorina claimed that 92 percent of the job losses in President Obamaâs first term belonged to women, but women â and men â gained jobs by the end of Obamaâs first term.
Businessman Donald Trump disputed the idea that he had criticized Sen. Marco Rubio and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for supporting H-1B visas. In fact, Trumpâs immigration plan, posted on his website, is critical of both of them.
Trump also claimed his campaign was 100 percent self-funded, but more than half of the money his campaign has raised came from supportersâ contributions.
Fiorina blamed the Affordable Care Act for a large disparity in firm closings versus openings every year. But closings outnumbered firm births by the widest margin in 2009, a year before the law was enacted.
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said it was âtotal propagandaâ to say he was involved with a controversial nutritional supplement company, but he appeared in promotional videos for the company, touting its products.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said that Social Security would be insolvent in seven to eight years. But even after the trust funds are exhausted â estimated to be in 14 to 19 years â the program can still pay out 73 percent of benefits for several decades.
Sen. Ted Cruz said womenâs wages have declined under Obama, when in fact the latest figures show their wages have increased.
Rubio claimed CNBCâs John Harwood was wrong that a Tax Foundation analysis of his tax plan found those in the top 1 percent of earners would get nearly twice the gain as those in the middle. Harwood was right, and thatâs on a percentage basis.
In the undercard debate, former New York Gov. George Pataki claimed the Iranians, Russians and Chinese âhackedâ the private server Hillary Clinton used as secretary of state and obtained âstate secrets.â Thereâs no evidence of that.
My favorite parts are Ben Carson denying involvement with a company that he appears in videos for, and Donald Trump denying criticizing people who he actually criticizes on his own website. Just more evidence that facts are completely optional when it comes to the right wing.