Trump debate claim is 2024 'Lie of the Year'
75 PARTIAL ACCESS AT THIS POINT
AND 187 ARE STILL COMPLETELY
CLOSE. 2024 WAS AN ELECTION
YEAR, OF COURSE, WHICH MEANS
THAT FACT CHECKERS IDENTIFIED
HUNDREDS OF MISLEADING CLAIMS
ABOUT THE CANDIDATES, THE
POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE TOP
ISSUES. AND AT THE END OF EVERY
YEAR, OUR PARTNERS AT
POLITIFACT PICK ONE FALSE CLAIM
THAT HAD THE LARGEST IMPACT
THAT WAS ABOVE THE REST.
>> PAUL SPAY HAS MORE NOW ON
POLITIFACT LIE OF THE YEAR.
>> FOR YEARS NOW, POLITIFACT
HAS BEEN AWARDING THE LIE OF
THE YEAR TO A QUOTE OR A
COMMENT THAT STOOD OUT AND
GENERATE THE MOST BUZZ OVER A
CALENDAR YEAR. AND YOU CAN SEE
SOME OF THE PAST WINNERS HERE
LAST YEAR WHEN TO RFK JUNIOR'S
CLAIMS ABOUT VACCINES YEAR
BEFORE VLADIMIR PUTIN'S FALSE
CLAIMS ABOUT UKRAINE. RESIDENTS
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE HAVE
WON THIS AWARD. AND THIS YEAR
IT'S GOING TO A PRESIDENT ONCE
AGAIN THIS TIME FOR SPREADING
FALSEHOOD ABOUT IMMIGRANTS AND
OHIO.
>> SINCE SPRINGFIELD, THEY'RE
EATING THE DOGS. THE PEOPLE
THAT CAME IN THERE EATING THE
EATING THE PETS OF THE PEOPLE
THAT LIVE THERE.
>> REMEMBER THAT MOMENT FROM
THIS YEAR'S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
THAT CLAIM THAT HAITIAN
IMMIGRANTS WERE EATING CATS
AND DOGS DOMINATED HEADLINES
FOR WEEKS DESPITE THE FACT THAT
SPRINGFIELD TOWN OFFICIALS
LOOKED INTO THIS ROOM AND FOUND
NO VERIFIED REPORTS. GENERATED
BACKLASH NOT ONLY AGAINST THE
TOWN'S HAITIAN COMMUNITY, BUT
AGAINST THE WHOLE TOWN. THERE
ARE MORE THAN 30 THREATS TO
TOWN OFFICIALS, HOSPITAL.
EVEN THE SCHOOL'S OHIO'S
GOVERNOR HAD TO DISPATCH STATE
TROOPERS JUST TO ENSURE SCHOOL
SAFETY. IN FACT, ONE OF THE
WOMEN WHO FIRST SPREAD THIS
RUMOR ON FACEBOOK, PEOPLE FOUND
HER AND SHE RETRACTED HER
STATEMENT AND SAID SHE HAD NO
FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL
IMMIGRANT STEALING PETS, LET
ALONE EATING THEM. SHE DIDN'T
REALIZE THAT HER CLAIMS WOULD
GO AS FAR AS THEY DID. STILL,
OHIO SENATOR JD VANCE, TRUMP
RUNNING MATE. HE DEFENDED
SPREADING MISINFORMATION.
HE TOLD CNN IF I HAVE TO CREATE
STORIES SO THE MEDIA PAYS
ATTENTION TO THE SUFFERING OF
AMERICANS. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M
GOING TO DO. CLEARLY, THIS WAS
A BASELESS RUMOR WEAPONIZED
BY POLITICAL CAMPAIGN AND
SPREAD FAR AND WIDE DURING A
TELEVISED PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE.
THAT'S WHY THIS CLAIM ABOUT
IMMIGRANTS EATING DOGS AND
CATS. IT'S OUR LIE OF THE YEAR.