PolitFact fact-checked a recent statement from Republican Josh Hawley, who is running against Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri.” The claim that’s at issue? Hawley dared say that McCaskill “voted for 100 percent of President Obama’s judicial nominees.
In a tweet accompanying the fact check, PolitiFact said a simple “yes”:
NEW: Did @clairecmc vote for 100% of Obama's judicial nominees? Yes. More surprisingly, Senate Republicans also supported 82% of Obama's nominees by overwhelming margins. https://t.co/NW22NLigvr pic.twitter.com/4KDkYbBHJH
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) July 10, 2018
But then they got squirrely about it, calling the 100% accurate statement only “Mostly True”:
Our ruling
Hawley said, “Claire McCaskill voted for 100 percent of President Obama’s judicial nominees.”Senate Republicans also approved Obama’s nominees with minimal objections 82 percent of the time, and McCaskill voted for most of Bush’s nominees.
Hawley’s statement is accurate but requires a touch of clarification. That’s our definition of Mostly True.
They are a joke. This was literally a one-word fact check yet PolitiFact dragged it out with this nonsense?
Politifact is such a joke.
Republican states something a democrat’s campaign even acknowledges is entirely true, and the best it can get is a “mostly true.” pic.twitter.com/7hQ7X3HjIl
— Josh Perry (@MrJoshPerry) July 11, 2018
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Don’t they see the problem here?
PolitiFact's logic: It is true that Democrats speed on the highway 100% of the time. But since 82% of Republicans also speed on the highway, it is only mostly true that Democrats speed on the highway, despite doing it 100% of the time. https://t.co/xRUn7Q9Rpw
— Chris Pack (@ChrisPack716) July 10, 2018
Is the sky blue, PolitiFact? Mostly true:
#PolitifactTrue: You said the sky is blue, but you didn't say it sometimes has clouds, which are usually white. We rate your claim, Mostly True. https://t.co/9jY7ow0hdw
— Anthony Rek LeCounte (@RekLeCounte) July 11, 2018
There’s a reason why people have lost trust in the media, and this is a big part of it:
The stat about Obama nominees has nothing to do with @HawleyMO's point. It's not a needed clarification; it's a non sequitur that in no way undercuts the evaluated claim. This is why you should always take @PolitiFact ratings w/ a pound of salt. #FAIL https://t.co/9jY7ow0hdw
— Anthony Rek LeCounte (@RekLeCounte) July 11, 2018
This really isn’t a good look for them:
Poltifact is already a suspect "fact check" site. Statements like these show their leanings. #MOSen https://t.co/bTak1fOHZm
— Don McDowell (@DonMcDowell) July 10, 2018
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Related:
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— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 27, 2018
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— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 17, 2018
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— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 1, 2018
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