Politifact, the fact-checking site, recently published lists of what it judges the 10 most misleading claims of top presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. All of the "top ten" claims were origianlly rated either "false" or "pants on fire" by Politifact. For details on the background of each claim, go to http://www.politifact.com.
PolitiFact: The Top 10 whoppers of both leading presidential candidates
Starting with "it was allowed" and "there is large-scale voter fraud."
Hillary Clinton's top 10 most misleading claims
1) "It was allowed," she said, referring to her decision to use a private e-mail server.
2) Says, regarding the presence of classified information in her e-mail, that FBI Director James "Comey said my answers were truthful, and what I've said is consistent with what I have told the American people."
3) Says she "never received nor sent any material that was marked classified" on her private e-mail server while secretary of state.
4) "I'm the only candidate in the Democratic primary, or actually on either side, who Wall Street financiers and hedge fund managers are actually running ads against."
5) "I am the only candidate on either side who has laid out a specific plan about what I would do to defeat ISIS [the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant]."
6) "I am the only candidate who ran in either primary who said, 'I will not raise taxes on the middle class.' ''
7) "I remember landing under sniper fire."
8) "All my grandparents" immigrated to America.
9) Says Donald Trump "doesn't make a thing in America."
10) The gun industry is "the only business in America that is wholly protected from any kind of liability."
Lauren Carroll
Donald Trump's top 10 most misleading claims
1) "Of course, there is large-scale voter fraud happening on and before Election Day."
2) Says Barack Obama "founded ISIS. I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton."
3) Ted Cruz's father, Rafael, "was with Lee Harvey Oswald before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy."
4) "Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy."
5) The unemployment rate may be as high as "42 percent."
6) The number of illegal immigrants in the United States is "30 million, it could be 34 million."
7) "The Mexican government … they send the bad ones over."
8) "I watched in Jersey City, N.J., where thousands and thousands of people were cheering" as the World Trade Center collapsed."
9) "I was totally against the war in Iraq."
10) "Inner-city crime is reaching record levels."
Linda Qiu
PolitiFact.com is a project operated by the Tampa Bay Times, in which reporters and editors from the Times and affiliated media outlets "fact-check statements by members of Congress, the White House, lobbyists and interest groups." The Star Tribune opinion pages periodically republish these reports.
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