2016 FactCheck: on Principles & Values


Donald Trump: A businessman, not a lifelong politician

PENCE: Hillary Clinton and Senator Kaine--God bless you for it--career public servants. That's great--Donald Trump is a businessman, not a career politician. He actually built a business. Those tax returns that came out publicly this week show that he faced some pretty tough times 20 years ago. But like virtually every other business, he used what's called net operating loss. We have a tax code that actually is designed to encourage entrepreneurship in this country.

KAINE: But why won't he release his tax returns?

PENCE: His tax returns showed he went through a very difficult time, but he used the tax code just the way it's supposed to be used. And he did it brilliantly.

KAINE: How do you know that? You haven't seen his tax returns.

PENCE: Because he's created a business that's worth billions of dollars today. This whole riff about people saying he didn't pay taxes for years--Donald Trump has created tens of thousands of jobs. And he's paid payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes...

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate Oct 4, 2016

Donald Trump: I have a daughter and son-in-law who are Jewish

When asked about relations with Israel, Donald Trump responded, "I have tremendous love for Israel. I happen to have a son-in-law and a daughter that are Jewish, OK? And two grandchildren that are Jewish." Is that true?

We fact-checked and found that Trump's daughter Ivanka, converted to Judaism in 2009 and is raising Donald's grandchildren under Jewish tradition. According to Vogue magazine (Feb. 25, 2015), Ivanka in 2007 met her future husband Jared Kushner, who is an Orthodox Jew and a real estate developer in New York. Ivanka converted to Judaism prior to their marriage in 2009, and they keep a kosher home and, Ivanak says, "we observe the Sabbath; from Friday to Saturday we don't make phone calls. It's an amazing thing when you're so connected-- for [our daughter] Arabella to know that she has me, undivided, one day a week We don't do anything except play with each other, hang out with one another, go on walks together. Pure family.

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on 2016 GOP primary debate in Miami Mar 11, 2016

Ted Cruz: FactCheck: Yes, Cruz speaks Spanish & understands Univision

Marco Rubio accused Ted Cruz of being unable to understand Univision (a Spanish-language TV station); Cruz demonstrated Rubio wrong by responding in Spanish:Both Senators accused each other of lying; we won't comment on the other accusations, but Rubio was clearly incorrect in his assertion that Cruz speaks no Spanish.
Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on 2016 CBS Republican debate in S.C. Feb 14, 2016

Ted Cruz: FactCheck: McCain was born in US territory, not Panama

Ted Cruz asserted, "If a soldier has a child abroad, that child is a natural-born citizen. That's why John McCain, even though he was born in Panama, was eligible to run for president."

We checked the facts and Ted Cruz is wrong--McCain was NOT born in Panama, but in the Panama Canal Zone, which at that time was a US. territory. Cruz claims, falsely, that McCain was the child of soldiers abroad--that would have been the case if McCain's parents had crossed the border to the country of Panama, but they chose to stay in U.S. territory.

On the constitutional term "natural-born citizen", OnTheIssues follows the "stamp rule": What stamp would one use at the place one was born? McCain's parents would have used US stamps in the Canal Zone, so McCain is eligible. Barry Goldwater was similarly questioned in 1964 because he was born in Arizona territory before it became a state--he also passes the "stamp rule." George Romney, born to US parents in Mexico, does not pass the "stamp rule"--nor does Cruz!

Source: OnTheIssues FactChecking on Fox Business 2016 GOP debate Jan 15, 2016

  • The above quotations are from Fact-checking on 2016 presidential, gubernatorial, and Senate campaigns.
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2016 Presidential contenders on Principles & Values:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI) 		Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Dec 08, 2018