Fact-checker Daniel Dale reflects on a decade of exposing Trump’s falsehoods
Daniel Dale marked ten years of fact-checking Donald Trump, summarizing the damage he says the president’s lies have caused.
On the ten-year mark of his Trump fact-checking project, Daniel Dale reflected on a career that started as a side task while covering the 2016 campaign for one outlet. He contends that Trump’s persistent falsehoods have caused tangible damage, from inciting the Capitol assault to spreading misleading Covid-19 information that likely contributed to deaths. Dale also highlighted how journalists, judges and election workers have faced threats because of those lies.
The piece drew commendations from peers such as Susan Bordson, Brian Stelter, Jennifer Erin Valent and others, who underscored ongoing media failures to adequately challenge Trump’s statements. Dale’s tally exceeds 8,500 false claims recorded since September 2016, illustrating the scale of his effort.
Why it matters
Understanding the scope of political misinformation helps gauge its impact on public safety and democratic institutions.
In this story
