Fact-Checker Claims Trump, Not Biden, Delivered ‘Lie of the Year’

PolitiFact, an organization that brands itself as a reliable arbiter of fact-checking media outlets and public figures, awarded its 2024 "Lie of the Year" title to former President Donald Trump.

The left-leaning group cited Trump’s claim in September that Haitian immigrants were eating dogs as the reason for the designation. This assertion gained online traction briefly and even prompted Vice President-elect JD Vance to report that some Ohio constituents had contacted his office about the issue.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and his allies continued to insist throughout his tenure — particularly over the past year — that his mental acuity remained sharp. This came even as Biden reneged on his earlier promise not to pardon his son, Hunter Biden.

“In a year of inflammatory rhetoric and shocking moments, one repeated falsehood resonated with both PolitiFact journalists and readers as the most significant falsehood of 2024,” said PolitiFact, a project affiliated with the Poynter Institute.

However, The Washington Times noted that PolitiFact’s decision faced criticism on social media. Comments included, “Lie of the year: Joe Biden is fine,” “You guys really are hopelessly partisan,” and “PolitiFact is not a credible source of information and no one should take them seriously.”

The conservative Media Research Center (MRC) weighed in, claiming, “Saying Biden was FINE was the Lie of the Year,” on X (formerly Twitter).

The MRC also highlighted its own recognition of media bias by awarding MSNBC host Joe Scarborough its 2024 Brian Stelter Award for the Worst Quote of the Year. Scarborough had defended Biden’s fitness, stating on March 6, “This version of Biden intellectually, analytically, is the best Biden ever. Not a close second. And I’ve known him for years.”

Three months later, Biden stumbled in a debate against Trump, delivering incoherent answers before ultimately withdrawing his reelection bid weeks later.

MRC President Brent Bozell remarked, “In a media landscape full of Biden excuse-makers, Scarborough’s sycophancy stood out.”

“Back in March, when it was clear to everyone that Joe Biden was losing it, Joe Scarborough not only dismissed those claims but boldly argued that Biden was ‘intellectually’ and ‘analytically’ sharper than ever,” Bozell added. “Four months later, his own party dropped him.”

Tim Graham, executive editor of MRC NewsBusters, also criticized PolitiFact’s decision, calling Trump’s statement about immigrants eating pets “an unproven accusation in a highly watched presidential debate.” He further asserted, “Everything in the ‘fact-checking’ racket is about target selection.”

“Republicans are ‘fact-checked’ more frequently and receive harsher dishonesty ratings,” Graham told the Times. “Trump has been tagged as ‘Pants On Fire’ by PolitiFact 204 times, while Kamala Harris has zero in her entire career.”

Despite the White House and media figures promoting the “Biden is fine” narrative, it failed to make PolitiFact’s top 10 “lies” of 2024.

Trump’s pet-eating remark received 54% of the vote for "Lie of the Year." In second place, with 17%, was another Trump claim alleging that the Biden administration had redirected disaster relief funds to illegal immigrants. Biden’s claim that he wouldn’t pardon his son, Hunter, for gun and tax convictions ranked third with 6%, despite the pardon being issued on December 1.

This isn’t the first time PolitiFact has awarded Trump the ‘Lie of the Year.’ Since the tradition began in 2009, the organization has repeatedly singled him out, including in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

“PolitiFact has never given this dishonor to a Democrat since Trump came on the scene,” Graham noted.

The last Democrat to receive the title was President Barack Obama in 2013 for his infamous claim under the Affordable Care Act: “If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.”

Despite Biden’s documented history of fabrications regarding his personal and political life, he has yet to be awarded this dubious honor.