At a rally in neighboring southwestern Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump trumpeted his wide 2016 presidential election victory in West Virginia. “I won that one by 42 points — 42 points — West Virginia,” Trump said during his Aug. 13 speech in Monaca, Pennsylvania. That would be a big win. Was his victory […]
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To help you find the truth in West Virginia politics, reporters and researchers from PolitiFact West Virginia examine statements by elected officials and candidates – and anyone else who speaks up on matters of public importance – provides context for those statements and then rates their accuracy according to PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter. PolitiFact West Virginia is a partnership of 100 Days in Appalachia, Pulitzer Prize winning PolitiFact and the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University.
Fact-check: Does the United States Rank First in the World in Oil Consumption?
Richard Ojeda, a former West Virginia state senator who briefly sought the Democratic nomination for president, used Twitter to share several areas in which he said the United States leads the world– but not in a good way. On Aug. 25, Ojeda tweeted, “If this is your measurement for claiming we […]
Read MoreFact-check: Has West Virginia’s Economy Boomed since Trump, Gov. Justice Took Office?
President Trump has established a close relationship with West Virginia, the state that gave him his second-widest margin of victory in 2016. On July 21, Trump tweeted a boast about the state’s recent economic success: “The Great State of West Virginia is producing record setting numbers and doing really well. When I […]
Read MoreFact-checking Jim Justice’s Boast About W.Va. Highway Rankings
Facing a competitive reelection bid in 2020, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice sought to tout his record on improving the state’s highways. “Our WV highways rank 16th in the country in a national survey of highway systems, up 20 spots from last year’s ranking!” Justice tweeted Aug. 22. “This ranking affirms all […]
Read MoreFact-check: Is Unemployment For Women At Lowest Point In Almost 70 Years?
The West Virginia Republican Party recently tweeted praise for President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy, particularly as it relates to women. On Aug. 27, the state party tweeted, “Women’s unemployment has been lower under President Trump than it’s been in nearly 70 years. #WVGOP #WomenforTrump #WV4Trump.” Is that correct? We took […]
Read MoreFact-check: Are 1,600 New Coal-fired Power Plants Being Constructed Today?
The president of the United Mine Workers of America — a union representing coal miners, many of them in West Virginia — sees a future for coal in electricity generation despite concern that coal’s carbon emissions could bring about climate change. In a Sept. 4 speech at the National Press Club in […]
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