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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Young Children Do Not Receive Medical Gender Transition Treatment

Young Children Do Not Receive Medical Gender Transition Treatment

Families seeking information from a health care provider about a young child’s gender identity may have their questions answered or receive counseling. Some posts share a misleading claim that toddlers are being “transitioned.” To be clear, prepubescent children are not offered transition surgery or drugs.

Posts Mislead About Status of 2021 North Carolina Abortion Bill

Posts Mislead About Status of 2021 North Carolina Abortion Bill

A bill introduced in the North Carolina House of Representatives last year said anyone getting an abortion should be “held accountable” for murder. The bill received little support and did not advance. But social media posts misleadingly claimed the state is considering a proposal that would “make it legal to murder a pregnant woman” trying to get an abortion.

TV Ads About Cheri Beasley’s Record on Violent Crime Lack Context

TV Ads About Cheri Beasley’s Record on Violent Crime Lack Context

Democrat Cheri Beasley’s record in North Carolina Supreme Court cases involving violent crime is the subject of competing TV ads in the state’s U.S. Senate race. But neither ad gives viewers all of the necessary context for the claims portraying Beasley, a former state chief justice, as either weak or tough on crime.

Mark Walker Voted Against Impeaching Trump, Contrary to a Misleading Ad

Mark Walker Voted Against Impeaching Trump, Contrary to a Misleading Ad

Republican Mark Walker voted against former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment in 2019, and he was no longer a congressman when the House voted to impeach Trump a second time in 2021. Yet, a misleading TV ad claims Walker, who is running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, “abandoned” Trump on a vote “to block a Democrat bill” impeaching Trump.

TV Ad Features Cherry-Picked Comments from Rep. Ted Budd About Putin

TV Ad Features Cherry-Picked Comments from Rep. Ted Budd About Putin

In late February, Republican Rep. Ted Budd described Russian President Vladimir Putin as “erratic,” a “thug” and “intelligent.” He also said Putin has “strategic reasons” for wanting to “protect” his country’s borders, but called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “evil” and pledged support for Ukrainians. But a new TV ad from Republican Pat McCrory cherry-picks from Budd’s remarks to claim the congressman “excuses Putin” for Russia’s deadly attack on Ukraine.

Posts Misinterpret Video of North Carolina Voter Rally

Posts Misinterpret Video of North Carolina Voter Rally

Social media posts falsely claim that a video shows get-out-the-vote marchers in North Carolina were pepper-sprayed by police because they were “blocking polls & intimidating voters.” The nearest voting place was a block away from the marchers’ rally, and the governor said the police engaged in “voter intimidation.”

A Guide to the Candidates’ Claims

A Guide to the Candidates’ Claims

This is a guide to key stories we did during the 2020 election between Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden.

Anti-Biden Ad Misleads on Race Claims

Anti-Biden Ad Misleads on Race Claims

The Committee to Defend the President has been running a six-second Facebook ad targeting older voters in North Carolina that takes former Vice President Joe Biden’s words out of context to brand him as a KKK sympathizer who twice used the “N-word.”

Muddying a Trump Loyalty Test

Muddying a Trump Loyalty Test

In Republican primaries where loyalty to President Donald Trump’s agenda is a litmus test for many voters, the approval of a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill has become a political weapon — no matter how lawmakers voted.

Counterprotesters Paid in Charlottesville?

Counterprotesters Paid in Charlottesville?

Q: Is a Craigslist ad proof that counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally were “paid to make chaos”?

A: No. The ad called for “actors and photographers” in Charlotte, North Carolina, not Charlottesville, Virginia, where the rally took place.