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PolitiFact awards the Lie of the Year to the most significant falsehood or exaggeration that worked to undermine an accurate narrative. (Ellen Hine/PolitiFact)
It’s time for PolitiFact’s readers to make their case for the annual Lie of the Year. And this year, we’re changing things up.
PolitiFact awards the Lie of the Year to the most significant falsehood or exaggeration that worked to undermine an accurate narrative. (PolitiFact editors make the official choice.)
We normally ask our readers to pick one falsehood they think should be Lie of the Year. But this year, we want you to rank our options from most to least significant falsehood.
Last year’s winner of the reader poll was also PolitiFact’s official editors’ choice for Lie of the Year: President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s campaign claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets.
Scroll below to see links to each of the fact-checks listed on the ballot. Or click here to jump to the poll.
You can also tell us which falsehood you thought was Lie of the Year worthy and why, either as a written answer in the form or by sending a video explaining your choice to [email protected]. We’ll feature clear and concise responses on PolitiFact’s social media accounts.
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President Donald Trump: Regarding boat strikes off the coast of Venezuela, "Every boat that we knock out we save 25,000 American lives." Pants on Fire.
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President Donald Trump: "There’s no downside" to not taking Tylenol when you’re pregnant. Pants on Fire.
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U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah: The suspect in the Minnesota lawmakers’ shootings was driven by "Marxist" ideology. Pants on Fire.
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Benjamin Netanyahu: "There is no starvation in Gaza." Pants on Fire.
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President Donald Trump: Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia "had ‘MS-13’ on his knuckles tattooed. … He had ‘MS’ as clear as you can be. Not 'interpreted.’" Pants on Fire.
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President Donald Trump: Asked about his campaign promise to deport the "worst of the worst," Trump said, "That's what we're doing." See our check.
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker: The federal government "decided to shut down the SNAP machines, so that they can’t be used." False.
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: "Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people." False.
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Vice President JD Vance: Democrats shut down the government to give health care to illegal immigrants. False.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries: "The Trump administration just declared that erecting a ballroom is the president’s main priority," rather than issues such as the cost of living and health care. False.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: "Nobody was texting war plans" in the Trump administration Signal group text about bombing Yemen. False.
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Social media posts, left-wing influencers: The "Trump is dead" Labor Day weekend conspiracy theory. Special report.
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President Donald Trump: The Jeffrey Epstein files "were made up by Comey. They were made up by Obama. They were made up by Biden." Pants on Fire.
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President Donald Trump: "Portland is burning to the ground." Pants on Fire.
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House Minority Leader Jeffries: "Republicans have effectively ended medical research in the United States of America." Mostly False.
Editor's note, Dec. 4: We updated the story to correct our rating for Netanyahu's claim about Gaza starvation. It was Pants on Fire, not False.
Vote for the 2025 Readers' Choice Lie of the Year
Our Sources
See links in story.
