Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

More Info

I would like to contribute

Donald Trump

stated on October 7, 2020 in a tweet:

"Dems want to shut your churches down, permanently. Hope you see what is happening."

By Daniel Funke October 8, 2020

Trump falsely claims Democrats want to ‘shut your churches down’

If Your Time is short

In his tweet, Trump cited a video that shows an anti-mask protest in Moscow, Idaho. Three protesters were arrested on suspicion of resisting or obstructing police after violating the town’s social distancing order — not for holding a church service.
We could find no evidence that Democrats are calling for churches to be permanently closed.
Many states have passed coronavirus-related restrictions, including those governed by Republicans. Churches haven’t been singled out — in fact, they’ve been exempted from restrictions in some states.

See the sources for this fact-check

As he spent the day at the White House, tweeting and recovering from COVID-19, President Donald Trump claimed Democrats are using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to target Christians.

"DEMS WANT TO SHUT YOUR CHURCHES DOWN, PERMANENTLY," he tweeted Oct. 7. "HOPE YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING. VOTE NOW!"

(Screenshot from Twitter)

The president’s post was a quote tweet of Cliff Maloney, president of Young Americans for Liberty, a libertarian nonprofit organization. The original post included a video that Maloney said shows a man "being ARRESTED for holding outdoor church services." Worshipers can be heard singing in the background.

"This is one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever seen," Maloney said in the Sept. 24 tweet.

But the man pictured in the video was not arrested for holding a church service. He was arrested on suspicion of resisting or obstructing police.

Kristi Noem

stated on March 30, 2024 in an X post

“Joe Biden banned ‘religious themed’ eggs at the White House’s Easter Egg design contest for kids.”

The Associated Press reported Sept. 24 that three people were arrested in Moscow, Idaho, after a church held a "maskless psalm singing event in a city hall parking lot." The event, which nearly 200 people attended, violated a town face mask and social distancing order aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

Ben Zornes, a pastor at Christ Church and the organizer of the protest, told the Moscow-Pullman Daily News that the event was aimed at criticizing the order. Five people were issued citations for violating it, and three of them were arrested for allegedly resisting officers.

We reached out to the White House and Trump’s re-election campaign for additional evidence, but we haven’t heard back.

Democrats are not calling for churches to be permanently closed.

Many states — including those governed by Republicans — have required residents to wear face coverings in public, banned large gatherings and ordered non-essential businesses to close. Some states exempted churches from their coronavirus restrictions.

Trump’s tweet is inaccurate and makes a ridiculous claim. We rate it Pants on Fire!