‘Significant revisionist history’: CNN fact-checker struck by VP candidates' false claims
CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale took apart claims by both Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) made during Tuesday night's first and only vice presidential debate, particularly on the issues of reproductive rights, saying “both candidates had false statements on abortion.”
“What most struck me was significant revisionist history from Sen. Vance on the issues of Obamacare and January 6,” Dale told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “But I was also struck by the fact that we had a false claim from each candidate on the subject of reproductive rights.”
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He first said Walz's claim that Project 2025 is calling for a registry of pregnancies has been made before by Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, and is false.
“Project 2025’s 900-page policy document is online…nothing in it proposes to make anybody register their pregnancy with the government," said Dale.
He said that it does propose the government take steps to ensure it receives anonymous data on abortions and miscarriages, which it already gets from states on a voluntary basis.
But Dale said that Vance’s claim that he “never supported a national ban” on abortion during the debate was also false.
“Vance did support a national abortion ban in 2022 when he ran for the U.S. Senate.” He then went on to read a direct quote from that campaign when Vance said he “would certainly like abortion to be illegal nationally.”
“No caveats there,” Dale added. He said that Vance kept the statement that he was "100% pro-life" on his website until former President Donald Trump tapped him to become his running mate.
Watch the clip below or at this link.