Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Can't Stop Mocking the Associated Press for Its Questionable 'Fact Check' of the Border Wall Funding Impasse

People Can't Stop Mocking the Associated Press for Its Questionable 'Fact Check' of the Border Wall Funding Impasse
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the nation in his first-prime address from the Oval Office of the White House on January 8, 2019 in Washington, DC. A partial shutdown of the federal government has gone on for 17 days following the president's demand for $5.7 billion for a border wall while Democrats have refused. (Photo by Carlos Barria-Pool/Getty Images)

Oh come on.

The Associated Press's fact-check of President Donald Trump's Oval Office address Tuesday night has people on social media frustrated as the government shutdown continues into its 19th day.

"AP FACT CHECK: Democrats put the blame for the shutdown on Trump. But it takes two to tango," AP tweeted. "Trump's demand for $5.7 billion for his border wall is one reason for the budget impasse. The Democrats refusal to approve the money is another."


As some correctly noted, Republicans controlled Congress when Trump shuttered the federal government three days before Christmas.

AP's tweet looks more like baiting than mere fact-checking, and people ran with it.

In its post-speech analysis, AP expanded on what has really happened over the last few weeks.

Trump has blamed Democrats for blocking funding for a border wall as the cause of the shutdown, but it was Trump himself who said he would be "proud to shut down the government over border security" last month.

“Democrats will not fund border security," Trump charged during his address.

Again, it was Trump who refused to sign off on a bipartisan continuing resolution that included billions of dollars for border security, all so he could save face with his political base.

"That’s not true. They just won’t fund it the way he wants," AP responded, clarifying its questionable tweet. "They have refused his demand for $5.7 billion to build part of a steel wall across the U.S.-Mexico border."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have steadfastly denied Trump a border wall, though they have offered billions in funding for enhanced border security.

AP continued:

"Democrats passed legislation the day they took control of the House that offered $1.3 billion for border security, including physical barriers and technology along the U.S. southern border."

This is in spite of the fact that undocumented border crossings have substantially decreased in the last decade, and the "crisis" Trump cites at the southern border is of his administration's making.

And so, Tuesday night, when the Associated Press indulged Trump's criticism of Democrats, people's anger began to boil over.

This is the third shutdown of Trump's presidency and will be the longest in American history if it does not end before Friday.

More from People/donald-trump

Screenshot of Stephen Colbert
CBS

Stephen Colbert Makes Somber Plea To Americans In Wake Of Charlie Kirk's Death

Late-night host Stephen Colbert had a somber message for Americans as he addressed the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk, stressing that "political violence only leads to more political violence."

Kirk died after an unidentified gunman shot him in the neck as he—ironically enough—mocked victims of gun violence at an event in Utah Valley State University. Kirk's murder has galvanized the far-right, with President Donald Trump and his surrogates claiming without evidence that rhetoric from Democrats is responsible for Kirk's death.

Keep ReadingShow less
a woman sunbathing on rocks.
a person sitting on a towel on a beach
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

People Share The Weirdest Flexes They Heard Someone Say With A Straight Face

It is never attractive to gloat.

Even so, some people can't help but brag, or "flex" as it is sometimes known, about certain accomplishments or attributes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @thedowntheredoc's TikTok video
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok

TikToker Hilariously Calls Out Target After Champion Pants Feature Awkwardly-Placed Front Pleat

Sometimes you can just tell when something was designed *for* women, but was not actually designed *by* women.

Take, for instance, the new pleated pants available at Target from the Champion clothing line. While there's nothing wrong with pleated pants and they certainly have a suitable spot in the workplace, the latest rendition of Champion pleated pants are, shall we say, NSFW.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kaicutch's Instagram video
@kaicutch/Instagram

Woman Flips Her Car After Belting Out Ironic Britney Spears Lyric In Wild Viral Video

Whether we want to admit it or not, we've all had our fair share of carpool karaoke and maybe even imagined our car as our own personal recording studio.

But TikToker and Instagrammer Kaitlynn McCutcheon may have gotten too into her performance of Britney Spears' classic, "Hit Me Baby, One More Time," when the road and her car both said, "Bet."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@lynnshazeen's TikTok video
@lynnshazeen/TikTok

Woman Goes Viral After Revealing How Her Obsession With Matcha Landed Her In The Hospital

Let's be honest: Too much of anything isn't good for us. It's all about the balance!

But the media and social media trends have taught us that certain things are really good for us, encouraging us to be like the "very mindful and very demure" girls and take care of ourselves. One such example is drinking more matcha, especially if you really like coffee or think you have a caffeine addiction.

Keep ReadingShow less