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Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Popular Alien

Stories, checked. Grounded in the record.

Latest verdicts

Contradicted"Power in America will be down for 90 days. The only Americans who will have electricity during that time will be those who hold the United States Asset Reserve." — words put in Trump's mouth in an AI-altered video posted Nov. 6, 2026, by the Facebook and Instagram account Shythechosen under the caption "TRUMP CONFIRMS NO POWER FOR 90 DAYS"Matches record"Three suspected Iran-backed terrorists plotted an attack on a British air base housing American troops using vans carrying barrels of fuel, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday by the Justice Department (DOJ)." — Fox News, Brittany Miller, Nov. 10, 2026Matches record"In a review released by the National Park Service in August, the administration acknowledged that the arch would have 'adverse' effects on as many as 42 historic sites." — CNN, Aleena Fayaz, "Kennedy family sues to block Trump's arch," Nov. 10, 2026Contradicted"So it can't be a Learjet. A Learjet would take up half the bloody road. That's not taking up half the road. It is a drone or a missile." — unnamed Facebook user in a Nov. 2, 2026 video, as quoted by AAP FactCheck; the post had been viewed more than 920,000 timesMatches record"In Trump v. United States, the case in question, the court ruled that former presidents have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within their core constitutional powers and at least presumptive immunity for other official acts. The justices ruled that former presidents have no immunity from prosecution for unofficial conduct." — Robert Schmad, Fox News, Nov. 10, 2026, reporting Justice Sonia Sotomayor's wish to see the ruling overturnedMissing context"He failed to win the speakership when he topped out at 200 votes – shy of the 218 required – and the conference removed him as its nominee, eventually landing on now-Speaker Mike Johnson." — Aaron Blake, CNN analysis, "Jim Jordan's long, fraught path to lead the House GOP," live updates, Nov. 10, 2026Contradicted"Abdul El Sayed has failed the background check required for classified Senate briefings. The denial blocks him from any session that involves sensitive national security information." — X account @TrumpNews_Baby (posting as "Jonathan Gregory"), Nov. 8, 2026, in a wire-style post viewed about 2.7 million timesMatches record"Following investigations, France is now in a position to attribute these destructive actions to Iran: they were carried out by SHAHID KAVEH, an offensive cyber unit affiliated with the Electronic Warfare and Cyber Defense Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," the ministry continued. — Greg Norman-Diamond, Fox News Digital live updates, Nov. 10, 2026, reporting that France's foreign ministry said Oct. 11-12 attacks hit the refrigeration controls of more than 700 retail sites

““We’ve had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency, in terms of the economy, in terms of all the things we have done.” — President Donald Trump, Fox News phone interview on election night, Nov. 3-4, 2026, as quoted by The Daily Beast”

Contradicted

The claim: ““We’ve had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency, in terms of the economy, in terms of all the things we have done.” — President Donald Trump, Fox News phone interview on election night, Nov. 3-4, 2026, as quoted by The Daily Beast”

Why we rated it this way: The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts real GDP growth for 2025, Trump's first full year back in office, at 2.3 percent, below 2024 (3.0 percent), 2023 (2.9 percent) and 2021 (6.3 percent), and far below years like 1950 (8.7 percent) and 1984 (7.2 percent). Quarterly growth in 2026 has run at annual rates of 2.5, 2.2 and 3.4 percent, which is solid but not a record. On the most common yardstick for the economy, the record does not support 'greatest in history,' though the 'all the things we have done' part is a matter of opinion.

See the evidence

What would change our rating: A different economic measure on which 2025-2026 actually ranks first in the historical record, or large upward BEA revisions to 2025 and 2026 growth, would move this toward missing context.

The Daily Beast, “Defeated Trump’s Late-Night Call Devolves Into Breathless Tirade,” November 4, 2026

Our read

The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts real GDP growth for 2025, Trump's first full year back in office, at 2.3 percent, below 2024 (3.0 percent), 2023 (2.9 percent) and 2021 (6.3 percent), and far below years like 1950 (8.7 percent) and 1984 (7.2 percent). Quarterly growth in 2026 has run at annual rates of 2.5, 2.2 and 3.4 percent, which is solid but not a record. On the most common yardstick for the economy, the record does not support 'greatest in history,' though the 'all the things we have done' part is a matter of opinion.

Broadcast

Picture to come

Nov 4, 2026, 6:40 AM CST

Sources

Script

Narration script. If a face or a voice delivers this, the anchor is synthetic.

Morning Check. President Trump told Fox News his first two years were the greatest in presidential history for the economy. The government's own GDP numbers show 2025 grew 2.3 percent, slower than 2021, 2023 or 2024. Verdict: contradicted.

Corrections

None on file.