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Fact checks of political claims and public statements.

Search fact checks

Search fact checks

Find PolitiFact fact checks matching a claim, topic, or person, newest first. For an exact person match, returns checks of that person’s statements; otherwise searches fact-check text. Topic ratings are filtered from matching search pages.

Your information

Claim, topic, or person to find, for example gas prices or Joe Biden.

Truth-O-Meter rating, for example “Mostly false”; any includes all ratings.

Most fact checks to return, for example 20.

1 credit per completed run

The same inputs also work from your code or an AI assistant. See For developers.

Example results

Fact checks

Choose an action

About the PolitiFact tool

PolitiFact’s Search fact checks method returns matching fact checks and ratings, using a required claim, topic, or person as input.

Built from politifact.com. Last checked Sep 29, 2026.

Actions

Search fact checks

1 credit

Find PolitiFact fact checks matching a claim, topic, or person, newest first. For an exact person match, returns checks of that person’s statements; otherwise searches fact-check text. Topic ratings are filtered from matching search pages.

What you provide

FieldTypeRequiredDescription
QueryqueryTextRequiredClaim, topic, or person to find, for example gas prices or Joe Biden.Example: Joe Biden
RatingratingTextOptionalTruth-O-Meter rating, for example mostly_false; any includes all ratings.Example: False
Max Resultsmax_resultsNumberOptionalMost fact checks to return, for example 20.Example: 5

What you get

FieldTypeDescription
Fact Checksfact_checksListMatching fact checks, newest first.
Ratingfact_checks[].ratingTextTruth-O-Meter rating label.Example: False
Said Atfact_checks[].said_atTextWhere and when the claim was stated, as shown by PolitiFact.Example: stated on January 17, 2025 in a statement:
Speakerfact_checks[].speakerTextPerson or group credited with the claim.Example: Joe Biden
Statementfact_checks[].statementTextStatement checked.Example: “The Equal Rights Amendment has become part of our Constitution.”
Fact Checkerfact_checks[].fact_checkerTextName of the fact checker.Example: Caleb McCullough
Fact Check URLfact_checks[].fact_check_urlTextLink to the fact-check page.Example: https://politifact.com/factchecks/2025/jan/22/joe-biden/bidens-false-claim-that…
Published Datefact_checks[].published_dateDateDate the fact check was published.Example: 2025-01-22
Rating Image URLfact_checks[].rating_image_urlTextLink to the rating image.Example: https://politifact.com/wp-content/themes/politifact-wp/assets/img/meter-false.j…

Example result

For Query: Joe Biden, Rating: False, Max Results: 5

JSON
{
  "fact_checks": [
    {
      "rating": "False",
      "said_at": "stated on January 17, 2025 in a statement:",
      "speaker": "Joe Biden",
      "statement": "“The Equal Rights Amendment has become part of our Constitution.”",
      "fact_checker": "Caleb McCullough",
      "fact_check_url": "https://politifact.com/factchecks/2025/jan/22/joe-biden/bidens-false-claim-that-the-equal-rights-amendment/",
      "published_date": "2025-01-22",
      "rating_image_url": "https://politifact.com/wp-content/themes/politifact-wp/assets/img/meter-false.jpg"
    },
    {
      "rating": "False",
      "said_at": "stated on July 13, 2024 in a statement to the media:",
      "speaker": "Joe Biden",
      "statement": "“The idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of.”",
      "fact_checker": "Amy Sherman,",
      "fact_check_url": "https://politifact.com/factchecks/2024/jul/15/joe-biden/is-political-violence-unheard-of-the-long-history/",
      "published_date": "2024-07-15",
      "rating_image_url": "https://politifact.com/wp-content/themes/politifact-wp/assets/img/meter-false.jpg"
    },
    {
      "rating": "False",
      "said_at": "stated on May 14, 2024 in an interview with Yahoo Finance:",
      "speaker": "Joe Biden",
      "statement": "Inflation “was 9% when I came to office.”",
      "fact_checker": "Louis Jacobson",
      "fact_check_url": "https://politifact.com/factchecks/2024/may/15/joe-biden/joe-biden-wrong-that-he-inherited-9-inflatio/",
      "published_date": "2024-05-15",
      "rating_image_url": "https://politifact.com/wp-content/themes/politifact-wp/assets/img/meter-false.jpg"
    }
  ]
}

For developers

Call it from your code with one request. Change the values in input to run it on new data. To get an API key, open Developers at the bottom of Studio, turn on Developer mode and go to API keys.

cURL
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@politifact",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "search_fact_checks",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "query": "Joe Biden",
    "rating": "false",
    "max_results": 5
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'

What you can do with it

  • Research fact checks about a claim, topic, or person
  • Review Truth-O-Meter ratings for matching claims
  • Track statements credited to a person or group
  • Find publication dates for relevant fact checks

Questions about PolitiFact

Can I run it with my own inputs?

Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.

Can I call this PolitiFact tool as an API?

Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.

How much does it cost?

Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.

Do I need a PolitiFact account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from politifact.com when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026.

What has PolitiFact checked about a topic?

Search fact checks returns matching checks, newest first, for a claim, topic, or person.

What rating did a claim receive?

Search fact checks returns the Truth-O-Meter rating for each matching fact check.

Who made a checked statement?

Search fact checks returns the person or group credited with each matching claim.

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