: Click or tap on any technique - the definition will be displayed here. that appears in bold to show its definition.
: misleading claim - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue. : 2.2 million people in the U.S were expected to die, only if the country did nothing in response to the virus.[1]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : The COVID spikes in Florida, Texas, and Arizona are not gone.[2][3]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : A COVID-19 vaccine isn't ready and won't be announced in weeks.[4]
: proof by anecdote - making a broad generalization, based on an individual story or stories that support that generalization. : Trump reassures Americans that they will get better quickly from COVID, based on his own experience with COVID.
: appeal to anonymous authority - insisting something is true because an unnamed expert, study, or generalized group (like 'scientists') say it's true. : "The heads of many countries" have praised Trump's COVID response, without identifying who these world leaders are.
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : New COVID-19 cases are dramatically increasing nationally.[5]
: false equivalency - implying that two things are essentially the same, when they only have anecdotal similarities. : Between Obama's response to the swine flu and Trump's response to the much deadlier COVID-19 virus.[6]
: false dichotomy - giving the impression that there are only two opposing choices or options, while ignoring any middle ground exists between the two extremes. : Between total isolation or "learning to live with it," while ignoring any incremental approaches to protecting oneself against COVID.
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : On average, about 96% of people in the U.S. recover. Approximately 4% die.[7]
: passing the buck - shifting blame onto someone else for self-exoneration or to direct attention away from those really at fault. : For the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. onto China.
: misleading claim - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue. : Biden took no official position on the China travel restrictions.[8]
: proof by anecdote - making a broad generalization, based on an individual story or stories that support that generalization. : Trump reassures Americans that children will get better quickly from COVID, based on his youngest son's experience with COVID.
: false dichotomy - giving the impression that there are only two opposing choices or options, while ignoring any middle ground exists between the two extremes. : Between either opening the country or keeping is closed, while ignoring any incremental approach to mitigating COVID.
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : Fauci recommended not wearing masks to preserve PPE for health care providers and back in February he said the risk was "low,"
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : Trump got $13.8 million in campaign contributions from Wall Street.[5]
: saber-rattling - making nonspecific threats of consequences to intimidate an adversary and/or impress an audience. : Biden warns that any country interfering in a U.S. election will "pay a price," without specifying what that price would be.
: innuendo - implying something without actually saying it, which can't be refuted because it wasn't actually said. : Biden implies that Trump may be beholden to Putin.
: guilt by association - using an opponent's links to another to assign the other's beliefs, misdeeds, or other unattractive qualities to the opponent. : Trump uses allegations made again Biden's son Hunter to link those same allegations to Biden.[9]
: post hoc - proclaiming that because something occurred after X, it was caused by X, when no causal relationship at all may exist. : Taking credit for NATO spending increases, when NATO spending had already been increasing in response to Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014.[9]
: appeal to ignorance - suggesting that something is true simply because it hasn’t yet been proven false. : Trump suggests that the unproven allegations he's made against Biden must be true, unless Biden proves them to be false.[10]
: whataboutism - discrediting a criticism by accusing hypocrisy, in order to shift the focus away from oneself and onto others. : Biden shifts the focus from allegations of him taking foreign money to Trump taking foreign money.
: baseless claim - a bold statement that is presented as accepted or established fact, with no discernable evidence to support the claim. : Trump pre-paid his taxes.[11]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : The $750 "they keep talking about" is not a filing fee, but the amount Trump paid in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017.[11]
: appeal to pity - portraying oneself as a victim in order to gain sympathy and manufacture justification for attacking your opponents.
: appeal to pity - portraying oneself as a victim in order to gain sympathy and manufacture justification for attacking your opponents.
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : While the Mueller report doesn't conclude that Trump committed a crime, it found evidence of obstruction and criminal activity by others in the campaign.[9]
: guilt by association - using an opponent's links to another to assign the other's beliefs, misdeeds, or other unattractive qualities to the opponent. : Trump uses allegations made again Biden's family to link the same allegations to Joe Biden.[9]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : George Kent testified that Hunter's position at Burisma made him vulnerable to being used as a conduit for currying influence with Joe Biden.[12]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : Trump never disclosed the Chinese bank account and it remains open.[9]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : The China trade deficit has gone down, not up, to slightly below where it was during the end of Obama's term.
: misleading claim - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue. : The steel tariffs have hurt demand and cost jobs, to where the steel industry now employs 1,900 fewer workers than it did when Trump took office.[13]
: the last word - getting in the final words in an exchange to take advantage of the cognitive bias to remember best what is heard last.
: false dichotomy - giving the impression that there are only two opposing choices or options, while ignoring any middle ground exists between the two extremes. : Between being in a nuclear war with North Korea or being on friendly terms, while ignoring any middle-ground position.
: passing the buck - shifting blame onto someone else for self-exoneration or to direct attention away from those really at fault. : For escalating tensions with North Korea onto the Obama administration.
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : Trump efforts to strike down the ACA would allow insurers once again to deny coverage for those with preexisting conditions.[9]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : Biden has no plans to terminate any private insurance policies.[5]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : Approximately 4 million Americans lost their private plans under Obamacare, when it first kicked in.[14]
: labeling - pigeon-holing a person or group into a simple category and assigning names and/or beliefs to that category. : Trump associates Biden's health care plan with socialism.
: labeling - pigeon-holing a person or group into a simple category and assigning names and/or beliefs to that category. : Trump again associates Biden's health care plan with socialism.
: appeal to anonymous authority - insisting something is true because an unnamed expert, study, or generalized group (like 'scientists') say it's true. : "The biggest analysts" are saying the market's fate rests entirely with Trump, without identifying who the analysts are.[15]
: common folk - establishing a connection with an audience based on being just like one of them and being able to empathize with their concerns.
: passing the buck - shifting blame onto someone else for self-exoneration or to direct attention away from those really at fault. : For the failure to pass a COVID relief bill onto Pelosi.
: misleading claim - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue. : McConnell said he would "be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route."
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : A 2019 CBO report did find that a minimum wage hike to $15 hour could cost 1.3 million jobs.[16]
: passing the buck - shifting blame onto someone else for self-exoneration or to direct attention away from those really at fault. : For 500+ immigrant family separations, where they can't find the parents, onto coyotes, cartels, and other bad people.
: half truth - a statement that is essentially true, but lacking critical information and presented as the whole truth. : Trump mentions "over 400 miles of brand new wall," without mentioning that only 15 miles of that is where none had previously existed.[5]
: whataboutism - discrediting a criticism by accusing hypocrisy, in order to shift the focus away from oneself and onto others. : Trump shifts the focus from his policy of family separation to Obama's building of the holding facilities.[17]
: whataboutism - discrediting a criticism by accusing hypocrisy, in order to shift the focus away from oneself and onto others. : Trump again shifts the focus from his policy of family separation to Obama's building of the holding facilities.[17]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : About 50% of those that are caught and released come back to appear for immigration hearings.[5]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : The phrase "super-predators" was uttered by Hillary Clinton, not Biden.[5]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : Besides Lincoln, LBJ did more for the Black community, signing monumental bills whose impact dwarfed that of any legislation signed by Trump.[18]
: labeling - pigeon-holing a person or group into a simple category and assigning names and/or beliefs to that category. : Trump uses Biden's many years in public service to cast him as a typical ineffectual politician.
: appeal to ignorance - suggesting that something is true simply because it hasn’t yet been proven false. : Trump suggests that the allegations against Biden are true, because they haven't yet been proven false.
: whataboutism - discrediting a criticism by accusing hypocrisy, in order to shift the focus away from oneself and onto others. : Trump shifts the focus from the racially incendiary things he's said, to an incendiary thing said at a BLM protest.[19]
: labeling - pigeon-holing a person or group into a simple category and assigning names and/or beliefs to that category. : Trump uses Biden's many years in public service to cast him as a typical ineffectual politician.
: labeling - pigeon-holing a person or group into a simple category and assigning names and/or beliefs to that category. : Trump uses Biden's many years in public service to cast him as a typical ineffectual politician.
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : The U.S. is not energy independent and continues to import millions of barrels of oil per day.[9]
: misleading claim - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue. : Even taking manufacturing emissions for wind turbines into account, wind power is far cleaner than natural gas.[20]
: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue. : On numerous occasions, Biden has said he opposed fracking in one form or another.[21]
: straw man - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it. : While Biden wants to raise taxes, he only wants to raise them on those making over $400,000 a year.[5]
: virtue words - using words that are attractive to the value system of the target audience. : character, decency, honor, respect, dignity.
Total number of techniques detected over the 1:43:42 runtime of this video clip:
PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES
21 OCCURRENCES
appeal to ignorance: common folk: false dichotomy: false equivalency: guilt by association: labeling: proof by anecdote: virtue words: whataboutism:
FALSEHOODS & DISTORTIONS
31 OCCURRENCES
appeal to anonymous authority: baseless claim: false claim: half truth: misleading claim: post hoc: straw man: