analysis

How astroturfing creates the illusion of authenticity and faux consensus.

latest interviews

CAN YOU IDENTIFY PROPAGANDA?

Find out
Want to help us continue our work? All donations are tax deductible.
support this project

Full coverage of President Joe Biden's first press conference from the White House on his 64th day since taking office.

By Angela Fraioli
06/04/2021 • 11:32 AM EST

Don't know how to use this page?

: Click or tap on any techniquesee definition - the definition will be displayed here.
 that appears in bold to show its definition.
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: While more Americans, in raw numbers, have indeed been vaccinated, at least a dozen other countries have vaccinated a greater percentage of their population.[1]
: post hocsee definition - proclaiming that because something occurred after X, it was caused by X, when no causal relationship at all may exist.
: Taking credit for reopening schools, when the survey Biden cites was done in January, reflecting openings already underway before he took office.[1]
: post hocsee definition - proclaiming that because something occurred after X, it was caused by X, when no causal relationship at all may exist.
: Crediting the ARP for improvements in job growth, when even without the fiscal stimulus, employment was projected to grow significantly in 2021.[1]
: minimizationsee definition - portraying something you don't want to address as trivial or insignificant, in order to shift the focus away from it and onto "more important" things.
 Biden trivializes campaign promises that he may have made and not delivered on in the face of COVID and its economic impact.
: baseless claimsee definition - a bold statement that is presented as accepted or established fact, with no discernable evidence to support the claim.
: Many journalists thought Biden could never get the COVID relief bill passed without Republican votes.[2]
: fault as virtuesee definition - presenting a weakness or undesirable trait as a strength, by focusing on any positive aspect of it.
: Biden suggests the recent increase in illegal immigration at the southern border—which could be seen as proof of weaker or lax border security—is actually a testament to his character and decency.
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: There's been a 63% (not 28%) increase in children at the border; with the 28% increase being in total apprehensions at the border, which doesn't happen every year.[3]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: There is not always a significant increase in the number of people coming to the border in the winter months, such as in 2017, when it declined.[1]
: exaggerationsee definition - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
: Trump didn't eliminate aid to Central America; he reduced it by about 30% over his full term in office.[3]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: While the vast majority of single adults are being sent back to their countries; only 41% of families are being sent back.[3]
: exaggerationsee definition - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
: Between between 1917 - 1970, there were 58 motions to break a filibuster. Last year alone there were 118, which is about two (not five) times as many.[3]
: baseless claimsee definition - a bold statement that is presented as accepted or established fact, with no discernable evidence to support the claim.
: The Trump administration's immigration policy caused children to starve at the southern border.[1]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: The widespread practice of family separations had already been rolled back by Trump, through an executive order in June 2018.[4]
: slogansee definition - a brief, striking phrase that people will remember, typically designed to evoke emotional appeals and reinforce a specific message or idea.
: "This makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle."
: cherry pickingsee definition - presenting only evidence that confirms your position, while ignoring or withholding an often more significant portion that contradicts it.
: Biden highlights support by Republican voters for some key parts of the COVID-19 relief bill, while not mentioning that those same voters don't support the bill itself.[1]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: While it's true 83% of the Trump tax cut goes to top 1% as of 2027, only about 25% goes to the top 1% until then.[6]
: virtue wordssee definition - using words that are attractive to the value system of the target audience.
 "Soul, dignity, honor, honesty, transparency."
: cherry pickingsee definition - presenting only evidence that confirms your position, while ignoring or withholding an often more significant portion that contradicts it.
: Biden again highlights polling data to shows support by Republican voters for some key parts of the COVID-19 relief bill, while ignoring all other polling data that shows he lacks Republican support.[1]
: non-sequitursee definition - response that doesn't follow logically from or isn't related to anything previously asked or said.
: Biden turns a question about the status of campaign-promised gun control initiatives into a monologue on the value of infrastructure.

Total number of techniques detected over the 1:15:00 runtime of this video clip:

PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES

4 OCCURRENCES

fault as virtue:  
minimization:  
slogan:  
virtue words:  

FALSEHOODS & DISTORTIONS

14 OCCURRENCES

baseless claim:    
cherry picking:    
exaggeration:    
false claim:      
misleading claim:      
post hoc:    

SUMMARY

18 OCCURRENCES

Biden: 100%

References
1. "Fact-checking President Biden's first news conference". The Washington Post. Published: March 25, 2021.

3. "FactChecking Biden's First Press Conference". Politifact. Published: March 25, 2021.

4. "Falsehoods About Family Separations Linger Online". FactCheck.org. Published: August 27, 2019.

5. ""The vast majority of the American people"". Politifact. Published: February 19, 2021.

6. "Democrats' Misleading Tax Line". FactCheck.org. Published: January 26, 2018.

7. "Most Republicans Still Won't Accept That Biden Won". FiveThirtyEight. Published: May 07, 2021.

9. "Fact-checking Joe Biden on the American Rescue Plan". Politifact. Published: March 11, 2021.