In the final Democratic debatebefore the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, the three remaining candidates attempted to sway undecided voters while re-energizing their base as the 2016 election moves along. As the debate came to a close, fact checkers released their findings and the Democratic candidates fared well on the truth meter.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley took the stage at the Congressional Black Caucus Institute in Charleston, South Carolina. The debate offered a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to guns, income inequality, civil rights, health care, and national security.
After the debate was in the books, fact checkers found that the majority of their statements were rated some variety of "True," as reported by Politifact on Jan. 17.
Hillary Clinton scorecard
When analyzing the statements made by the former First Lady, Clinton was honest, with nearly all of her statements resulting in a rating of "True" or "Mostly true." Clinton stated that 7,000 children in New Hampshire have health care because she helped create the Children's Health Insurance Program, which was rated "True." Speaking about the 23 million Americans who suffer from addiction, Clinton claimed that only 10 percent receive treatment. Once again, that claim was labeled "Mostly True."
On the issue of guns, Clinton stated that an average of 90 Americans a day are killed due to gun violence, Politifact rated her claim "Mostly True." Attacking Sanders, Clinton was rated "Mostly True" when she accused the Vermont senator of voting against the Brady Bill, including background checks and waiting periods.
When it comes to foreign policy, Clinton stated that she helped bring Iran to the table to negotiate the recent P5+1 deal, another comment that was also "Mostly True."
Bernie Sanders scorecard
When it comes to Sen. Sanders, the populist favorite did just as well. One of the top issues that Sanders has focused on during his campaign is universal health care.
During the debate, Sanders stated that the U.S. spends "almost three times per capita what they spend in the U.K." on health care, a comment rated "True" by Politifact. Sanders also made a claim that the U.S. spends "50 percent more than they pay in France" on health care, resulting in another "True" rating.
The result
The fallout from the Democratic debate will be reflected in the polls, but the debate itself showed a stark contrast between both major political parties in the country. Fact checkers reviewed the Republican debate that took place last Thursday, and the results showed it was littered with statements and claims that were mostly labeled "false."
