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20 fact-checks from the Republican debate in Cleveland

Republican presidential candidates from left, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and John Kasich at the first Republican presidential debate in Cleveland on Aug. 6, 2015. (AP) Republican presidential candidates from left, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and John Kasich at the first Republican presidential debate in Cleveland on Aug. 6, 2015. (AP)

Republican presidential candidates from left, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and John Kasich at the first Republican presidential debate in Cleveland on Aug. 6, 2015. (AP)

Angie Drobnic Holan
By Angie Drobnic Holan August 12, 2015

The crowded Republican field has kept PolitiFact busy since the first GOP debate. So far, we’ve compiled 20 fact-checks of statements the candidates made on Aug. 6 in Cleveland.

Here is the full list.

1. Marco Rubio: Says Hillary Clinton has "been in office and in government longer than anybody else running here tonight." Mostly False.

2. John Kasich: "I took the state of Ohio from an $8 billion hole … to a $2 billion surplus." Mostly True.

3. Donald Trump: Illegal immigration "wasn’t a subject that was on anybody’s mind until I brought it up at my announcement." False.

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4. Donald Trump: "The Mexican government ... they send the bad ones over." Pants on Fire!

5. Marco Rubio: "This is the most generous country in the world when it comes to immigration. There are a million people a year who legally immigrate to the United States." Mostly True.

6. Ted Cruz: "A majority of the candidates on this stage have supported amnesty ... I have never supported amnesty." Mostly True.

7. Chris Christie: "I was appointed U.S. attorney by President Bush on Sept. 10, 2001." Mostly False.

8. Rand Paul: "The Fourth Amendment was what we fought the Revolution over. John Adams said it was the spark that led to our war for independence." Mostly True.

9. Marco Rubio: Says that Donald Trump "supported Charlie Crist."  Mostly True.

10. Mike Huckabee: "$700 billion was robbed (from Medicare) to pay for Obamacare." Half True.

11. Mike Huckabee: "One of the reasons that Social Security is in so much trouble is that the only funding stream comes from people who get a wage. The people who get wages is declining dramatically." Mostly False.

12. Marco Rubio: "Over 40 percent of small and mid-size banks that loan money to small businesses have been wiped out since Dodd-Frank has passed." Mostly False.

13. Marco Rubio: On allowing abortion in cases of rape or incest, "I have never said that or advocated that." Mostly False.

14. Jeb Bush: "As governor of Florida I defunded Planned Parenthood." True.

15. Ben Carson: "Ukraine was a nuclear-armed state. They gave away their nuclear arms with the understanding that we would protect them." False.

We fact-checked one claim from the early debate:

16. Carly Fiorina: Says Donald Trump has "changed his mind" on abortion. True.

We found four cases where candidates repeated talking points we fact-checked on another occasion:

17. Jeb Bush: As Florida governor, "we cut taxes every year, totaling $19 billion." Half True.

18. Jeb Bush: Says he was known as "Veto Corleone" for cutting spending as Florida governor. True.

19. Jeb Bush: Says that during his eight years as Florida governor, "we created 1.3 million net new jobs." Mostly True.

20. John Kasich: Says he was "one of the chief architects" of balancing the federal budget. Mostly True.

Finally, we fact-checked two post-debate claims from Donald Trump:

1. Donald Trump: "Some of the things that (Megyn Kelly) said, I didn’t say." False.

2. Donald Trump: "Every poll said I won the debate." Half True.

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20 fact-checks from the Republican debate in Cleveland