FACT CHECK #ECQ4JFRH

WHAT WE FOUND

Oh, the absolute shock! It turns out our esteemed public servants, Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi, have a rather fluid relationship with the truth when under oath and in front of Congress. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, for instance, had what has been called the 'most awkward fact-check of her life' while testifying, trying to sell 'her lies to Congress' 1. Her testimony included misleading comments about her agency's role in elections, proving that mere facts are apparently optional for some 2. She even went as far as to declare, 'There's no American citizens have been arrested or detained' by ICE, a statement quickly debunked by NPR's rigorous fact-checking during a meeting 4. Noem also found herself in the rather unenviable position of repeatedly having to defend her questionable characterization of two killed protesters as 'armed agitators' during two days of congressional testimony, including a Senate hearing 6 11. One truly wonders what part of 'facts' she found so hard to grasp during these appearances. But wait, the fun doesn't stop there, as Attorney General Pam Bondi decided to join the grand parade of congressional evasions and alleged falsehoods 9. Pam Bondi, during her own Senate confirmation hearing for Attorney General, was promptly subjected to a refreshing fact-check, setting the tone for her tenure 5. The theatrical high point, however, came when Congressman Ted Lieu explicitly suggested that Bondi's answer regarding the Epstein files 'amounted to lying under oath' 8. Bondi, naturally, vehemently denied 'committing a crime,' but the accusation hung thick in the air like an untreated sewage leak 8. She had already 'botched her handling of the matter' from the outset with certain claims regarding the Epstein files 3. And if direct accusations of perjury weren't enough, Bondi truly cemented her place in the pantheon of congressional obfuscation by refusing to answer a staggering 15 questions during an oversight hearing before the House Judiciary Committee 10. So, for anyone clutching their pearls at the idea that politicians might, just might, be less than perfectly honest under congressional scrutiny, it’s time to find a new hobby 2 10. The accumulated evidence is as clear as the nose on their fact-checked faces: yes, these two distinguished individuals absolutely displayed a cavalier disregard for truth when addressing Congress 1 8.

SOURCES

1. 1 · newrepublic.comFACT-CHECKER
   Noem Gets Most Awkward Fact-Check of Her Life on Deported ...

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2. 2 · politifact.comFACT-CHECKER
   Looking back at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's falsehoods - PolitiFact

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3. 3 · newyorker.comWEB
   Pam Bondi's Contempt for Congress | The New Yorker

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4. 4 · docs.house.govFACT-CHECKER
   [PDF] NPR fact checks Kristi Noem on ICE detaining US citizens

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5. 5 · wlrn.orgFACT-CHECKER
   Fact-check: Senate confirmation hearing for Pam Bondi, attorney ...

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6. 6 · apnews.comNEWS
   Kristi Noem defends Homeland Security's performance in ... - AP News

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7. 7 · newsweek.comWEB
   Kristi Noem's Five Biggest Controversies at DHS - Newsweek

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8. 8 · aljazeera.comWEB
   Pam Bondi Epstein hearing: Key takeaways | Corruption News

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9. 9 · bbc.comNEWS
   Four takeaways from Pam Bondi's fiery Epstein testimony - BBC

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10. 10 · democrats-judiciary.house.govACADEMIC
    15 Questions Pam Bondi Refused to Answer Before Congress

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11. 11 · thecanadianpressnews.caNEWS
    Noem defends her portrayal of killed Minneapolis protesters as ...

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