Section II · SubversionExhibit S-015
Framing
NBC fact check: "acid washed" vs. BleachBit
■ The pieces
- NBC News: "24 Fact Checks From the Second 2016 Presidential Debate" (2016-10-10)https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-presidential-debates/24-fact-checks-second-presidential-debate-n663421
- NBC News (fact-check card): "Trump Said Clinton 'Acid Washed' Server. Nope." (2016-10-09)https://www.nbcnews.com/card/trump-said-clinton-acid-washed-server-nope-n663436
■ What they show
In its fact check of the second presidential debate, NBC News rated Trump's claim that Clinton "acid washed" her email server as false, explaining that her team used a software program called BleachBit, not a corrosive chemical. Critics say this read a figure of speech literally while confirming the underlying point that the files were permanently wiped.
■ The other side
NBC's statement that no chemical was used is literally accurate; the dispute is whether that is a meaningful correction of a phrase Rep. Trey Gowdy had earlier used figuratively for the same deletion.
Who it helped: DemocratsFact-checked a figure of speech in Clinton's favor.
■ Why it's here
This exhibit is filed under Subversion, not graded as a lie. What subversion means →