POLICY WIRE FACT CHECK: Viral Themes and Disinformation Tactics in the 2026 Midterms
The Claim In the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections, a surge of viral claims and political advertisements emerged across social media and television airwaves. These claims centered on allegations...
The Claim
In the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections, a surge of viral claims and political advertisements emerged across social media and television airwaves. These claims centered on allegations that Democratic candidates were supporting ‘sex changes’ for children, voted to cover up files related to Jeffrey Epstein, and were responsible for skyrocketing electricity prices due to data center development. Specifically, in North Carolina, Democratic Senate candidate Roy Cooper was accused of using out-of-date quotes from Republican opponent Michael Whatley to paint him as out of touch with affordability.
Simultaneously, nationwide Republican campaigns utilized ads claiming that Democrats were ‘gutting Medicare’ and Social Security through the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ (OBBA). In other regions, claims circulated that Democratic representatives like James Talarico voted against measures to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, while Republican groups accused senators like Dan Sullivan, Roger Marshall, and Susan Collins of blocking the release of Epstein files.
The Details & Investigation
Our investigation into the 2026 election cycle reveals a complex landscape of MISINFORMATION—unintentional use of outdated data—and DISINFORMATION—deliberate deceptive narratives. Regarding economic claims, while inflation and gasoline prices were indeed higher in late 2026 compared to the start of the Trump administration, the narrative was often distorted for effect. For instance, in North Carolina, Roy Cooper’s use of a quote from 2025 to attack Michael Whatley failed to account for how economic metrics had shifted by the time of the actual election cycle. This constitutes a case of MISINFORMATION, where old context is recirculated to create a false impression of current policy.
The claims surrounding ‘Epstein files’ represent a more coordinated form of DISINFORMATION. Republican ads in Alaska, Kansas, and Maine claimed that Senators Sullivan, Marshall, and Collins voted to cover up the files. However, official records show these senators actually voted in favor of the ‘Epstein Files Transparency Act’ passed by unanimous consent, which specifically required the Department of Justice to release files related to the investigation. By framing a vote for transparency as a ‘cover-up,’ the campaign deliberately manipulated the legislative record to mislead voters. Similarly, both parties used ads to link opponents to political donations from Epstein associates, despite evidence that many of these individuals were never charged with crimes and had only tangential associations.
The investigation into gender-affirming care and data centers also highlighted significant distortions. Republican ads claimed Democratic opponents supported ‘sex changes’ for children. In reality, candidates like James Talarico voted against a 2023 bill because it was ‘overly broad,’ and he actually supported an amendment that restricted the bill to surgeries. Medical experts note that gender-affirming surgeries typically occur after the age of 18. Regarding data centers, the claim that they are the sole driver of electricity hikes is MISLEADING. While data centers have contributed to higher prices in specific states like Ohio, in Texas, the implementation of low-cost wind and solar power has helped mitigate potential price hikes, contradicting the monolithic narrative presented in many viral campaign ads.
Finally, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ (OBBA) was a focal point for exaggerated claims. While the law did cut taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security through 2028, the claim that Democrats wanted to ‘cut Medicare’ was an exaggeration. Many Democrats voted against the bill because they argued the cuts were skewed toward the wealthy and that it reduced funding for Medicaid and food benefits. Some Democrats even expressed interest in making the specific tax cuts permanent, contradicting the claim that they were fundamentally opposed to the popular benefits included in the bill.
The Verdict
The investigation concludes that the 2026 midterm cycle was heavily saturated with both unintentional errors and calculated deceptions. The use of outdated economic quotes and the oversimplification of data center impacts on energy grids are categorized as MISINFORMATION. However, the claims that Republican senators voted against the release of Epstein files are classified as FALSE DISINFORMATION, as legislative records prove they supported the transparency act in question.
The narrative that Democrats universally support ‘sex changes for children’ is also found to be MISLEADING, as it ignores specific legislative nuances where candidates sought to narrow definitions rather than ban all care entirely. , the election environment saw both parties frequently twisting facts to fit polarized narratives, often at the expense of accuracy.
em>Counter-misinformation & disinformation investigation conducted by PolicyWire Editorial Desk (PW).
