From fringe conspiracy theories about immigrants and President Obama’s birth certificate to false suggestions that health care reform will lead to “euthanasia” of the elderly, Dobbs has consistently used his national platform to spread misinformation. Dobbs’ advertisers are paying for falsehoods on the following issues:
- Obama Birth Certificate Conspiracy Theories
- Leprosy and Immigration
- North American Union Conspiracy Theory
- “Reconquista” Myth
- Health Care
- Immigration
- Economic Issues
- Science and Environment
Obama Birth Certificate Conspiracy Theories
Dobbs repeatedly advances false conspiracy theories about Obama’s birth certificate. Dobbs suggested on his July 15, 2009, CNN show that the birth certificate Obama provided to FactCheck.org is not “the real document” and suggested on his radio show that day that it is not “the real deal.” After asking if Obama should be “more forthcoming” about his birth certificate, Dobbs added: “One of our callers, by the way, pointed out that he didn’t release — he didn’t release his medical records, either. Now isn’t that interesting? And hasn’t produced some other documents. What’s the deal? What is the deal here? I’m starting to think we have a — we have a document issue. Do you suppose he’s un — no, I won’t even use the word undocumented. It wouldn’t be right.” On his July 21, 2009, radio show, Dobbs faulted “certain quarters of the national liberal media” for “absolutely trying to knock down the issue of President Obama’s birth certificate.” On his July 23, 2009, radio show, Dobbs addressed media reports on his conspiracy theories by declaring, “I do believe in a national left-wing media conspiracy in which they work in concert and attack like hell.”
Dobbs spreads leprosy falsehood in claiming “invasion of illegal aliens” threatening Americans’ “health.” On the April 14, 2005, edition of his show, Dobbs said, “The invasion of illegal aliens is threatening the health of many Americans.” He then introduced a report in which correspondent Christine Romans said that “the woman in our piece [lawyer Madeleine Cosman] told us that there were about 900 cases of leprosy for 40 years. There have been 7,000 in the past three years. Leprosy in this country.” “Incredible,” Dobbs replied. However, the claim was wildly inflated. According to the National Hansen’s Disease Program (NHDP) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), there were 398 U.S. cases of Hansen’s disease, or leprosy, reported between 2002 and 2004 — “the past three years” at the time Romans made her statement. Despite the fact that Romans’ original 2005 reporting on leprosy has been proven false, Dobbs has never admitted to the error on his show and indeed defended Romans’ reporting on numerous occasions. For example, on the May 6, 2007, edition of 60 Minutes, Dobbs said of the leprosy claim, “If we reported it, it’s a fact.” Dobbs again defended his show’s leprosy reporting as recently as September 9, saying that in the original report, “we pointed out that there was leprosy rising in this country, and the reporter misstated — because the source on the story misstated — the number of years it had taken to do that. But the number — the cases — were 7,000. And we reported that.”
North American Union Conspiracy Theory
Dobbs accuses government of plotting to form mythical “North American Union.” Dobbs has repeatedly suggested that elements in the U.S. government are secretly plotting to merge the U.S. with Mexico and Canada. On March 3, 2009, Dobbs said on his radio show: “There is an agenda at work here. I truly believe it’s all about — and Barack Obama referred to it in his meetings with [Canadian Prime Minister] Stephen Harper in Ottawa, in which they talked about harmonization. This is an effort, I truly believe, to extend ultimately to the North American Union — that is, the combination of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. That’s underlying much — that’s subtext for much of what is happening. There’s no other explanation — other than outright corruption and utter madness.” During the June 21, 2006, edition of his CNN show, Dobbs stated that “the Bush administration is pushing ahead with a plan to create a North American union with Canada and Mexico” and later asked: “Do you think, our question is, maybe somebody should take a vote if we’re going to merge Canada, Mexico and the United States as the leaders of the three countries are attempting to do with the security and prosperity partnership? Yes or no. Cast your vote at LouDobbs.com.”
Dobbs’ CNN colleagues dismiss North American Union as “conspiracy theor[y].” On the August 21, 2007, edition of The Situation Room, White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux aired a video clip of then-President Bush’s response to a question about the North American Union. In that response, Bush said, “It’s quite comical, actually, when you realize the difference between reality and what some people are talking on TV about.” Malveaux said Bush’s denial followed “a lot of talk in the blogosphere and conspiracy theorists.” According to a search of the Nexis database conducted at the time, the North American Union had been mentioned on 53 Lou Dobbs Tonight broadcasts on CNN prior to Malveaux’s statement. Indeed, during a Malveaux report just the day before — on the August 20, 2007, edition of Lou Dobbs Tonight — on-screen text read: “Critics say SPP [Security & Prosperity Partnership] an Attempt to Create a N. Amer. Union.”
Dobbs pushes far-right claim that Mexican immigrants plotting to reclaim U.S. Southwest for Mexico. Dobbs’ show has repeatedly advanced the smear that some Mexican Americans and Mexican citizens — particularly “illegal aliens” — are plotting to take over the U.S. Southwest for Mexico. On the March 31, 2006, edition of his television show, Dobbs introduced a report by Christine Romans by stating, “There are some Mexican citizens and some Mexican-Americans who want to see California, New Mexico and other parts of the southwestern United States given over to Mexico. These groups call it the reconquista, Spanish for reconquest. And they view the millions of Mexican illegal aliens in particular entering the United States as potentially an army of invaders to achieve that takeover.” Romans stated, “Long downplayed as a theory of the radical ethnic fringe, the la reconquista, the reconquest, the reclamation, the return, it’s resonating with some on the streets,” and went on to say, “A lot of open borders groups disavow it completely. But the growing street protests in favor of illegal immigration, Lou, are increasingly taking on the tone of that very radicalism.”
Dobbs aired hate group’s graphic to illustrate “the Vicente Fox Aztlan tour.” On the May 23, 2006, Lou Dobbs Tonight, correspondent Casey Wian characterized then-Mexican President Vicente Fox’s trip to Salt Lake City as a “Mexican military incursion” and claimed that “[y]ou could call” Fox’s trip to the United States “the Vicente Fox Aztlan tour,” an apparent, baseless reference to those who purportedly espouse the concept of “reconquista.” During Wian’s report, CNN featured the following graphic of “Aztlan” that was sourced to the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC) — an organization whose “Statement of Principles” says: “We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind, to promote non-white races over the European-American people through so-called ‘affirmative action’ and similar measures, to destroy or denigrate the European-American heritage, including the heritage of the Southern people, and to force the integration of the races.”
Echoing right-wing falsehood, Dobbs asks of “end of life” counseling: “What’s next? Euthanasia?” Discussing a provision in the House health care reform bill that would allow Medicare to cover end-of-life care counseling, Dobbs said: “I mean, you start getting to that level, what’s next? Euthanasia?” Dobbs’ suggestion that health care reform efforts could ultimately lead to “euthanasia” echoes a discredited right-wing myth that a provision in the House bill would require that seniors receive “mandatory” end-of-life counseling sessions that would, in serial health care misinformer Betsy McCaughey’s words, “tell them how to end their life sooner.” [United Stations Radio Networks' The Lou Dobbs Show, 7/30/09]
Dobbs helps McCaughey advance falsehood that stimulus allows government to eliminate care it “deems unnecessary.” Dobbs introduced McCaughey on his CNN show by asserting that “hidden deep within the stimulus package are provisions that could greatly limit the health care that we all receive. My next guest says those provisions, in fact, could give the federal government unprecedented control over our medical treatment.” Dobbs then let McCaughey falsely claim that the health information technology provision in the economic recovery legislation would allow the federal government to eliminate “[w]hatever [it] deems unnecessary care.” [CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight, 2/10/09]
Dobbs forwarded GOP claims that SCHIP bill would provide coverage to “illegal aliens.” During a report on Dobbs’ CNN show on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) expansion, correspondent Lisa Sylvester reported that conservatives were “charging that the legislation will make it easier for illegal aliens to receive government-paid health insurance” and aired Rep. John Boehner’s (R-OH) claim that “no verification system to speak of is contained in the bill.” After the bill had been signed into law roughly a month later, Dobbs said that “opponents say it will make it easier for illegal aliens to receive taxpayer-funded health insurance,” and Sylvester again reported Republican charges that “people living in the United States illegally might be able to access” health insurance benefits under new legislation. In neither case did Dobbs or Sylvester note that the legislation included a citizenship verification process in which states would use SCHIP applicants’ names and Social Security numbers to verify that they are eligible. [CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight, 1/14/09; CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight, 2/4/09]
Dobbs falsely claimed “illegal immigration” is among “the top three issues for American voters in both political parties.” On the March 10, 2008, edition of his radio program, Dobbs claimed that the issue of “illegal immigration,” which he grouped together with “border security” and “port security,” is among “the top three issues for American voters in both political parties.” But, while some polls at the time indicated that immigration was one of the top three issues for Republican voters, no polls supported Dobbs’ assertion that illegal immigration was among the “top three” issues for Democratic voters or for voters as a whole.
Dobbs baselessly claimed that “half” of a Culinary Workers Union local “are illegal aliens.” On the January 16, 2008, edition of Lou Dobbs Tonight, Dobbs noted that that the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, based in Nevada, “is encouraging its members to caucus on behalf of Senator Obama” and then claimed: “[I]n point of fact, as many as half of the union’s members are illegal aliens.” Near the end of the segment, Dobbs referred to the “Culinary Workers Union, with just about half of its membership assumed to be illegal aliens.” Dobbs offered no evidence to support his assertions. However, on March 23, 2007, the Associated Press reported that, according to the Union’s then-political director, “about half” of the union’s members are “immigrants,” which would make Dobbs’ claim amount to the assertion that all of the members of the Culinary Workers Union who are immigrants are, in Dobbs’ words, “illegal aliens.”
Dobbs falsely claimed 2006 Senate immigration bill would do “absolutely nothing for border security.” Reporting on the 2006 Senate immigration reform bill on May 23, 2006, Dobbs said: “Still ahead here, as the Senate moves closer to voting for a bill that would give amnesty to illegal aliens and do absolutely nothing for border security.” In fact, the proposed immigration legislation included numerous provisions to increase border security, such as doubling the number of border patrol agents and interior enforcement, creating a “virtual fence,” and constructing new barriers and fences along the border, among other measures.
Dobbs pushes debunked Cars.gov claim to accuse Obama administration of being “authoritarian regime in waiting.” Claiming on August 6, 2009, that the Obama administration is an “authoritarian regime in waiting,” Dobbs advanced the debunked claim that the computers of “consumers” who went to Cars.gov would have been taken over by the government and claimed that government statements to the contrary were false. In fact, PolitiFact.com and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have debunked the claim that would-be car consumers who go to the Cars.gov website would have their computers taken over by the government. [United Stations Radio Networks' The Lou Dobbs Show, 8/6/09]
Dobbs falsely claims undocumented immigrants without Social Security numbers “eligible” for stimulus tax credits. Dobbs falsely claimed on January 29, 2009, that the economic recovery bill “would allow people who don’t have Social Security numbers to be eligible” for the bill’s Making Work Pay tax credits and would therefore make undocumented immigrants “eligible for checks.” In fact, undocumented immigrants without Social Security numbers are not eligible for tax credits under the stimulus bill. [United Stations Radio Networks' The Lou Dobbs Show, 1/29/09]
Dobbs falsely claimed 40 percent of working Americans “don’t pay taxes.” While talking about Obama’s tax plan on October 15, 2008, Dobbs falsely asserted that “just about 40 percent of all Americans — working Americans — don’t pay taxes.” In fact, all American workers are required to pay taxes on their wages for Social Security and Medicare, and people in the United States are also subject to excise taxes. Indeed, the Congressional Budget Office found that the average effective federal tax rate for households in the lowest quintile of income earners in 2005 was 4.3 percent, while the second lowest quintile paid an average effective rate of 9.9 percent that year. [CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight, 10/15/08]
“Winter storm” causes Dobbs to ask: “What’s that global warming deal?” Despite overwhelming evidence of human-caused global warming and warnings by experts that short-term weather conditions are not evidence for or against its existence, Dobbs said during the introduction of his December 18, 2008, CNN show: “And tonight, unusual winter storms are dumping snow in unusual places across Western states, and a huge snowstorm is headed toward the Northeast. This is global warming?” Later, Dobbs said, “We’ll tell you about that and a big freeze across the country. What’s that global warming deal?” [CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight, 12/18/08]
Dobbs again questioned human-caused global warming, suggested sun may be more responsible. On January 5, 2009, Dobbs again questioned the impact of humans on global warming and suggested that solar activity may be far more responsible for global warming, stating, “[M]any scientists are saying, ‘My gosh, compared to what our sun can do, man has minuscule influence.’ ” In doing so, Dobbs ignored the conclusion of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that “it is extremely likely [>95% chance] that humans have exerted a substantial warming influence on climate” and that this estimated influence “is likely [>66% chance] to be at least five times greater than that due to solar irradiance changes.” [CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight, 1/5/09]
Dobbs offered his own “facts” on evolution. During a May 12, 2005, debate on “the origin of life,” Dobbs stated: “The fact is that evolution, Darwinism, is not a fully explained or completely rigorous and defined science that has testable results within it.” The National Academy of Sciences (NAS), which advises the federal government on “scientific and technical matters,” disagrees with Dobbs’ “facts” about evolution. The NAS considers evolution “the central unifying concept of biology” and “one of the strongest and most useful scientific theories we have.” NAS stated that “many scientific explanations have been so thoroughly tested and confirmed that they are held with great confidence. The theory of evolution is one of these well-established explanations.” [CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight, 5/12/05]
