PolitiFact is reporting on several fact-checks and news analyses this week, including a claim about a Texas Senate candidate, the impact of presidential tariffs, U.S. relations with Cuba, and an unprecedented IRS deal involving President Donald Trump.
It said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton falsely claimed his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, is a vegan. Paxton, along with President Donald Trump, used the claim to portray Talarico as too extreme for Texas. PolitiFact found public evidence does not support the vegan claim, noting Talarico has denied it multiple times and has been pictured eating meat at campaign events. While Talarico stated in 2022 that his campaign was "non-meat" and that reducing meat consumption is "moral" and "necessary to fight climate change," he did not say he was a vegan.
PolitiFact also rated a statement by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., as Mostly False. Gillibrand claimed President Trump’s tariffs were costing New York households an estimated $4,200 annually. PolitiFact said this figure was at the higher end of estimates immediately after the tariffs were imposed in mid-2025, with more recent 2025 estimates ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 due to tariff changes.
Regarding Cuba, PolitiFact rated Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement on Cuban blackouts as Half True. Rubio attributed the blackouts, fuel, and food shortages solely to the Cuban regime’s plundering and mismanagement. PolitiFact acknowledged the Cuban government’s mismanagement but noted that the U.S. government’s oil embargo and threats of sanctions have exacerbated the problem, with experts indicating both governments contribute to the issue.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s claim about the Trump administration cutting air traffic controller hiring targets by about 2,000 was found to be accurate regarding the number. PolitiFact said the Federal Aviation Administration’s 2026-28 workforce plan sets a new staffing target of 12,563 controllers, down from 14,633, following a legislatively mandated review. Buttigieg, however, omitted the context for this change.
PolitiFact reported that a 2016 photo of then-President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro at a baseball game resurfaced after Castro’s May 20 indictment for a 1996 plane shootdown. Florida officials, including Sen. Ashley Moody and Attorney General James Uthmeier, referenced the game, criticizing Obama’s approach to Cuba, which included a 2014 prisoner swap that released Gerardo Hernández, convicted in the shootdown. PolitiFact noted Obama sought to normalize relations with Cuba, a policy largely reversed by President Trump.
Finally, PolitiFact is reporting on an unprecedented provision in a recent deal that would permanently halt existing tax audits of President Donald Trump and several associates for returns filed before May 18, 2026. The New York Times estimated this could save Trump $100 million. PolitiFact said this sweeping closure of audits would be difficult to reverse due to obstacles like finding legal standing to challenge it and the need for a two-thirds congressional majority to override a presidential veto. A future administration could attempt to reverse it, but would likely face legal challenges from the Trumps.