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24 Fact Checks From the Second 2016 Presidential Debate

In Sunday's debate, there were more than a dozen falsehoods and inaccuracies. NBC and our friends at PolitiFact checked out the candidates' claims.
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Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton listens to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016.John Locher / AP

In Sunday night's presidential debate, there were more than a dozen falsehoods and inaccuracies. NBC News and our friends at PolitiFact checked out the candidate's claims, and here's what we found.

  1. Trump said he didn’t urge people to “check out a sex tape” about former Miss Universe Alicia Machado. He did.
  2. Trump said health care costs are going up by 68 percent, 59 percent, 71 percent. The national estimate ranges are far lower.
  3. Trump said Clinton "acid washed" her private email server. She didn't. She used an app called Bleachbit, not a corrosive chemical.
  4. Trump said Clinton doesn’t know Russia hacked the DNC. U.S. intelligence has said they very likely did.
  5. Trump said Clinton got a man accused of raping a 12-year-old girl “off” his charges. She didn’t.
  6. Trump said Clinton laughed at a child rape victim. She didn’t.
  7. Trump said Clinton “viciously attacked” four women. This is largely unsubstantiated.
  8. Trump said his 2005 recording didn’t describe sexual assault. It did.
  9. Trump said Clinton’s campaign started the “birther” movement. She didn’t.
  10. Trump said Clinton wants a single payer healthcare. She doesn’t.
  11. Trump said the San Bernardino shooters’ neighbors saw bombs in their apartment. They didn’t.
  12. Trump said Clinton wants 550 percent more Syrian refugees. . That's true.
  13. Trump said the nation can’t screen those refugees. That’s false.
  14. Trump said he was against the Iraq invasion. He wasn’t.
  15. Trump said he doesn’t know Putin. That’s not what he said before 2015.
  16. Trump called Obama's Syrian red line a "line in the sand" while Clinton said she wasn't secretary of state then. They're both wrong.
  17. Trump said Clinton will raise the middle class’ taxes. It won’t.

  18. Trump said Michelle Obama was in 2008 primary ads attacking Clinton. She wasn’t.

  19. Clinton said there’s no evidence that her server was hacked. Sure, but the FBI noted that sophisticated hackers wouldn't leave any evidence -- even if they did hack the server.

  20. Clinton said deleted emails were “personal, not official.” They weren’t all personal.

  21. Trump said the moderators hadn’t asked about Clinton’s emails. They had just finished a question about them.

  22. Trump said Bernie Sanders accused Clinton of exercising bad judgment. He did.

  23. Trump said the federal immigration enforcement agency ICE endorsed him. They didn’t, a union of some ICE employees did.

  24. Clinton said she apologized for the way she talked about Trump’s supporters. She said she was sorry for saying half his supporters were deplorable, not for saying they’re deplorable.