Night two of the Republican National Convention featured remarks on safety, as the theme of the night was "Make America Safe Again." We fact-checked the claims. Here is what we found.Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake misleads on drug crisisArizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake spoke during Tuesday night’s Republican National Convention session, making several misleading or false claims about the drug crisis and its connection to the southern United States border. Claim: “(Ruben) Gallego and the Democrats have handed over control of my state, Arizona’s border, to the drug cartels, and because of them, criminals and deadly drugs are pouring in, and our children are dying.”Get the Facts: It is true that Arizona faces challenges with drugs because of its border with Mexico. Attributing this to policies by Gallego and the Democrats is an oversimplification. Drug trafficking is a complex issue influenced by various factors, including demand for drugs in the U.S., international crime syndicates, and border enforcement policies spanning multiple administrations.Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began to notice a rise in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, the DEA issued a nationwide alert calling fentanyl a threat to public health and safety. Fentanyl deaths have steadily increased since the first alerts in 2013.Since the crisis began in 2013, there have been Democratic and Republican administrations in the presidency, Democratic and Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, and Democratic and Republican governors in Arizona. Pinning the drug crisis on policies of the Democratic Party ignores the years where fentanyl use and deaths increased under the watch of Republican leadership.Rating: MisleadingClaim: “Grand Canyon State has become the fentanyl state.”Get the Facts: While Arizona is significantly affected by fentanyl trafficking and use, it is not uniquely singled out compared to other states. Fentanyl distribution and abuse are widespread problems across many states, especially in areas with high levels of opioid abuse.Rating: MisleadingClaim: “The problems we face are huge, the problems caused by the Democrat party, but the solutions guys are really simple. First of all, stop the Biden invasion and build the wall.”Get the Facts: The border crisis is a multifaceted issue that cannot be solely attributed to one administration or political party. Republicans have been touting the increase of fentanyl at the border since the beginning of Biden’s presidency, but the facts show that in the last nine months of the Trump administration, border patrol had seized as much fentanyl at the border as it did in the first 9 months of Biden's administration. Building a border wall is a proposed solution by some, but it is part of a broader debate on how to effectively manage immigration and border security.Rating: Misleading U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde on border and policing policiesEric Hovde, a candidate for U.S. Senate from Wisconsin made several claims about the safety and border policies of the Biden administration. Let’s look at some of the claims and the facts.Claim: "They've made us less safe at home with their defund the police movement..."Get the Facts: The "defund the police" movement gained traction after high-profile incidents of police violence, but it is not an official policy of the Biden administration. In fact, President Biden has stated his opposition to defunding the police and has proposed funding to support law enforcement.Rating: MisleadingClaim: "Biden, with his border czar, Vice President Harris, opened our southern border, allowing criminals and terrorists to enter our country. They've emboldened drug cartels to flood our streets with fentanyl, killing over 100,000 Americans every year."Get the Facts: While border security and immigration policies have been contentious issues, it is not accurate to say that the border has been "opened." The Biden administration has faced criticism for its handling of border issues, but it has not enacted an open border policy. The fentanyl crisis is serious, but attributing it solely to border policies ignores the complexity of drug trafficking networks.Rating: MisleadingClaim: "Their incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan..."Get the Facts: The withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 was widely criticized for its execution, particularly due to the rapid takeover by the Taliban and the chaotic scenes during the evacuation. This has been acknowledged by various sources, including military and foreign policy experts.Rating: Truehttps://infogram.com/get-the-facts-true-1h0n25ok0q58l4p?live House Majority Whip Tom Emmer makes mixed claims on Biden/Harris security policiesHouse Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota spoke Tuesday night. Here’s a fact-check of some specific claims the GOP congressman made.Claim: “We ended the vaccine mandate in our military.”Get the Facts: The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 included provisions that effectively ended the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. military personnel, which had been a point of contention. This aligns with the statement made by Tom Emmer.Rating: TrueClaim: “Kamala Harris encouraged and enabled the criminals and the rioters... She even promoted a fund to release the criminals from jail.”Get the Facts: Kamala Harris supported the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which helped provide bail for those arrested during the George Floyd protests. While the fund aimed to assist protesters, it also faced criticism when individuals bailed out by the fund later committed crimes. However, attributing these actions directly to Harris encouraging crime is an overstatement.Rating: MisleadingClaim: “One criminal Kamala Harris freed in Minneapolis, went on to murder a man in St. Paul, Minnesota.”Get the Facts: While the Minnesota Freedom Fund did post bail for some individuals who later committed crimes, the assertion that Kamala Harris personally freed a criminal who then committed murder is misleading. Harris supported the fund, but she did not directly post bail for individuals.Rating: MisleadingTed Cruz addresses border policies and immigrant crimeTed Cruz made several claims about the situation at the southern border and immigrant crime rates. Here are the facts.Claim: "We are facing an invasion on our southern border, not figuratively, a literal invasion, 11.5 million people have crossed our border illegally under Joe Biden."Get the Facts: The number "11.5 million" is a significant overstatement. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, while there has been an increase in encounters at the border, the actual number of illegal border crossings is much lower. For context, in fiscal year 2022, there were about 2.3 million encounters at the southern border, which includes multiple apprehensions of the same individuals. The claim conflates encounters with the actual number of individuals crossing illegally.Rating: FalseClaim: "Americans are dying, murdered, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released."Get the Facts: This claim is highly inflammatory and lacks context. While there are isolated incidents of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, numerous studies show that immigrants, including undocumented ones, commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens. Broadly attributing crime to a specific policy or political party is misleading and fosters harmful stereotypes.Rating: MisleadingClaim: "Teenage girls and boys wearing colored wristbands are being sold into a life of sex slavery."Get the Facts: There have been reports of human trafficking and abuse at the border, including the use of wristbands by smugglers to identify and control migrants. However, this issue is complex and involves organized criminal networks rather than a direct consequence of any single administration's policies. The statement dramatizes and simplifies a serious problem.Rating: Needs ContextClaim: "Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children."Get the Facts: This is a political assertion without evidence. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to vote in U.S. elections. This claim is a rhetorical statement reflecting partisan views rather than a factual argument.Rating: FalseClaim: "Under President Trump... we achieved the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years."Get the Facts: There were significant decreases in illegal immigration during parts of the Trump administration, largely due to strict immigration policies and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, illegal immigration rates are influenced by many factors, including economic conditions and enforcement practices.Rating: Partially TrueRNC video claims there is ‘rising crime’A video played near the beginning of Republican National Committee proceedings on Tuesday evening was misleading about the current statistical trend of crime in the U.S.Claim: “It’s not just big cities. Rising crime is a problem everywhere.”Get the facts: The claim that there is a problem “everywhere” with “rising crime” is false. Both violent crime and property crime dropped significantly in the US in 2023 and in the first quarter of 2024, though there were increases in some communities. Preliminary FBI data for 2023 showed a roughly 13% national decline in murder and a roughly 6% national decline in overall violent crime compared to 2022, bringing both murder and violent crime levels below where they were in 2020, Trump’s last calendar year in office. And preliminary FBI data for the first quarter of 2024 showed an even steeper drop from the same quarter in 2023 – a roughly 26% decline in murder and roughly 15% decline in overall violent crime. There are limitations to the FBI-published data, which comes from local law enforcement – the numbers are preliminary, not all communities submitted data, and the submitted data usually has some initial errors – so these statistics may not precisely capture the size of the recent declines in crime. But these statistics and other data sources make it clear crime has indeed declined to some extent nationally, though not everywhere.Rating: FalseSen. Tom Cotton talks about immigration in RNC speechSen. Tom Cotton made several statements on the border and immigration policy. Here are the facts.Claim: "Donald Trump said you can't have a nation without borders, and he defended those borders. Joe Biden thinks borders are racist."Get the Facts: Donald Trump emphasized strong border security during his presidency, advocating for building a wall and implementing strict immigration policies. The statement about Joe Biden thinking borders are racist is a misrepresentation. Biden has emphasized more humane and orderly immigration policies but has not stated that borders are inherently racist.Rating: MisleadingClaim: "Donald Trump banned travel to America from terrorist-infested countries. Joe Biden allowed ISIS to smuggle terrorists in."Get the Facts: Donald Trump implemented travel bans targeting several predominantly Muslim countries, citing security concerns. These bans were contentious and faced legal challenges. The claim that Joe Biden allowed ISIS to smuggle terrorists into the U.S. is unsubstantiated. There is no evidence that Biden's policies have facilitated terrorist entry into the country.Rating: FalseClaim: "Joe Biden gave migrants welfare, free hotels, and more."Get the Facts: The Biden administration has provided temporary housing for migrants, including hotel accommodations, as part of efforts to manage the border crisis humanely. However, the claim that migrants are broadly given welfare is misleading. Unauthorized immigrants are generally ineligible for federal public benefits.Rating: MisleadingClaim: "Donald Trump ended bogus asylum claims. Joe Biden created an app to let illegals schedule their arrival."Get the Facts: Trump administration policies aimed to reduce what they termed "fraudulent" asylum claims, including the "Remain in Mexico" policy and third-country agreements. The Biden administration did create a mobile app to streamline the asylum application process, intended to manage and make the process more orderly, not to encourage illegal entry.Rating: Partially TrueClaim: "Donald Trump cracked down on illegals. Joe Biden let illegals take American jobs."Get the Facts: The Trump administration implemented strict immigration enforcement policies, including increased ICE raids and deportations. The Biden administration has shifted focus to targeting immigration enforcement on individuals who pose a threat to public safety and national security. The claim that Biden let undocumented immigrants take American jobs oversimplifies the complex dynamics of the labor market and immigration enforcement.Rating: MisleadingScalise on migrants coming to the USHouse Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday that migrants are arriving in the US after having been deliberately freed from prison.Claim: “On the border, Biden and Harris opened it up to the entire world. Prisons are being emptied.”Get the facts: There is no evidence for Scalise’s claim that “prisons of being emptied” so that prisoners can travel to the US as migrants. Though, according to CBP data, Border Patrol encountered 10,763 "criminal noncitizens" in 2021, 12,028 in 2022, 15,267 in 2023 and 14,000 so far in 2024, showing an increase year-over-year. However, law enforcement has not stated that any country is purposefully sending prisoners to the U.S.Rating: MisleadingSpeaker Mike Johnson makes false claims about crime under BidenClaim: After criticizing President Joe Biden as weak, House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed in his Tuesday speech at the Republican National Convention that Democrats’ policies have brought communities “dramatic increases” in “violence, crime and drugs.”Get the facts: Official data published by the FBI shows violent crime dropped significantly in the U.S. in 2023 and in the first quarter of 2024, though there were increases in some communities; violent crime is now lower than it was in 2020, President Donald Trump’s last calendar year in office.Rating: FalseFrom CNN’s Daniel DaleStefanik on 'violent crime crisis'Claim: Similar to Johnson, House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik referred to “Biden’s violent crime crisis,” and a video played near the beginning of the Tuesday evening proceedings featured a narrator saying, “It’s not just big cities. Rising crime is a problem everywhere.” Get the facts: Stefanik did not acknowledge that the current numbers under Biden are superior to final Trump-era numbers. Preliminary FBI data for 2023 showed a roughly 13% national decline in murder and a roughly 6% national decline in overall violent crime compared to 2022, bringing both murder and violent crime levels below where they were in 2020. And preliminary FBI data for the first quarter of 2024 showed an even steeper drop from the same quarter in 2023 – a roughly 26% decline in murder and roughly 15% decline in overall violent crime.There are limitations to the FBI-published data, which comes from local law enforcement – the numbers are preliminary, not all communities submitted data, and the submitted data usually has some initial errors – so these statistics may not precisely capture the size of the recent declines in crime. But these statistics and other data sources make it clear crime has indeed declined to some extent nationally, though not everywhere.Crime data expert Jeff Asher, co-founder of the firm AH Datalytics, said that if the final 2023 figures show a decline in murder of at least 10% from 2022, this would be the fastest U.S. decline “ever recorded.” And he noted that both the preliminary FBI-published data from the first quarter of 2024 and also “crime data collected from several independent sources point to an even larger decline in property and violent crime, including a substantially larger drop in murder, so far this year compared to 2023, though there is still time left in the year for those trends to change.”Rating: Needs contextFrom CNN’s Daniel DaleScalise claims Biden has ‘erode’ American ‘energy dominance’Claim: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise claimed Tuesday in his Republican National Convention speech that the Biden administration has “eroded the American energy dominance that President Trump delivered.” He also claimed that Democrats are waging an “assault on American energy.”Get the facts: The U.S. under President Joe Biden is producing more crude oil than any country ever has. The world record was set by the U.S. in 2023, according to the federal Energy Information Administration, averaging about 12.9 million barrels per day – exceeding the Trump-era record, an average of about 12.3 million barrels per day in 2019. U.S. production of dry natural gas also hit a new high in 2023. So did U.S. crude oil exports. None of this is to say that Biden is the reason that domestic oil production has increased; market factors are the key driver of companies’ investment and production decisions, and the Energy Information Administration has credited technological improvements in fracking and horizontal drilling technology that have made oil wells more productive.Still, despite Biden’s often-critical rhetoric about fossil fuel companies, some policy moves to get tougher on those companies and his major investments in initiatives to fight climate change, he certainly has not come close to stopping fossil fuel production as Trump has claimed.Biden has also approved some significant and controversial fossil fuel projects, including the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska and the Mountain Valley gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia.Rating: MisleadingFrom CNN’s Daniel Dale and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn