California Governor 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them
Xavier Becerra (Democrat) and Steve Hilton (Republican) are the candidates for governor of California in the November 3, 2026 general election. Semblen has analyzed 21 ads in this race; 4 used at least one manipulation technique, most often bandwagon appeal and glittering generalities.
Xavier Becerra (DEM), Steve Hilton (REP).
On the ballot as listed by California Secretary of State, Certified List of Candidates, Nov 3 2026 General. 21 ads analyzed, 4 with at least one technique in the copy.
Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. Updated 2026-10-08. 18 ads from other advertisers shown separately below.
3 of 16 (19%) flagged · Bandwagon Appeal (2), Glittering Generalities (2), Appeal to Fear (1)
YouTube
1 of 5 flagged · Repetition (1)
Reported Meta spend
$600–6,045 on all ads, $0–1,485 on flagged ads · Meta reports ranges; these are the sums of their ends
Example
“Leaders and unions across California are uniting to vote No on Prop 40” — Bandwagon Appeal, paid for by No on Prop 40 - Doctors, Teachers, Small Businesses, Working Families and Public Safety Against the Reckless Wealth Tax Experiment. Ad committee’s top funders: California Primary Care Association Advocates & California Medical Association.
· the flagged ad with the highest reported spend that shows the most common technique
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Leaving out the softer ones (loaded language, glittering generalities, slogans, exaggeration, repetition): 14% of ads.
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Money in this race
Candidates for governor report their fundraising to California's state campaign-finance office, not the FEC. This page doesn't cover those reports yet, so it shows no money figures.
The ads
21 ads, newest first. Video transcripts are shown as the model read them, without caption cues like [music].
Paid for by Legit Politicfrom 2026-10-062 variantsspend $0–198200–1,998 impressions
🚨 Steve Hilton challenged former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra over his handling of unaccompanied migrant children during an exchange about immigration enforcement. Hilton claimed 479,000 children were involved, hundreds of thousands remain missing and 100,000 were younger than 10. Becerra called the accusations “retread Trump talking points.”
Those figures have not been established as confirmed facts. Federal watchdogs documented shortcomings in sponsor screening and follow-up, but did not conclude that every child affected by administrative failures was missing, trafficked or harmed. What do you make of the exchange? 👇
#Immigration #MigrantChildren #CaliforniaPolitics
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by KQEDfrom 2026-10-062 variantsspend $0–1981,100–2,998 impressions
Trying to make sense of the race for California governor? KQED's Voter Guide breaks down where Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton stand on key issues, so you can compare the candidates and decide for yourself.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by REALPOLITICSCAfrom 2026-10-052 variantsspend $0–19810,000–11,998 impressions
❤🇺🇸 Attention Aliso Viejo 🇺🇸❤
VOTE MARIE TSAASAN, STEVEN VON DER PORTEN!
Common Sense for Common Ground - Say NO to MAGA extremism!
VOTE FOR:
💙 Katrina Foley, County Supervisor, District 5
💙 Steven Von der Porten, Aliso Viejo City Council, District 2
💙 Marie Tsaasan, Aliso Viejo City Council, District 3
💙 Jeanna Emmons, Capistrano Unified School District, Area 6
💙 Joan Malczewski, Laguna Beach Unified School District
💙 Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal, Laguna Beach Unified School District
💙 Jennifer Engel, Moulton Niguel Water District, Full Term
💙 David Petty, Moulton Niguel Water District, Short Term
Xavier Becerra, Governor
Fiona Ma, Lieutenant Governor
Shirley Weber, Secretary of State.
Malia Cohen, Controller
Eleni Kounalakis, Treasurer
Rob Bonta, Attorney General
Ben Allen, Insurance Commissioner
Tom Umberg, Board of Equalization, District 4
Richard Barrera, Superintendent of Public Instruction
Chris Kluwe, State Assembly District 72
Sergio Farias, State Assembly District 74
Prop 1: YES
Prop 2: YES
Prop 3: YES
Prop 4: YES
Prop 5: YES
Prop 37: YES
Prop 38: YES
Prop 39: NO
Prop 40: YES
Prop 41: NO
Prop 42: NO
Prop 43: NO
Prop 44: NO
Prop 45: NO
Bandwagon Appeal: The imperative 'VOTE' combined with candidate names implies a collective movement to join — for example: VOTE MARIE TSAASAN, STEVEN VON DER PORTEN!
Glittering Generalities: The phrase 'Common Sense for Common Ground' uses vague, emotionally positive language that sounds reasonable and noble but carries no specific policy meaning — for example: Common Sense for Common Ground
Name Calling: The label 'MAGA extremism' is a derogatory term used to discredit political opponents rather than address their arguments — for example: Say NO to MAGA extremism!
Black-and-White Fallacy: The framing presents only two options: common sense/common ground or MAGA extremism, leaving no middle ground — for example: Common Sense for Common Ground - Say NO to MAGA extremism!
Bandwagon Appeal
Glittering Generalities
Name Calling
Black-and-White Fallacy
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
An email when new ads come in from either side or the outside groups: the techniques, the words doing the work, and who paid. And each debate's analysis the morning after. One-click unsubscribe.
Paid for by Steve Hiltonvideo · 0:53from 2026-10-02
Don't freak out. Let go of your fears. Expand your mind.
Just try it. You'll like it. Oh my god.
It's We can do it together. We can do it together. We can do it together.
Just one little tap. See? Was that really scary?
I think think I like it. Here's to new things. Yeah, this energy feels right.
Repetition: The phrase 'We can do it together' is repeated three times across the passage to create a rallying effect through familiarity — for example: We can do it together. We can do it together. We can do it together..
Repetition
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
How to Pay $0 Income Tax in California
Paid for by Steve Hiltonvideo · 0:15from 2026-10-01
This is your tax bill with Xavier Becerra as governor. This is your tax bill with me, Steve Hilton as governor. Any questions?
Your bills get heavier with Xavier, but you can save with Steve.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
Just Try It, California.
Paid for by Steve Hiltonvideo · 0:53from 2026-10-01
I can't believe I'm doing this. Don't be nervous. It's not that bad.
I've just never done anything like this before. Like, what if my dad finds out? Just try it.
Look, give me your hand. Close your eyes. And I'll do all the work.
See? I think I think I liked it. Now, lick it.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
Stop $8 Gas in California
Paid for by Steve Hiltonvideo · 0:15from 2026-10-01
These are your gas prices with Javier Becerra's government. These are your gas prices with me, Steve Hilton as governor. Any questions?
Your bills get heavier with Javier, but you can save with Steve.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
California Groceries are OUT OF CONTROL
Paid for by Steve Hiltonvideo · 0:15from 2026-10-01
This is what dinner costs with Javier Becerra as governor. This is what dinner costs with me, Steve Hilton as governor. Any questions?
Your bills get heavier with Javier, but you can save with Steve.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
Paid for by RESCUE CALIFORNIA COALITIONfrom 2026-10-01spend $0–9910,000–14,999 impressions
Let's Make California Golden Again! Steve Hilton for Governor
Glittering Generalities: The phrase invokes a vague, emotionally positive vision of California's greatness without specifying any concrete policy or meaning — for example: 'Golden Again'
Flag-Waving: Patriotic, religious, or in-group identity invoked to validate a position.
Slogans: Catchy phrase used to compress a complex position into an emotionally loaded shorthand.
Glittering Generalities
Flag-Waving
Slogans
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by No on Prop 40 - Doctors, Teachers, Small Businesses, Working Families and Public Safety Against the Reckless Wealth Tax Experiment. Ad committee’s top funders: California Primary Care Association Advocates & California Medical Association.from 2026-08-20 to 2026-09-2713 variantsspend $200–1,48726,500–38,987 impressions
California Democrats and Republicans agree: California can't afford Prop 40. Both candidates for governor, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton, as well as current Governor Gavin Newsom, are voting No on Prop 40, citing research showing that it will lead the state to lose over $25 billion in revenue that it needs for schools, hospitals, public safety, sanitation, and more.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by No on Prop 40 - Doctors, Teachers, Small Businesses, Working Families and Public Safety Against the Reckless Wealth Tax Experiment. Ad committee’s top funders: California Primary Care Association Advocates & California Medical Association.from 2026-08-20 to 2026-09-2812 variantsspend $0–1,1889,800–20,988 impressions
Leaders and unions across California are uniting to vote No on Prop 40 – from Governor Newsom, Xavier Becerra, and Steve Hilton, to the California Teachers Association and the Building Trades Council of California. They understand what the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has determined: Prop 40 will lead the state to lose billions in tax revenue that funds our schools, infrastructure, and public safety.
Bandwagon Appeal: The sentence emphasizes that a broad coalition of leaders and unions are 'uniting' against Prop 40, implying that because so many prominent figures agree, the position must be correct — for example: 'Leaders and unions across California are uniting'
Appeal to Fear: The sentence warns of losing 'billions in tax revenue' that funds schools, infrastructure, and public safety, invoking fear of harm to essential public services to discourage support for Prop 40 — for example: 'lose billions in tax revenue that funds our schools, infrastructure, and public safety'
Bandwagon Appeal
Appeal to Fear
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by SoCal Daily Pulsefrom 2026-08-10 to 2026-08-182 variantsspend $0–1984,000–5,998 impressions
WHOA — Xavier Becerra spent $7,000 a night housing migrant children according to Steve Hilton. For this amount of money, the children were placed in a warehouse and slept on cots as allegations of abuse emerged.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by SoCal Daily Pulsefrom 2026-08-10 to 2026-08-182 variantsspend $0–1982,000–3,998 impressions
California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton released video of a 15-year-old boy who says he was forced into "debt bondage" after being placed with a sponsor through the federal unaccompanied migrant children program overseen by Xavier Becerra, Hilton's opponent in the race.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by SoCal Daily Pulsefrom 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-09spend $0–992,000–2,999 impressions
A former caseworker at the Pomona Fairplex says migrant children were handed to sponsors who couldn't name them.
Speaking anonymously in Steve Hilton's "Becerra Tapes," the woman says staff accepted IDs with selfie photos and fake birth certificates, contacted sponsors by phone or WhatsApp, and watched kids get pulled from the site by unknown drivers at 2 or 3 in the morning.
"We still have no proof that the child went to that address," she said.
Federal auditors found their own problems. An HHS inspector general review of early 2021 cases found 16% lacked documentation that all required sponsor checks happened, 35% had ID legibility concerns, and 22% never got timely follow-up calls.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by SoCal Daily Pulsefrom 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-092 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
A former caseworker at the Pomona Fairplex says migrant kids were released to sponsors who could not name the children they were expecting.
In Steve Hilton's "Becerra Tapes," speaking anonymously, she describes IDs with selfie photos, fraudulent birth certificates, sponsor checks done over phone and WhatsApp, and children driven off by strangers at 2 or 3 a.m.
"We still have no proof that the child went to that address," she said.
Federal auditors flagged gaps of their own. An HHS inspector general review of early 2021 cases found 16% lacked documentation that all required sponsor checks occurred, 35% had ID legibility concerns, and 22% missed timely follow-up calls.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by The Angelenofrom 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-063 variantsspend $0–2977,000–9,997 impressions
For years, congressional investigations, subpoenas, and internal whistleblowers have been sounding the alarm about how many unaccompanied migrant children were being released from federal custody—and in many cases, right back to abusers.
Will Xavier Becerra’s past, which includes expediting the sponsorship process, come back to haunt his gubernatorial ambitions?
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Legit Politicfrom 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-094 variantsspend $0–39616,000–19,996 impressions
Xavier Becerra says his experience makes him fit to lead the largest state in the union—but a whistleblower claims that experience at HHS endangered hundreds of thousands of migrant children. Allegations include abuse inside camps, rape victims silenced due to lack of confidentiality, and over 140,000 children still missing. “If these children were being harmed...they couldn’t say anything.”
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by SoCal Daily Pulsefrom 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-094 variantsspend $0–39614,000–17,996 impressions
A whistleblower is now coming forward with allegations of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse inside Xavier Becerra's migrant child facilities—claiming children were placed in dangerous situations and employees who reported misconduct faced consequences.
“I’m speaking on something that I know happened.”
Follow for more Becerra tapes.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by The Angelenofrom 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-063 variantsspend $0–29713,000–15,997 impressions
A whistleblower is raising new allegations about what she says she witnessed after changes to HHS migrant child vetting procedures under Xavier Becerra.
"We've seen in Pomona, there is prostitution. I've seen young Latinas working those streets when that was not the case before." "They looked very young, and they were all mostly Latinas".
Watch this.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by The Angelenofrom 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-05spend $0–994,000–4,999 impressions
Xavier Becerra's former political strategist just pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, weeks before the California primary. His former chief of staff already pleaded guilty to stealing from his own campaign account. His rivals are calling on him to drop out. He says he knew nothing.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid posts that ran in CA and name a candidate, from advertisers that aren't part of this race: news-style pages, campaigns for other offices, and others. They're shown here for completeness and not counted with the ads above. We show the same technique analysis; their claims are not checked.
California Courier: news-style page
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1987,000–8,998 impressions
Watch this fiery moment in tonights debate where Steve Hilton went straight after Xavier Becerra, confronting him over his alleged failure to account for hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children.
Do you think this was a fair point made by Hilton?
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 California gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton clashed over Hilton’s proposal to eliminate state income tax on the first $150,000 of individual income.
Becerra argued the broader plan would give the wealthiest Californians a 40% tax reduction. Hilton said tax relief would help working people and encourage job growth. His campaign estimates the proposal could reduce state revenue by up to $65 billion.
What do you make of their competing tax approaches? #CaliforniaGovernor #CaliforniaTaxes #Election2026 👇
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 California gubernatorial nominees Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra clashed over reading instruction, school accountability and teacher pay during their sole scheduled general election debate.
Hilton called for phonics-based instruction and greater accountability for teachers and schools. Becerra said Hilton was attacking teachers and argued they should be treated and paid as professionals. State data show 48.8% of tested students met or exceeded English standards in 2024-25, while 37.3% met or exceeded math standards. Both rates rose 1.8 percentage points from the prior year.
What do you make of their approaches to improving California schools? #CaliforniaGovernor #CaliforniaEducation #CAASPP 👇
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
Hardworking Californians are getting crushed by the state’s sky-high taxes and cost of living — and Steve Hilton says enough is enough. Hilton is running on giving Californians relief, while arguing that Xavier Becerra represents the same Sacramento establishment that helped create the affordability crisis. California families are paying the price. Becerra said Hilton is misrepresenting what he said.
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 Steve Hilton said his proposed California income tax cut would be financed partly by ending state spending on the California High-Speed Rail project during a gubernatorial debate with Xavier Becerra.
Hilton proposed eliminating state income tax on the first $150,000 of earnings and applying a flat rate above that threshold. Becerra argued the plan would disproportionately benefit wealthy residents and hurt funding for working families. What do you make of their exchange? 👇
#CaliforniaGovernor #HighSpeedRail #CaliforniaTaxes
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 Steve Hilton proposed building 10 new California cities and capping government fees and regulatory costs on new homes at $50,000 during the gubernatorial debate with Xavier Becerra.
The Republican nominee said those costs average $200,000 in California, a statewide figure not independently substantiated by the sources reviewed. Counties would bid to host the proposed communities. What do you make of this housing plan? #CaliforniaHousing #CaliforniaGovernor 👇
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-29 to 2026-10-062 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called California’s 2026 governor’s race “over” in supplied footage, referring to Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra as “our governor” and mentioning Republican candidate Steve Hilton’s British accent.
Becerra is not governor. Gov. Gavin Newsom remains in office, and voters will choose between Becerra and Hilton on November 3, 2026. #CaliforniaGovernor #Election2026 👇
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-29 to 2026-10-062 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
Steve Hilton said California's budget has roughly doubled in a decade while two million residents left the state.
He pointed to the high-speed rail project's cost ballooning from a projected $30 billion to $230 billion, and said he'd cancel it on day one to fund a state income tax cut instead.
Credit: Fox News
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-09 to 2026-09-15spend $0–992,000–2,999 impressions
One was a site supervisor. Contracted to move kids to sponsors on a short timeline.
The other was intel. Watchlist work. Flags of sponsors came back with connections to MS-13, organized crime.
Both are now whistleblowers who raised concerns about Xavier Becerra’s leadership of HHS in 2021-2024 and his handling of unaccompanied migrant kids.
First full interview is up now on YouTube.
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-03 to 2026-09-10spend $0–991,000–1,999 impressions
🚨FULL VIDEO OUT NOW🚨
Tarek Kadourah (@joey.nobody) contracted with DHS from 2020 to 2024, first in Enforcement and Removal Operations, then in intel. He says he was the first to interview "the worst of the worst" once they crossed and got picked up, and that the job wasn't only catching criminals. It was also "catching the bad guys wearing badges."
By the end, he was the one blowing the whistle. He's the former site supervisor who says Xavier Becerra "definitely knew" about the 1,500+ kids moved out of San Diego in three months. Becerra is now running for California governor.
Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel. Link in bio.
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-03 to 2026-09-11spend $0–991,000–1,999 impressions
🚨FULL VIDEO OUT NOW🚨
Tarek Kadourah (joey.nobody) contracted with DHS from 2020 to 2024, first in Enforcement and Removal Operations, then in intel. He says he was the first to interview "the worst of the worst" once they crossed and got picked up, and that the job wasn't only catching criminals. It was also "catching the bad guys wearing badges."
By the end, he was the one blowing the whistle. He's the former site supervisor who says Xavier Becerra "definitely knew" about the 1,500+ kids moved out of San Diego in three months. Becerra is now running for California governor.
Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel. Link in bio.
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-17 to 2026-08-242 variantsspend $0–1983,000–4,998 impressions
NEW: Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra came out with a new campaign promise, if elected he says he will make electricity free for two hours a day, though that would come with a higher energy cost the other 22 hours.
Would you take this deal?
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-14 to 2026-08-21spend $0–993,000–3,999 impressions
BREAKING: Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra is facing new scrutiny after whistleblowers alleged that his department rushed unaccompanied migrant children out of federal custody without adequate sponsor vetting.
The claims raise questions about Becerra’s leadership, HHS oversight and what happened to thousands of children the government later struggled to contact.
Read the full story here.
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-10 to 2026-08-182 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 Xavier Becerra told reporters he'll do "lots of debates" against Republican gubernatorial challenger Steve Hilton — then got into his car and drove away without answering further questions.
#CaliforniaGovernor #Becerra #SteveHilton #CA2026 #CaliforniaPolitics #Breaking
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-01 to 2026-08-128 variantsspend $0–79238,000–45,992 impressions
Whistleblower: migrant children fast-tracked with reduced vetting under Xavier Becerra—ending up in dangerous situations, from exploitative labor to alleged trafficking networks. “We were constantly getting false information... and told to accept it.” Reports claim thousands of cases lacked real verification, with many children still unaccounted for. Follow for more Becerra tapes.
Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-01 to 2026-08-123 variantsspend $0–29716,000–18,997 impressions
BREAKING: Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra is facing new scrutiny after whistleblowers alleged that his department rushed unaccompanied migrant children out of federal custody without adequate sponsor vetting.
The claims raise questions about Becerra’s leadership, HHS oversight and what happened to thousands of children the government later struggled to contact.
Read the full story at our link in bio.
An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it ran mostly in CA and names a nominee for governor — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office (a U.S. Senate or House campaign included), or it also names CA's Senate nominees, in which case it is on the Senate race's page. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
The candidates are the ones certified for the November ballot, from the source linked at the top. Governors are state offices, so there are no FEC filings behind this page: no money figures, and outside groups are placed on a side only when they are a campaign or a party committee.
Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
A technique is a specific manipulative move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. The check runs once and its result is shown to everyone afterwards. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.
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