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Fact check

Is it true: October Surprise 1980 Claims?

Unsubstantiated68% confidence

There's no solid evidence for it.

Congressional inquiries, journalism, memoir claims, and later archival disputes require careful chronology.

The claim

Claims that Reagan campaign representatives secretly interfered with Iran hostage negotiations before the 1980 election.

Key evidence

The hostages were released 20 minutes after Reagan's inauguration

Senate Special Counsel (1992) found no credible evidence of a pre-election deal

Read the full evidence file

Conspirafy steelmans each claim, then follows the evidence. How we reach a verdict · Check another claim