Beginning July 21 2020, two similar paid Facebook advertisements were shared by the official “Donald J. Trump” Facebook page, promising “public safety” over “chaos and violence”: Although the text for the advertis
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Reporter Call Kayleigh McEnany a ‘Lying Bitch’?
An exchange between White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and a reporter for Al-Jazeera led to allegations that the reporter muttered an epithet. Right-wing social media users accused reporter Kimberly Halkett of calling McEnany a “lying
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘It’s Just a Mask, It’s Just a Vaccine’ [Covid Fanfics]
On July 14 2020, Facebook user Ryan Thames shared the following post, along with a claim that temporary behavior intended to curb the rates of a respiratory-borne virus during a pandemic, such as recommending the widespread use of face masks to cut ba
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This Sgt. Rubino of the New Haven Police Department Using Excessive Force During June 2020 Protests?
In June 2020, the following image appeared in a Facebook post, alongside a status update saying that the was a Sgt. Rubino of the New Haven Police Department: Text accompanying the image referenced the May 2020 death of George Floyd, linking the inc
Truth or Fiction?→ Death of ‘Men’s Rights’ Attorney Stokes New Conspiracy Theories
The death of a 72-year-old “anti-feminist” attorney suspected of carrying out a fatal attack against a federal judge and her family has spawned new online speculation. Roy Den Hollander was found dead in upstate New York less than 24 hours
Truth or Fiction?→ Is this Durex Coronavirus Ad Real?
Chances are you’ve seen some version of this purported Durex advertisement in heavy circulation at some point during the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring and comparing a face mask with a condom: The screenshot above included commentary from a s
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rep. John Lewis Cosplay as Himself at San Diego Comic-Con?
As memories of and remembrances for Rep. John Lewis proliferated online following his death on July 17 2020, his public appearances at California’s biggest pop-culture event were brought back to the public’s attention. Activist Bridget Tod
Truth or Fiction?→ Did WitchTok ‘Baby Witches’ Hex the Moon?
On July 18 2020, a rumor began spreading on “WitchTok” (a TikTok witch community) that a group of “baby witches” endeavored to “hex the moon” and “hex the fae,” setting off moral panics and fevered discu
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘State of Illinois Definition of a COVID-19 Death’
In July 2020, social media users continued spinning a remark by a top health official in Illinois to claim that death tolls attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic have been inflated around the United States — and to attempt to sow doubt around the
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Stop What You Are Doing Google Who Invented Blow Up Dolls Right Now’
On July 16 2020 the Facebook page Memes Republic commanded its followers stop whatever they were doing and “Google who invented blow up dolls” immediately: The post rapidly racked up shares, nearing 60,000 in under 24 hours. So what hap
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Florida Congressional Candidate Tweet That White Women Join Black Lives Matter ‘to Fornicate With Black Men’?
On July 16 2020, purported screenshots of a tweet by Florida congressional candidate KW Miller began circulating; in them, Miller appeared to assert that white women “join Black Lives Matter” with the sole intent of “fornicating with
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Mask of the Beast’
A Facebook post attempting to falsely link protection against COVID-19 to Satanism continued to spread on the platform in July 2020 — while also providing a look into how disinformation is laundered across social media platforms. The post by Ana
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dr. Fauci Say “I Don’t Know How to Explain to You That You Should Care for Other People”?
In mid-July 2020, various iterations of the quote “I don’t know how to explain to you that you should care about other people” circulated, but all were attributed to Dr. Anthony Fauci: When Fauci said: “I Don't Know How To E
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the 2005 Film ‘V for Vendetta’ About a Virus — and Set in 2020?
On June 21 2020, the Facebook page “Cosmic Enlightenment” shared the following meme, which claimed that the 2005 film V for Vendetta was about the use of a virus to control populations — and that it was set in the year 2020: &nbs
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Kroger’s ‘Change Shortage’ Fee Being Applied to Credit and Debit Transactions?
On July 14 2020, a Facebook user shared the following screenshot, showing a Kroger receipt, a “change shortage” fee, and a post about how the customer purportedly paid with a credit card or debit card (making the already questionable fee e
Truth or Fiction?→ Academic’s Work Covering COVID-19 Mistakenly Marked as ‘Spam’ by Facebook
An infectious disease professor covering the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic around the state of Georgia briefly found that her readers were unable to share her work on Facebook after being designated by “spam” on the platform. “It w
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Might Get One of These for the Garden’ Video
On July 9 2020, the Facebook page “Stanton Warriors” shared the following difficult-to-describe video (“might get one of these for the garden”), showing what appeared to be a lone, seated woman getting thrown around by a mechan
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Barack Obama Take Hydroxychloroquine in 2008?
A right-wing radio host and Fox News personality attempted to gin up more conspiracy theories about former United States President Barack Obama by misrepresenting what he claimed was a prescription given to Obama. Mark Levin posted a photograph on Twi
Truth or Fiction?→ The #FreeBritney Movement, Explained
In July 10 2020, a Facebook post appeared about the #FreeBritney movement (evidently aimed at liberating Britney Spears), becoming hugely popular within just a few days: The Text of the Post The post — which was lengthy and full of de
Truth or Fiction?→ Thursday, October, and 8 PM Are All the Same?
On July 1 2020, twitter user Laureen Bazzi shared a tweet observing that “Thursday, October, and 8:00pm are all the same,” which ended up racking up a lot of attention: idk how to explain this but thursday, october, and 8:00pm are all th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Betsy DeVos Say ‘Only .02 Percent’ of Students Would Die if Schools Reopened?
On July 11 2020, the following tweet claimed that the United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos — in the course of arguing in favor of reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic — asserted that “only 0.02 percent” of
Truth or Fiction?→ Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Guards Can’t Drink for Life, Must Live in Underground Barracks?
A popular September 2019 Facebook post about guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier makes a number of claims, among them that anyone serving as a Sentinel “must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dave Ramsey Warn Against a Cashless Society Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic?
In early July 2020, posts attributed to financial pundit Dave Ramsey on the subject of what “no cash” or what having a “cashless society actually means” began circulating: Dave Ramsey repost HERES WHAT NO CASH ACTUALLY MEANS:
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a Texas Doctor Curing COVID-19 Patients For $50?
A Texas doctor’s claim that he has cured more than 75 patients for COVID-19 for no more than $50 spread widely around Facebook and YouTube before apparently being removed from both platforms. Dr. Brian Procter first drew attention through a phot
Truth or Fiction?→ Richard Rose Dies of COVID-19, After Repeated ‘COVID Denier’ Posts
On July 10 2020, a number of Facebook users shared posts like the one below — purportedly screenshots from the profile of a user, Richard Rose, who initially adopted the position of a “COVID denier” before dying from it on July 4 202
Truth or Fiction?→ Wayfair Child Trafficking Conspiracy Theory
Online store Wayfair received viral internet attention after a July 9 2020 Reddit r/conspiracy thread, which posited that bizarrely-priced, boring utility cabinets on the site were not just overpriced furniture or some kind of error, but instead evide
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘New Cases, Yesterday: Germany: 298, Denmark: 10, Norway: 11, Sweden: 57 — United States: 55,442’
On July 8 2020, Twitter user Brian Klass shared the following post in response to President Trump’s tweets about reopening American schools — purportedly demonstrating the number of new cases on July 7 2020 in the United States and four Eu
Truth or Fiction?→ Why Is the Coronavirus Test So Invasive? Would a Cheek Swab Work?
On July 7 2020, Facebook user David D Smith shared the following post, questioning why coronavirus testing was so invasive, particularly when compared to DNA test cheek swabs: Smith included a shiver-inducing image but no citations, writing:
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ghislaine Maxwell Was Arrested by the FBI, Can We Talk About How Similar She Looks to Madeleine McCann’s Female Abductor Sketch’?
On July 3 2020, just after British socialite Ghislane Maxwell was arrested, the Facebook page “NightMerica Podcast” shared the following post, comparing her photograph with a purported sketch of “Madeleine McCann’s female abdu
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Carsyn Davis Die After Attending a ‘COVID Party’?
In early July 2020, news of the death of Florida teenager Carsyn Leigh Davis began spreading on social media — alongside rumors the girl, who was purportedly medically fragile, was intentionally exposed to SARS-CoV-2 by her mother: A parent se
Truth or Fiction?→ Are ‘BLM Convoys’ Threatening to ‘Occupy Atlanta’?
Conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi reached out for attention from United States President Donald Trump on July 7 2020, all the while regurgitating a long-debunked right-wing internet boogeyman to smear the Black Lives Matter movement. Corsi took to his
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Daughter of MLK and Coretta Scott King Posted This Advice as the Next Six Months are Going to Get Real’
In July 2020, a short post of advice bullet points attributed to Bernice King (daughter of Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) began circulating, reading as follows: Daughter of MLK and Coretta Scott King posted this advice, as the nex
Truth or Fiction?→ LAPD ‘14188’ Badge Number Controversy
On July 3 2020, Twitter user Hayes Davenport shared a screenshot of a purported Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) example badge web page, featuring a badge with the number 14188: Unfortunate sample badge number choice in my opinion pic.twitter.co
Truth or Fiction?→ Videos of Lynching Threat in Monroe County, Indiana Goes Viral on Facebook
On July 5 2020, an Indiana man shared the following three videos, an incident he described as an “attempted lynching” at Monroe Lake (archived here): Booker’s Written Account of the Altercation In the July 5 2020 post, Booker wro
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This a Real Listing for an Anti-Semitic Trump Face Mask?
On July 4 2020, Twitter user Justin Stangel shared the following Amazon screenshot, of a “Trump Daily Mouth Face Cover Anti-Dust” mask — and a very swastika-like logo to match: Hey @amazon, you ok selling Donald Trump, antisemitic
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is the Beach Today in Raleigh, NC! Covid is Never Going Away!’
In early July 2020 ,the following screenshot circulated on Facebook, showing a post from an accout by the name of “Kal El” who said that “Covid is never going away” alongside a purported picture of a beach in Raleigh, North Ca
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Black Lives Matter Members Attack a Man While Protesting a Statue of Louis IX?
A demonstration calling for the removal of a historical monument in in St. Louis in June 2020 was targeted by both far-right online users and channels both before it took place and prior to an altercation that was subsequently used to smear both the o
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This ‘America First’ Trump 2020 Shirt Real?
On July 1 2020, a number of social media posts shared images of a “Trump 2020, America First” shirt — which they said or implied bore a striking resemblance to a common Nazi symbol: OH COME ON pic.twitter.com/6divzAkVkK — Lux
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘In Case You’re Wondering What Utter, Abject Failure Looks Like’: Are These USA, France, Italy, and Spain COVID-19 Charts?
In late June 2020, a series of four COVID-19 charts began spreading across social media, captioned: “In case you’re wondering what utter, abject failure looks like,” purportedly contrasting COVID-19 infection rates in the United Stat
Truth or Fiction?→ Does ‘Qabalista’ by Selki Girl Trigger ‘Out-of-Body Experiences’?
In late June and early July 2020, a rumor on TikTok’s #witchtok hashtag held that the album Qabalista by Selki Girl “triggered astral projection” or other strange experiences; a video with hundreds of thousands of engagements involve