Quick Take Facebook users are recirculating a meme from May that makes misleading economic comparisons between Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The meme includes inaccurate or selective information about Obama’s record on jobs and econom
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FactCheck.org→ Video: Trump’s Claims on IG Report and Russia Investigation
In this week’s fact-checking video, CNN’s Jake Tapper looks at President Donald Trump’s claims, past and current, about the FBI’s now-concluded investigation into the Trump campaign, and how his statements compare with the Departmen
FactCheck.org→ Meme Doctors Quote From Well-Known Satirist
Quick Take A popular social media meme alters the words of satirist Andy Borowitz. His statement, from 2016, was critical of now-President Donald Trump — not of Trump’s rival, Hillary Clinton. Full Story Andy Borowitz’s satirical
FactCheck.org→ Meme Misidentifies Impeachment Witness
Quick Take A photo of a woman in Australia reacting to the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election has been misidentified as law professor Pamela Karlan, a Democratic witness during the House impeachment inquiry. Full Story Internet trolls hav
FactCheck.org→ Trump Misleads Rallygoers on IG Report, Impeachment
During his first campaign rally after Democrats announced two articles of impeachment and the Justice Department inspector general released a report on the FBI’s Russia investigation, President Donald Trump distorted the facts on both topics. Th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Boris Johnson Hide in a Refrigerator to Escape a Live Television Interview?
The UK’s prime minister created an awkward moment for himself on live television on December 11 2019, just one day before the country’s high-stakes general election. Footage of the episode shows Boris Johnson retreating into a freezer aft
FactCheck.org→ Viral Photos Don’t Show Impeachment Expert
Quick Take Widely shared posts on Facebook purport to show photos of law professor Pamela Karlan, who testified in support of President Donald Trump’s impeachment, dressed in pro-feminist attire at two different events. Karlan told us she did not
FactCheck.org→ Baseless Clinton Conspiracy Theory Still Circulating
Quick Take A Macedonian website is peddling a baseless Hillary Clinton conspiracy theory that has amassed tens of thousands of shares on Facebook. The story implies that Clinton was involved in the deaths of two Baltimore-area law enforcement officers,
FactCheck.org→ How Old Claims Compare to IG Report
On Dec. 9, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General released its report on the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into whether individuals associated with the Trump campaign were coordinating with Russia’s inte
Truth or Fiction?→ British Media Falls For Bogus Claim That Protesters ‘Whacked’ Government Advisor
On December 9 2019 — just days before a hotly contested and high-stakes general election on December 12 — British news organizations were apparently taken in by a disinformation effort as they spread a false accusation against protesters outside o
FactCheck.org→ A Misleading Take on Immigrant, Veterans Health Care
Quick Take A long-circulating headline on social media misleadingly tells users that Democrats chose to “vote down” a health records system for veterans while approving the same for immigrants who cross the border illegally. The bill in que
Snopes→ Were Will and Jaden Smith Killed in a Car Crash?
Fake death notices are often spread for malicious purposes.
Snopes→ R. Kelly Charged with Paying Bribe Before Marrying Aaliyah
Federal prosecutors are accusing singer R. Kelly of scheming with others to pay for a fake ID for an unnamed female a day before he married R&B singer Aaliyah, then 15 years old, in a secret ceremony in 1994.
FactCheck.org→ Meme Makes Up New Amendment
Quick Take A meme circulating online falsely claims that there is a 28th Amendment to the Constitution that bars lawmakers from exempting themselves from having to comply with existing laws. There is no such amendment. Full Story There are 27 amendme
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Obama Bowing to a Terrorist’ Post
On November 1 2019, a Facebook user shared the following screenshot, which included a purported photograph of former United States President Barack Obama bowing deeply to an unidentified man in a turban: In a solitary comment on the post, the user cl
FactCheck.org→ Another Bogus Claim About Nancy Pelosi
Quick Take A self-described satirical website made up a story about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi being kicked out of an event after a “drunken outburst.” That bogus story since has been posted on other websites without being labeled as satire
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Casey Anthony Pregnant with Twins’ Rumor
In December 2019, a rumor Casey Anthony was pregnant with twins swept Facebook, and a circulating article claimed: Casey Anthony, the woman famously acquitted in 2011 of murdering her daughter Caylee, is confirmed to be pregnant again. This time with
FactCheck.org→ Photo Manipulated to Show Schiff With Epstein
Quick Take A doctored photo circulating on Facebook purports to show Rep. Adam Schiff with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The original photo shows Schiff with his father. Full Story A viral photo shared on Facebook has been ma
FactCheck.org→ Viral Headlines Wrongly Report Indictment in Ukraine
Quick Take Ukrainian prosecutors said they have expanded their investigation involving Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of Burisma, a gas company in Ukraine. But no “indictment” has been announced, as false headlines circulating on social media
FactCheck.org→ Meme Distorts Hatch Quote
Quick Take A meme on Facebook misrepresents a year-old comment from former Sen. Orrin Hatch. He did not say, “I don’t care if Trump broke the law.” Hatch said, “I don’t care” about allegations that Trump paid hush mo
FactCheck.org→ False Meme about California’s ‘Illegal Aliens’
Quick Take A meme on Facebook falsely claims that the California attorney general “bragged there are now 10 Million Illegal Aliens” in the state, when in fact he was talking about immigrants. The estimated number of people living in the sta
Climate Feedback→ Ian Plimer op-ed in The Australian again presents long list of false claims about climate
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This op-ed in The Australian by Ian Plimer, titled “Let’s not pollute minds with carbon fears”, makes many claims: that polar ice is not melting, that human-caused CO2 emissions can’t cause clim
FactCheck.org→ Revived Falsehood that Trump Fired ‘Muslim Judge’
Quick Take A viral story shared on Facebook falsely claims President Donald Trump has fired a “Muslim federal judge” over “Sharia Law.” The story was published two years ago by a website that calls its work satire, but it is bei
FactCheck.org→ Bogus Photo Targets Rep. Elise Stefanik
Quick Take An altered image makes it look like Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik stuck up her middle finger in a House committee room at the end of a public impeachment inquiry hearing. She didn’t. Full Story Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican from
FactCheck.org→ Erroneous Claim of ‘End of Youth Hunting’ in Virginia
Quick Take Posts on Facebook wrongly claim that Virginia has “announced the end of youth hunting.” The state’s Department of Game & Inland Fisheries confirmed that there have been “no such changes” in state laws, and s
Lead Stories→ Bernie Sanders At Dem Debate Did NOT Say The Planet Only Has ‘8 or 9 Years’ Before Major Cities Go Underwater
Did Bernie Sanders say at a Democratic debate that the planet has only eight or nine years before major cities go under water? No, that's not true: What the Democratic presidential hopeful said was that, unless "we get our act together within
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Democrats Spent $40,000,000 of YOUR Tax Dollars Trying to Impeach Trump’ Posts
On October 28 2019, a Facebook user shared the following status update (archived here), claiming that Democrats spent $40,000,000 in an attempt to impeach United States President Donald Trump: White text against a purple smoke background ass
Truth or Fiction?→ Donald Trump Falsely Claims He Opened Apple Texas Facility During Visit
On November 20 2019, United States President Donald Trump followed up a visit to an Apple computer-making facility in Texas with a claim that was outright false. “Today I opened a major Apple Manufacturing plant in Texas that will bring high pay
FactCheck.org→ Trump Cherry-Picks Sondland Testimony
President Donald Trump said he “turned off the television” after Ambassador Gordon Sondland testified that the president told him in a phone call, “I want nothing [from Ukraine]. I want no quid pro quo.” But Sondland had a lot more to say than
FactCheck.org→ Social Posts Distort Facts on Political Relationships
Quick Take Social media posts falsely claim that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s nephew, and that Rep. Adam Schiff has a sister who is married to the son of George Soros. It also falsely states that a daughter of form
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Julia Roberts Supposed to Play Harriet Tubman in a 2019 Biopic?
In November 2019, just after the film Twitter was outraged over news that white actor Julia Roberts was “suggested” by a studio executive to play Harriet Tubman, a black woman and a former slave turned abolitionist hero: Julia Roberts
FactCheck.org→ Memes Overstate Yovanovitch’s Wealth
Quick Take Questionable websites and social media posts claim — without evidence — that former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch’s net worth is as high as $23 million. According to her most recent financial disclosure, Yovanovi
Truth or Fiction?→ UK’s Conservative Party’s Communications Team Briefly Rebrands to Mislead Public
As a December 12 2019 general election looms over the UK and the rhetoric around its third election since 2015 grows ever louder, distractions and political stunts have hit a fever pitch, injecting misinformation and outright disinformation into its p
FactCheck.org→ Donald Trump and New York’s Veterans Day Parade
Quick Take A meme circulating on Facebook exaggerates the role played by President Donald Trump in funding a 1995 Veterans Day parade in New York. He donated $200,000, which was less than 10% of the total raised, according to press reports at the time.
FactCheck.org→ Meme Falsely Attributes Quote to CNN Anchor
Quick Take A meme falsely attributes a quote to CNN anchor Don Lemon about Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s death. Full Story A popular meme circulating on Facebook wrongly attributes a quote to Don Lemon, the CNN anchor who hosts
PolitiFact→ Impeachment and bribery: What you need to know
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., used the word "bribery" to refer to the allegations against President Donald Trump after the first day of public impeachment hearings. Pelosi told reporters that "the bribe is to grant or withhold mi
FactCheck.org→ Viral Posts Misidentify Soros’ Son as the Whistleblower
Quick Take Social media users, including a Republican congressman, falsely identified George Soros’ son, Alexander, as the whistleblower who triggered the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Full Story Republican Rep. Steve King of
Truth or Fiction?→ Report: Coordinated Russian Disinformation Could Be ‘Significantly Impactful’
Russian disinformation efforts resulted in their content being shared on more than 100 online outlets as part of a two-pronged approach covering both social media and ginned-up websites, according to a report commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Co
FactCheck.org→ Interview Prompts Erroneous Claim of Vindman Firing
Quick Take Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Ukraine expert working in the White House, was not fired by President Donald Trump — as posts circulating online continue to perpetuate. The confusion was born out of a recent television interview with Tru
Truth or Fiction?→ Archived Tweets Show Bolivian Interim President Smearing Indigenous ‘Satanists’
Amid a chaotic upheaval and ouster of Bolivia’s first indigenous president, Evo Morales, allegations swirled online around Jeanine Añez — the opposition leader who claims she is next in line for the presidency — and tweets she made litera