On September 26 2019, a since-suspended Twitter account (@4truthbombs) shared an image purporting to show a very young Angela Merkel with a previous, infamous chancellor — Adolf Hitler: The disinformation attempt appeared not long after Merkel spo
Search Results (2566) for: military
Snopes→ GOP Sen. Johnson Says Trump Blocked Ukraine Aid
A Republican senator said he learned from a U.S. ambassador that President Donald Trump was tying military aid for Ukraine to an investigation of the 2016 election.
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump calls impeachment a coup. It's not
As the pressures of impeachment have risen, President Donald Trump has increasingly used the word "coup." On Oct. 1, Trump tweeted, "As I learn more and more each day, I am coming to the conclusion that what is taking place is not an imp
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the FBI Say Knives are Used in Five Times More Murders than Rifles?
On October 1 2019 , the website AmericanMilitaryNews.com shared a post headlined, “FBI stats show 5 times more murders by knives than rifles in 2018”: That was shared thousands of times in less than 24 hours. An additional item claim
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Global Warming Data NOT FAKED By Government To Fit Climate Change Fictions
Was global warming data faked by the U.S. government to fit climate change fictions? No, that's not true: When scientists with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) modernized the way daily temperatures recorded in every nook
Snopes→ Large Chunk of Border Wall Funding Diverted from Tiny Guam
President Donald Trump is raising a large chunk of the money for his border wall with Mexico by deferring several military construction projects slated for Guam, a strategic hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific.
FactCheck.org→ The Whistleblower Complaint Timeline
President Donald Trump has been accused in a whistleblower complaint of “using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.” “In the course of my official duties, I have received inform
Truth or Fiction?→ Vietnam Veterans Group: ‘Foreign Criminals’ Targeting Servicemembers for Online Exploitation
An advocacy group for military service members is calling on similar organizations as well as federal officials and social media platforms to take more steps to protect their fellow veterans from being manipulated by online disinformation. “Serv
Truth or Fiction?→ Teddy Roosevelt’s Bar Fight: ‘If I’ve Got to, I’ve Got to’
On September 26 2019 an Imgur user shared the following Teddy Roosevelt “fun fact” meme: Messing with wrong Guy A post titled “Messing with [the] wrong guy” and referencing its subject as “Teddy Badass Roosevelt,
FactCheck.org→ Trump Wrong on European Aid to Ukraine
President Donald Trump wrongly said that “Europe and other nations” were “not” contributing to Ukraine, specifically calling for Germany and France to “put up money.” In fact, the European Union and European financia
PolitiFact→ Donald Trump – Donald Trump said European nations have not put money into Ukraine. They have put in a lot
The Truth-o-Meter says: Mostly False | Donald Trump said European nations have not put money into Ukraine. They have put in a lot In a scrum with reporters outside the U.N. General Assembly hall, President Donald Trump was asked why he held up at l
FactCheck.org→ Meme Gets Israel Gun Laws Wrong
Quick Take An old meme has resurfaced, spreading misinformation about gun laws and school violence in Israel. Full Story A meme that spread misinformation following the school shooting that resulted in 17 deaths in Parkland, Florida, in 2018 has re-e
FactCheck.org→ Q&A on Intelligence Community Whistleblower
A whistleblower on Aug. 12 filed a complaint with the inspector general of the intelligence community, who found the information credible and determined that under the law it should be forwarded to the congressional intelligence committees. But the act
FactCheck.org→ Posts Distort O’Rourke’s Criminal Record
Quick Take Viral posts falsely claim Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke can’t own a gun due to a felony. O’Rourke has not been convicted of a felony. Full Story Social media users have spread viral posts that falsely ca
PolitiFact→ How would an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump work?
Democrats are weighing impeachment after news reports suggested that President Donald Trump withheld U.S. military aid from Ukraine to pressure the country into investigating his political rival Joe Biden. Biden’s son Hunter was a director at a U
Truth or Fiction?→ Were ‘Alien Enthusiasts’ Shot and Killed at Area 51?
Amid the coverage of the social media-inspired gathering at the Area 51 military outpost in September 2019 was at least one online prank stating — falsely — that people had been killed at the event. The site, LATlmes.com (which looks enough like
FactCheck.org→ O’Rourke Not Alone in Support of Mandatory Buyback
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke has faced backlash from Republicans, and some Democrats, for his debate-night advocacy of a mandatory buyback program for so-called assault weapons. But Sen. Chuck Schumer went too far when he said,
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s History of Hurricane Relief Donations
Q: Did President Donald Trump donate $1 million to hurricane relief efforts in the Bahamas? A: Despite social media claims to the contrary, there is no evidence of such a donation. He did, however, donate to relief efforts in 2017 after Hurricane Harv
Lead Stories→ Old News: Israel’s Netanyahu Won Re-election, Main Challenger Conceded Defeat… In April 2019
Did Israel's P.M. Netanyahu win re-election and did his main challenger concede defeat? Yes, but it didn't happen during the election in September a few days ago, it happened in April of 2019 during a different election as Reuters reported at
Snopes→ Colt Suspends Production of AR-15 for Civilian Market
The company said it will focus instead on fulfilling contracts with military and police customers for rifles.
Truth or Fiction?→ United States Navy Confirms Videos Show ‘Unidentified Aerial Phenomena’
A United States Navy spokesperson confirmed that a trio of videos released in 2017 and 2018 show unidentified flying objects, though they are opting to call them “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,” or UAP. “The ‘Unidentified Aeria
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Kamala Harris Did NOT Say "Our Police Are All Criminal Animals; They Are A Cancer"
Did Kamala Harris call the police "criminal animals" and "a cancer"? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to fool Trump supporters and Republicans into sharing made up stories that are clearly mar
Truth or Fiction?→ Nevada Man Charged with Plotting Homophobic and Anti-Semitic Shooting Attacks
A 23-year-old Las Vegas man with a history of associating with white supremacists was indicted on September 17 2019 on a federal weapons charge for allegedly planning mass shooting attacks against both a local synagogue and an LGBTQ bar. According to
Truth or Fiction?→ Do These Photographs Accurately Contrast Birmingham in 1940 with Birmingham in 2017?
In September 2019, the following image circulated on Facebook and other social media platforms, purportedly contrasting Birmingham, England in 1940 with Birmingham, England in 2017: At the top was a black and white image of what appeared to be soldie
Lead Stories→ Fake News: JFK Jr. Is NOT Alive And Will Not Replace Vice President Pence as Donald Trump’s 2020 Running Mate
Is John F. Kennedy Jr. alive and will he make a public return to join President Donald Trump as his vice presidential running mate in 2020? No, that's not true: It is a cornerstone of a conspiracy myth promoted by QAnon followers who believe t
FactCheck.org→ Yang’s Top-Gun Tale
Making a point about Defense Department waste, Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang related a secondhand story about a Navy fighter pilot who said that airmen routinely dumped fuel into the Pacific Ocean at the end of the fiscal year as a way
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Beto O’Rourke Did NOT Say: Yes, Democrats Are Coming For Your Hand Guns
Did Beto O'Rourke say in the Democratic debate Democrats are coming for your hand guns? No, that's not true: The former Texas congressman did say if elected president, he would push to make illegal AR-15s, AK-47 and other weapons "designed to
Lead Stories→ Fake News: ADHD Is NOT A FAKE Disease Invented By Big Pharma To Drug Children For Profit
Is ADHD is a fake disease invented by Big Pharma to drug children for profit? No, that's not true: While there may be examples of misdiagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, scientific evidence shows it is real and that many pati
Truth or Fiction?→ United States Air Traffic on September 11, 2001
In September 2019, approaching the eighteenth anniversary of September 11th 2011, a Reddit user shared the following GIF purportedly depicting United States air traffic during and after the attacks to r/DamnThatsInteresting: U.S. Air Traffi
FactCheck.org→ Meme Misleads on Walmart Gun Sales
Quick Take A social media meme inaccurately claims that Walmart will no longer sell rifles. Walmart stopped selling “military-style rifles such as the AR-15,” in 2015, and has announced it will no longer sell ammunition for “military-style we
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Kamala Harris Did NOT Say Criminals and Illegals are Better Than US Servicemen
Did Kamala Harris say criminals and illegals are better than U.S. servicemen? No, that's not true: one website drew that conclusion based just on the order she mentioned people in these groups in a Father's Day tweet. That website later remove
FactCheck.org→ Biden’s Record on Iraq War
Twice in the last five weeks, Joe Biden has claimed that despite voting to authorize military force against Iraq in 2002, he opposed the Iraq war from “the moment” it began. That’s not accurate, and Biden now says he misspoke. The pub
Lead Stories→ Fake News: U.S. State Department NOT Tied To Child Trafficking Operation With Epstein
Was the U.S. State Department connected to a child trafficking operation with Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy accused sex trafficker who died in federal jail in August 2019, by a shared aircraft registration number? No, that's not true: The false
FactCheck.org→ Woman in Viral Photo Misidentified as Rep. Omar
Quick Take A 1978 photo of a Somalian army recruit has been misidentified on social media as Rep. Ilhan Omar, who wasn’t born until 1982. Full Story A 41-year-old photo of a woman with a gun in Somalia is being used to spread misinformation abo
FactCheck.org→ Pence’s ‘Politically Correct’ Obama VA Claim
In an address to veterans, Vice President Mike Pence said “VA hospitals were removing Bibles” and “banning Christmas carols” under the last administration, and “will not be religion-free zones” under this administrat
Truth or Fiction?→ The Love Letters of Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher
Various memes detailing a secret relationship between two British men during World War II described in various posts circulated through social media in August 2019. One post about Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher, and the correspondence they kept th
PolitiFact→ Joe Biden – The facts behind Joe Biden’s blended story of battlefield heroism
The Truth-o-Meter says: Mostly False | The facts behind Joe Biden’s blended story of battlefield heroism Former Vice President Joe Biden has been taken to task for blending the stories of several soldiers into a single compelling narrative. In Au
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘There are 30,000 Gun Related Deaths Per Year by Firearms’
In August 2019, a Facebook post about the United States’ purported 30,000 gun deaths per year circulated, typically copied and pasted into individual posts which themselves were each shared a handful of times. One particular version coupled with
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Rep. Ilhan Omar Photographed at an ‘Al Qaeda Training Camp’?
A Twitter user was seemingly intent on spreading disinformation about Democratic Party Rep. Ilhan Omar on Twitter, even after the “proof” they presented was quickly debunked. In late August 2019, the account posted a photograph of a woman
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Brazilian Soldier NOT Pictured Rescuing Jaguar That Jumped Into Water To Escape Amazon Fire
Did a Brazilian soldier rescue a jaguar after the animal threw itself into a river to save itself from the Amazon fires, as seen in a photograph? No, that's not true: The touching image of a jaguar being cuddled by a man wearing a Brazilian un