Quick Take
A story shared on social media falsely claims that Malia Obama was “busted” for selling “trinkets” she stole from the White House. That story originated on a self-described satirical website.
Full Story
Social media users have shared a story on Facebook falsely claiming that one of former President Barack Obama’s daughters was “busted” for selling items she “stole” during her family’s time in the White House.
That story was fabricated in April 2019 by America’s Last Line of Defense, a publication with multiple websites that bills its content as “satire” but whose headlines often misinform and confuse social media users despite website disclaimers.
Since it was first published, the story has been picked up elsewhere and without those disclaimers — most recently on gnfnews.com, whose Feb. 16 post was shared by multiple Facebook groups supportive of President Donald Trump.
We’ve previously debunked similar hoaxes targeting Malia Obama.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here.
Sources
“About Us.” Dailyworldupdate.us. Accessed 17 Feb 2020.
“Malia Obama Busted Selling Priceless White House Trinkets She Stole While Living There.” Dailyworldupdate.us.