Former President Barack Obama, like many major party presidential nominees before him, released his tax returns — despite a popular social media post that implies otherwise.
Social Post Wrong About Obama’s Tax Returns
Stories by Angelo Fichera
Former Staff Writer, FactCheck.org
The ‘Raccoon’ Rant Not Written by Steve Harvey
Q: Did the comedian Steve Harvey author a post in support of President Donald Trump circulating on social media?
A: No. It was written by an anonymous, 80-year-old American, according to the conservative website that first published it in 2016.
Trump ‘Quote’ Originated as Satire
President Donald Trump didn’t call for the “death penalty” for “suicide bombers,” as social media posts say. That’s a made-up quote from a satirical story published in 2017.
No, Climate Change Isn’t ‘Made Up’
A popular social media post claims that climate change is a “made-up catastrophe,” despite a large body of evidence that supports the scientific consensus that it is real.
Social Posts Spin Harris’ Gun Control Proposal
Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democratic candidate for president, has not called for Americans to “surrender” their guns, as social media posts wrongly assert.
Facebook Users Peddle False Trump Story
A photo of a purported news story from 2015 shared on social media attributes incendiary remarks about Africans to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. There’s no evidence he made those comments.
‘Ban’ on Hot Dogs in NYC? Not Quite.
Headlines shared widely on social media misleadingly tell readers New York City will “ban” hot dogs. A city spokesman told us a plan to phase out government purchases of processed meats and reduce purchases of beef “would not impact hot dogs” sold “at baseball games, street vendors, restaurants, etc.”
Viral Claim Blurs Marijuana, Gun Policies
Social posts wrongly claim that states legalizing marijuana also have “legislated” that those who use the drug cannot have guns. Actually, a long-standing federal law prohibits marijuana users from possessing or purchasing firearms, regardless of state policies.
A Misleading Claim About Lawmakers’ Effectiveness
A popular meme takes aim at prominent lawmakers by referencing the number of bills they’ve had passed. But it uses an erroneous number — and omits context.
What the Mueller Report Says About Obstruction
In the hours after the public release of the redacted report from special counsel Robert S. Mueller, President Donald Trump took to Twitter with a message that reads, in part, “NO OBSTRUCTION!” That’s not at all what the Mueller report says, though.