The vice president accepted his party’s nomination and then delivered a speech filled with false and misleading claims..
Republican Convention Night 3
Stories by Saranac Hale Spencer
Staff Writer, FactCheck.org
False Claims on Corporate Donations to Black Lives Matter
Posts on social media repeat an error reported by Lou Dobbs on Fox Business in July, claiming that major corporations were donating large sums of money to Black Lives Matter. The companies have pledged support for racial equality initiatives, but haven’t specified Black Lives Matter as a beneficiary.
New ‘Plandemic’ Video Peddles Misinformation, Conspiracies
The second part of “Plandemic” — a documentary-style video that presents a sweeping conspiracy theory about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, patents and vaccines — landed on Aug. 18, spinning together many of the falsehoods about the disease that we’ve been debunking for months, plus some new misleading claims.
Harris Hasn’t Called Biden a ‘Racist’ or a ‘Rapist’
Contrary to claims in viral internet posts, Sen. Kamala Harris did not call former Vice President Joe Biden a “racist” or a “rapist.” Rather, she has been critical of Biden’s position on busing to integrate schools and comments he made about segregationist senators, and she has said that she believed women who accused Biden of making them feel uncomfortable.
Face Masks Don’t Cause Legionnaires’ Disease
A viral social media post is spreading the falsehood that wearing a face mask to slow the spread of COVID-19 could cause Legionnaires’ disease. But Legionnaires’ disease is caused by bacteria that festers mostly in warm, standing water, not in human saliva.
Biden Video Deceptively Edited to Make Him Appear ‘Lost’
A deceptively edited video clip of Joe Biden circulating on social media cuts an hour-long speech to less than one minute, retaining only parts of statements and his pauses between words.
False Claims Follow Old Portland Mugshots
Old mugshots circulating on social media falsely suggest that they show 13 teachers who were recently arrested during the protests in Portland, Oregon. The photos are actually from 2017, and the posts provide no evidence that any of them are teachers.
Viral Video Manipulates Pelosi’s Words
A manipulated video clip of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shared widely on Facebook makes it appear that she slurred her words during a May press conference. She didn’t. The video clip was slowed down and spliced together.
In Viral Video, Doctor Falsely Touts Hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 ‘Cure’
A widely shared video, featuring a doctor falsely claiming hydroxychloroquine is a “cure” for COVID-19, ignited an online storm that resulted in the video being pulled by social media platforms. There is no known cure for COVID-19, and current scientific evidence hasn’t found that hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment.
Video Misrepresents the Science Behind Face Masks
A viral video misrepresents scientific papers and the reasons for wearing face masks to claim that they are ineffective in mitigating transmission of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that masks may help prevent the spread of the disease.