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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Charlottesville Driver Mix-up

Charlottesville Driver Mix-up

Q: Did the man who drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, meet with former President Obama in the White House?

A: No. A satirical website confuses the driver with the organizer of the rally, who is rumored to have been a past Obama supporter.

Obama Center Not Federally Funded

Obama Center Not Federally Funded

Q: Did President Trump cancel funding to build Barack Obama’s presidential library?

A: No. That story originated on a satirical news site. All presidential libraries have been constructed using private or non-federal funds.

Earth Won’t Go Dark for Days

Earth Won’t Go Dark for Days

Q: Did NASA confirm that there will be 15 days of darkness on Earth in November?

A: No. Variations of that false claim have been circulating since at least 2015.

Invented Malia Obama Stories

Invented Malia Obama Stories

Q: Was Malia Obama fired from an internship for smoking marijuana? Was she arrested for buying marijuana in Chicago?

A: No. Those spoof stories were made up to troll conservative readers.

Trump Didn’t Pass Out

Trump Didn’t Pass Out

Q: Did President Donald Trump collapse while giving a speech in New Jersey?

A: No. That story was published by a self-described satirical website.

Overstated Funding for Overseas Mosques

Overstated Funding for Overseas Mosques

Q: Did the Obama administration spend $770 million restoring overseas mosques?

A: That claim is based on a misleading television news report about a 20-year funding project that ended well before Barack Obama became president.

Trump Didn’t Ignore Disabled Child

Trump Didn’t Ignore Disabled Child

Q: Did President Donald Trump ignore a disabled child who tried to shake his hand?

A: No. A viral video clip omitted Trump’s earlier interaction with the boy.

25 Million Clinton Votes Weren’t Fake

25 Million Clinton Votes Weren’t Fake

Q: Did NPR report that a study found “over 25 million Hillary Clinton votes were completely fraudulent,” and that she “actually lost the popular vote”?

A: No. That claim was made in a story that conflates a 2012 article about inaccuracies in voter registration rolls with actual fraudulent votes.

Celebrity Quote Mismatch

Celebrity Quote Mismatch

Q: Did Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Rihanna say they feel “unsafe” under President Donald Trump, and “can’t even look at an American flag anymore”?

A: No. Those are altered versions of statements made by singer Lana Del Ray.

No Legalization of Sharia Law

No Legalization of Sharia Law

Q: Did a Muslim federal judge rule two parts of sharia law legal?

A: No. That only happened in a fake story on a satirical website.