Conservative social media posts misleadingly claim the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was not an “armed” insurrection, citing FBI testimony that no guns were seized from suspects that day. But 23 people have been charged with having deadly or dangerous weapons during the assault — including a loaded handgun found on a man arrested on Capitol grounds.
Debunking Viral Claims
FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on the social media network. We provide several resources for readers: a guide on how to flag suspicious stories on Facebook and a list of websites that have carried false or satirical articles, as well as a video and story on how to spot false stories.
Posts Spread Bogus Harris Quote Fabricated on Satirical Site
False Claims Cited in Bogus Theory that Biden Isn’t President
Post Revives Fabricated Image of View from Mars
A computer-rendered image has been mischaracterized on social media posts as a photo taken from Mars, purportedly showing Earth, Venus and Jupiter in vertical alignment. Although the same image was previously debunked in 2012, the claim resurfaced after the Perseverance rover landed on Mars in mid-February.
Posts Spread Fake Biden Tweet About Coca-Cola, Diversity Training
Biden Hasn’t Reduced COVID-19 Testing at the Border
Biden Administration Approved Texas Power Request, Contrary to False Claim
Viral Posts Attribute Fake Tweet to Cruz
Posts Mislead on Biden’s Response to Texas Emergency
OAN Report Features Baseless Assertion of Election Fraud by Algorithm
One America News Network recently spotlighted one man’s analysis that wrongly suggests precinct-level voting data in Georgia proved a computer algorithm was used to swing the election to President Joe Biden. A hand tally of paper ballots confirmed the election outcome, one of many indications the claim is false.