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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Posts Misrepresent Video of Biden with Trump Hat

Posts Misrepresent Video of Biden with Trump Hat

A viral video showing President Joe Biden briefly donning a campaign hat for Donald Trump has been used to suggest that Biden is endorsing Trump. He isn’t. He had exchanged hats with a Trump supporter at a 9/11 memorial in an effort to show unity.

Viral Posts Make Baseless Claim About Harris’ Earrings at the Debate

Viral Posts Make Baseless Claim About Harris’ Earrings at the Debate

Social media posts baselessly claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris wore earrings equipped with audio devices in order to cheat during her debate with former President Donald Trump. Similar unfounded claims circulated before or after debates in 2016 and 2020 with Trump’s past political opponents.

Social Media Posts Twist Harris Campaign’s ‘Joyful’ Message

Social Media Posts Twist Harris Campaign’s ‘Joyful’ Message

Vice President Kamala Harris has referred to participants in the Democratic presidential campaign as “joyful warriors,” and “joy” has been a theme at the party’s rallies and convention. Instagram posts, however, have falsely claimed the phrase “strength through joy,” which echoes a Nazi-era program, has become a Harris campaign slogan.

Post Shares Bogus Lara Trump Quote about Use of Celine Dion Song

Post Shares Bogus Lara Trump Quote about Use of Celine Dion Song

The Trump campaign showed a video of Celine Dion singing the theme from “Titanic” at a rally in Montana, sparking a rebuke from Dion for unauthorized use of the video. A post on Threads then shared a fake quote from Lara Trump responding to Dion saying, “We don’t give a damn” and “I’ll sing the song myself.” The quote originated on a satirical X account.

Harris Drew a Crowd in Detroit, But Detractors Spread Bogus Claim to the Contrary

Harris Drew a Crowd in Detroit, But Detractors Spread Bogus Claim to the Contrary

Vice President Kamala Harris drew a large crowd at a campaign rally near Detroit, according to photos, videos and press reports. But posts circulating online make the baseless claim — amplified by former President Donald Trump — that an image of the event was fabricated or manipulated by artificial intelligence to inflate the crowd size.

Posts Use Altered Image of Buttigieg in Battle over Who’s ‘Weird’

Posts Use Altered Image of Buttigieg in Battle over Who’s ‘Weird’

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and his husband adopted two infants in 2021. Social media posts use an altered photo to imply Buttigieg is “weird” and that he used a strap-on device developed so men can breastfeed babies. The original photo is from a 2019 article about the device.

Posts Mislead About Harris’ Romance with Willie Brown

Posts Mislead About Harris’ Romance with Willie Brown

Vice President Kamala Harris had a romantic relationship with powerful California politician Willie Brown in the 1990s. But claims on social media that she broke up his marriage misrepresent the facts. Brown had separated from his wife years before he and Harris had dated.

Social Media Posts Misrepresent Harris’ 2014 Remarks About Young People

Social Media Posts Misrepresent Harris’ 2014 Remarks About Young People

When Vice President Kamala Harris was the attorney general of California in 2014, she announced a program to help young people transitioning out of the criminal justice system. She glibly referred to the 18-24 age group as “stupid,” saying people that age “make really bad decisions.” But social media posts have taken her words out of context.