Posts on social media wildly exaggerate the number of times President Donald Trump’s name and the word “free” were used during the first 2020 Democratic presidential debates.
Bogus Stats Distort Democratic Debates
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.
Headlines Twist Old Report on State Department
A false story spread across social media wrongly claims that NBC News reported that Hillary Clinton “covered up” a “pedophile ring” at the Department of State. The report is from 2013 and did not say that.
Trump Accuser Targeted With TV Clip
A clip from an old episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is being used to discredit a woman who recently accused President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct. The clip doesn’t prove that she is a “fraud,” as the headline of a story claims.
McConnell’s Biggest Donor Isn’t Russian
A meme on Facebook falsely claims that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s biggest campaign donor is a Russian oligarch.
Posts Misidentify Woman in Trump Photo
Social media posts misidentify a woman in an old photo with President Donald Trump. She is not E. Jean Carroll, the writer who recently accused Trump of sexual assault, but is another woman who previously accused Trump of misconduct.
The Churchill Quotation That Wasn’t
There’s no support for the idea that Winston Churchill ever made a statement about Muslims that social media users continue to attribute to him.
‘Satirical’ Story Gets Serious Treatment Online
A bogus story fueling theories that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will be arrested has been shared over 100,000 times on Facebook, but it started out as satire.
Image Shows ’85 Live Aid Concert, Not Trump Rally
A viral photo shows a massive crowd at an iconic 1985 concert in London, not at a rally for President Trump in Philadelphia, as a meme claims.
Nicole Kidman Did Not Call Trump ‘The Best President in U.S. History’
A story being shared by thousands of Facebook users includes a “quote” about President Donald Trump that has been misattributed to the actress Nicole Kidman.
Mislabeled Video Politicizes Drug Problem
A video spreading on Facebook has been mislabeled to make a political statement about Democratic lawmakers in California. However, the video, which seems to show people under the influence of drugs, was filmed in Philadelphia.