President Donald Trump didn’t call for the “death penalty” for “suicide bombers,” as social media posts say. That’s a made-up quote from a satirical story published in 2017.
Trump ‘Quote’ Originated as Satire
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.
No, Climate Change Isn’t ‘Made Up’
A popular social media post claims that climate change is a “made-up catastrophe,” despite a large body of evidence that supports the scientific consensus that it is real.
Fake Tweet Puts Words in Trump’s Mouth
A fake tweet circulating online purports to show a message from President Donald Trump threatening to deport Rep. Ilhan Omar for comments she made referring to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Sign of the Times: Phony Photo Politicizes School
A doctored photo circulating on Facebook falsely claims that a California middle school congratulated President Donald Trump “on reaching his 10,000th lie.” The image came from an online generator that lets users enter their own text.
Social Posts Spin Harris’ Gun Control Proposal
Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democratic candidate for president, has not called for Americans to “surrender” their guns, as social media posts wrongly assert.
Bogus Claim About Border Rape Revived
An unsubstantiated claim from last fall about sexual violence at the southern border has been repackaged in a Facebook meme. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has no record of the alleged incident, and the website that first reported it has retracted the story.
Facebook Users Peddle False Trump Story
A photo of a purported news story from 2015 shared on social media attributes incendiary remarks about Africans to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. There’s no evidence he made those comments.
‘Ban’ on Hot Dogs in NYC? Not Quite.
Headlines shared widely on social media misleadingly tell readers New York City will “ban” hot dogs. A city spokesman told us a plan to phase out government purchases of processed meats and reduce purchases of beef “would not impact hot dogs” sold “at baseball games, street vendors, restaurants, etc.”
Measles Misinformation Gets an Immigration Twist
A Facebook meme incorrectly blames the measles outbreak in the U.S. on immigrants from South America. The virus, however, was eliminated there in 2016. The recent uptick in measles cases is due to travelers returning from countries with outbreaks.
Viral Claim Blurs Marijuana, Gun Policies
Social posts wrongly claim that states legalizing marijuana also have “legislated” that those who use the drug cannot have guns. Actually, a long-standing federal law prohibits marijuana users from possessing or purchasing firearms, regardless of state policies.