Here we provide a timeline of the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago and its investigation of former President Donald Trump’s handling of highly classified documents. We will update the timeline as warranted.
Locations: National
Q&A on Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness
The White House announced on Aug. 24 that President Joe Biden will take action this year to cancel thousands of dollars in federal student loan debt for millions of Americans, fulfilling a campaign promise he made during the 2020 election cycle. We answer some of the questions readers may have about the debt relief plan, and address political claims about the impact of the plan.
Widespread Claims Misrepresent Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines
As the virus that causes COVID-19 has evolved, the vaccines have become less effective in preventing symptomatic infection while remaining highly effective in preventing severe disease and death. This shift has been misrepresented by anti-vaccine influencers who falsely claim that it means the vaccines don’t work and have been ineffective all along.
Correcting Misinformation About Dr. Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci has announced that in December he will step down from his positions as chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden and as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and its laboratory of immunoregulation. Here are some of the false and misleading claims about Fauci, his work and his public health guidance that we have written about since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.
Images Show IRS Educational Program, Not Training of Agents
The IRS Criminal Investigation division’s “Adrian Project” educates the public about the IRS through community outreach sessions with high school and college students. Posts on social media are sharing a video from one of the sessions to falsely claim it shows agents in training. The images were posted by a New Jersey university in 2017 and earlier this year.
Crude Oil Prices Down Due to Recession Fears, Contributing to Lower Gasoline Prices
President Joe Biden and members of his administration have touted the falling gasoline prices, suggesting that the decrease was because of the president’s policies. But U.S. presidents have little control over the price that consumers pay for gasoline. We look at the reasons for the decline in gasoline prices.
Kathy Griffin Shares Satirical Trump Tweet, But Not Everyone Is in on the Joke
Dozens of former President Donald Trump’s supporters gathered outside his Florida home to protest a recent FBI search of the building. The activity triggered a satirical tweet falsely attributed to Trump’s eldest son, purportedly telling supporters to disperse, and saying, “We have many important people coming through the club and need to keep it clean.”
Medicare Prescription Drug Provisions of Inflation Reduction Act
Social Media, Politicians Make Unfounded Claims of Politicized Mar-a-Lago Search
FBI agents searched the home of former President Donald Trump in Florida on Aug. 8 looking for presidential records and classified materials that were improperly removed from the White House. Social media posts claiming the FBI search was politically motivated have been swirling online, despite there being no evidence that President Joe Biden “had his department of justice’s FBI raid” Trump’s home, as one viral post claimed.
Proposed ‘Assault Weapons Ban’ Includes Grandfather Clause, Contrary to Social Media Posts
The House passed a bill on July 29 that would make it a crime to knowingly “import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon.” Social media posts falsely claim “millions of people will become felons overnight” because of the bill. Under the bill, current owners of such firearms would be allowed to keep them.