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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Indictment Details Trump’s Attempt to Overturn Swing State Election Outcomes

Indictment Details Trump’s Attempt to Overturn Swing State Election Outcomes

The federal indictment against former President Donald Trump, concerning his efforts to remain in office despite losing the election, details actions Trump and his co-conspirators allegedly took to get state officials to change legitimate electoral votes. The indictment says the pressure campaign involved knowingly making false claims of voter fraud — many of which we’ve written about before.

Posts on Social Media Use Different Photos of Fetterman to Boost Bogus Claim

Posts on Social Media Use Different Photos of Fetterman to Boost Bogus Claim

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has been hospitalized since Feb. 15 for treatment of depression, an aftereffect of a stroke. Social media posts use two photos of Fetterman — taken years apart — to falsely claim the Democrats are using a body double for Fetterman. Differences in the photos are due to camera focal lengths and lenses, experts said.

Fetterman Working on Legislation While in Hospital, Contrary to Social Media Claims

Fetterman Working on Legislation While in Hospital, Contrary to Social Media Claims

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman checked into a hospital on Feb. 15 to be treated for clinical depression following his recent stroke. Social media posts falsely claim that Fetterman is “brain dead” and that he hasn’t been seen in public. Fetterman has been shown working from the hospital in a March 6 tweet shared by his chief of staff.

Inaccurate TV Graphic Sparks Erroneous Claims of Election Fraud in Pennsylvania

Inaccurate TV Graphic Sparks Erroneous Claims of Election Fraud in Pennsylvania

Social media posts falsely suggest there was fraud in the Pennsylvania gubernatorial race, citing a TV graphic that showed Republican State Sen. Doug Mastriano with nearly 500,000 more votes than Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro, but Mastriano trailing 41.6% to 56.6%. The graphic showed inaccurate numbers that were quickly corrected on air.

Bogus ‘Sharpiegate’ Claim Resurfaces in Pennsylvania Election

Bogus ‘Sharpiegate’ Claim Resurfaces in Pennsylvania Election

Dominion voting machines have had no issues reading ballots filled out with Sharpie pens. But an Instagram video spread the false claim that ballots filled out with Sharpies could not be counted by voting machines in Pennsylvania’s 2022 election. A Pennsylvania Department of State spokesperson said the claim is “disinformation.”

Posts Misrepresent ‘Not Verified’ Code on Pennsylvania Ballot Applications

Posts Misrepresent ‘Not Verified’ Code on Pennsylvania Ballot Applications

Pennsylvania uses a “not verified” code on mail-in ballot applications if a voter’s identity couldn’t be immediately verified; voters have six days after an election to submit a valid ID. But an Instagram post and some Republican leaders — including former President Donald Trump — falsely claim the state has “sent out 249,000 ballots to unverified voters” and misleadingly suggest it will result in widespread fraud.

Fetterman’s Tattoos Under Scrutiny in Pennsylvania Senate Race

Fetterman’s Tattoos Under Scrutiny in Pennsylvania Senate Race

John Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor who is running for the U.S. Senate, has tattoos on his arms, some of which memorialize victims of violence. But conservative pundits — including Newt Gingrich — claim, without proof, that his tattoos suggest drug use and ties to a violent street gang.

Fetterman Ad Pushes Back on Crime

Fetterman Ad Pushes Back on Crime

A sheriff featured in an ad defending U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman accurately states that Fetterman “voted with law enforcement experts nearly 90% of the time” on the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, and voted to give “a second chance” to nonviolent offenders. But it’s what the ad doesn’t say that may mislead viewers.