Q: Did President Trump sign an executive order giving Rep. Trey Gowdy the “highest level of security clearance”?
A: No. That is a months-old fictitious claim that continues to circulate online.
Trey Gowdy Not Given Highest Security Clearance
Debunking Viral Claims
These articles debunk misinformation shared on social media. We also provide resources for readers: an article and a video on how to combat misinformation.
From late 2016 to early 2025, FactCheck.org was one of several organizations working with Meta to debunk misinformation shared on Meta’s social media platforms.
Keanu Reeves Didn’t Praise Trump
Q: Did Keanu Reeves say that President Donald Trump is a role model?
A: No. That’s a made-up quote that has been attributed to at least two other actors.
California Won’t Register ‘Illegal’ Voters
Q: Is California planning to “automatically register illegal immigrants to vote”?
A: No. The headline making that claim is false and misrepresents the law in California.
Ivanka Trump Hasn’t Been Fired
Q: Is Ivanka Trump being fired from the White House?
A: No. That rumor comes from a headline posted on a group of questionable websites.
Georgia Didn’t Ban Muslim Culture
Q: Did Georgia “ban Muslim culture”?
A: No. A headline making that claim is based on a proposed state bill that never became law.
Sandy Hook Hoax Revisited
Q: Are the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting actually alive?
A: No. That is a claim made by conspiracy theorists who believe the shooting never happened.
Malia Obama Didn’t Attack Elderly Woman
Q: Was Malia Obama arrested for attacking an elderly white woman? Did the arresting police officer mysteriously die?
A: No. Those false stories originated on websites that claim to publish satire.
Shaking the Bushes for Quote About Trump
Q: Did George W. Bush say he doesn’t approve of the media’s treatment of Donald Trump?
A: No. That statement is based on a misrepresentation of what the former president said a year ago.
Phony Yearbook Photo
Q: Is David Hogg pictured in a California school yearbook?
A: No. That’s a yearbook photo from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, where Hogg is a student.
No Federal Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children
Q: Did a law go into effect Jan. 30 banning “anyone” from smoking in a car “as long as there are children in the vehicle”?
A: No. There is no federal prohibition, although several state and local governments previously had enacted such bans.