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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Early Release of ‘QAnon Shaman’ Due to Plea and Prison Protocols, Contrary to Online Claims

Early Release of ‘QAnon Shaman’ Due to Plea and Prison Protocols, Contrary to Online Claims

Jacob Chansley, also known as the “QAnon Shaman,” was sentenced to 41 months in prison for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, but he was released early to a halfway house on March 28 because of his plea agreement and prison protocols. Social media posts falsely claim that his release was due to videos shown by Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson.

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.

Old Hoax Shows Up in Posts About Nashville School Shooter

Old Hoax Shows Up in Posts About Nashville School Shooter

False claims about the shooter at a Christian elementary school in Nashville have been swirling on social media. Police shot and killed the suspect, whom they identified as 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale. The person was not named “Samantha Hyde” — a reference to a long-running internet hoax.

Stormy Daniels Said 2018 Letter Denying She Had Sex With Trump Is a ‘Lie’

Stormy Daniels Said 2018 Letter Denying She Had Sex With Trump Is a ‘Lie’

Porn actor Stormy Daniels maintains that she had sex with Donald Trump in 2006. Daniels said a letter she signed under pressure in 2018, claiming the affair “never happened,” was a “lie.” But some conservatives are misleadingly citing that letter as proof that Trump and Daniels were never intimate and she was not paid “hush money.”

Memes Make False Equivalence Between Clinton, Trump and Payments to Women

Memes Make False Equivalence Between Clinton, Trump and Payments to Women

Former President Bill Clinton settled a sexual harassment lawsuit with Paula Jones in a case that was a matter of public record. Former President Donald Trump made a secret payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, which may lead to criminal charges against him. Social media posts falsely claim the situations are similar and Trump is being treated differently by prosecutors.

Diversity Programs Supported by SVB Wrongly Labeled as Donations to BLM

Diversity Programs Supported by SVB Wrongly Labeled as Donations to BLM

A database that claims to show corporate contributions to the “BLM Movement & Related Causes” doesn’t show any contributions from Silicon Valley Bank to Black Lives Matter. But some conservative commentators are citing it to falsely claim that the bank gave more than $73 million to the organization.

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.

Military Equipment Traveling Back to U.S., Contrary to Social Media Posts

Military Equipment Traveling Back to U.S., Contrary to Social Media Posts

A U.S. Army combat team recently completed its European deployment as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a series of military exercises in support of NATO. The brigade has returned to Fort Hood, Texas, and its equipment will follow. But social media posts falsely claim the equipment shown in a video is “arriving in Europe” to aid Ukraine.

Posts Spread Unfounded Claims About Russia’s Use of COVID-19 Vaccines

Posts Spread Unfounded Claims About Russia’s Use of COVID-19 Vaccines

Russia developed a COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, in 2020. President Vladimir Putin has said he received three doses of the vaccine, and the government continues to urge Russians to get vaccinated against the disease. But social media posts falsely claimed Putin “ordered the destruction of all” COVID-19 vaccine stockpiles in Russia.