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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Posts Distort O’Rourke’s Criminal Record

Posts Distort O’Rourke’s Criminal Record

Viral posts falsely claim Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke can’t own a gun due to a felony. O’Rourke has not been convicted of a felony.

Outdated Meme on Trump Administration Vacancies

Outdated Meme on Trump Administration Vacancies

An outdated meme posted to Facebook this month falsely claims that the Trump administration is without a defense secretary, an interior secretary, an ambassador to the United Nations and a Secret Service director.

Another Bogus Beto Photo

Another Bogus Beto Photo

A photo circulating online falsely identifies a man who appears to have wet his pants as Beto O’Rourke. The photo actually shows Alexander Giannascoli, a 26-year-old musician, who said he had spilled beer on his pants.

Marx, Engels Quote Falsely Attributed to Reagan

Marx, Engels Quote Falsely Attributed to Reagan

A meme circulating on Facebook wrongly attributes a statement about guns to former President Ronald Reagan. The quote is actually from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, co-authors of The Communist Manifesto.

Meme Misleads on Walmart Gun Sales

Meme Misleads on Walmart Gun Sales

A social media meme inaccurately claims that Walmart will no longer sell rifles. Walmart stopped selling “military-style rifles such as the AR-15,” in 2015, and has announced it will no longer sell ammunition for “military-style weapons.” It still sells “long guns for hunting and sport shooting.”

Baseless Claim of Odessa Shooter’s ‘Beto Sticker’

Baseless Claim of Odessa Shooter’s ‘Beto Sticker’

Viral posts on social media make the baseless claim that the shooter in Odessa, Texas, had a sticker on his car for Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke. The Texas Department of Public Safety said there was no sticker on the car he was driving during the attack.