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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Bad Math Leads to Bogus Voter Fraud Claim

Bad Math Leads to Bogus Voter Fraud Claim

Q: Was “voter fraud” responsible for Democratic wins in Orange County, California?

A: There have been no credible complaints of voter fraud in Orange County following the midterm elections.

False Quote Attributed to Rep.-Elect Ilhan Omar

False Quote Attributed to Rep.-Elect Ilhan Omar

Q: A meme circulating online attributes an inflammatory remark about white men to congresswoman-elect Ilhan Omar. Did she actually say that?
A: No. The meme falsely attributes a fictitious quote to Omar.

FBI Didn’t Reach Conclusion on Kavanaugh Accusations

FBI Didn’t Reach Conclusion on Kavanaugh Accusations

Q: Did the FBI issue a report that “confirms” that “none” of Brett Kavanaugh’s accusers’ stories were true?

A: No. Contrary to false social media claims, the bureau did not reach any conclusion in its background investigation.

Viral Meme Makes Up Trump Jr. ‘Quote’

Viral Meme Makes Up Trump Jr. ‘Quote’

Q: Did Donald Trump Jr. say, “Let California burn” for voting blue?
A: No. That’s a made-up quote from a self-described “parody” site. 

Partisan Site Spins Falsehoods in Georgia Election

Partisan Site Spins Falsehoods in Georgia Election

Q: Have provisional ballots been rejected as “duplicates” in Fulton County, Georgia?

A: No. A provisional ballot labeled “duplicate” means it has been counted, not rejected.

Fake Kurt Cobain Quote about Trump

Fake Kurt Cobain Quote about Trump

Q: Did Kurt Cobain predict a Donald Trump presidency more than 20 years ago?

A: No. There is no evidence he did, and Cobain’s former manager labeled the quote a fake.

California Shooting Prompts ‘Crisis Actor’ Conspiracy

California Shooting Prompts ‘Crisis Actor’ Conspiracy

Q: Was Susan Orfanos, the mother of a shooting victim in Thousand Oaks, California, also interviewed by news outlets after other mass shootings in 2016 and 2017?

A: No. A Facebook post misidentifies two other women as Orfanos.  

FBI Didn’t Clear Michael Flynn

FBI Didn’t Clear Michael Flynn

Q: Was former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn recently cleared by the FBI in the Russia probe?  

A: No. A website makes that claim based on an outdated news story that was published prior to Flynn pleading guilty to making false statements to FBI agents about his conversations with a top Russian official.

Misleading Meme Pits Acosta Against ‘Neo Nazi’

Misleading Meme Pits Acosta Against ‘Neo Nazi’

Q: Did a “neo Nazi” leader get a meeting at the White House while CNN’s Jim Acosta was banned?

A: No. Patrick Casey, head of Identity Evropa, went on a publicly available tour of the White House and posted pictures of it on Twitter.

Meme Misleads on Benefits of Illegal Immigration

Meme Misleads on Benefits of Illegal Immigration

Q: Does the U.S. provide medical insurance and voting rights to immigrants in the country illegally? 

A: No. A viral meme misrepresents what such immigrants are entitled to in the U.S.