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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Posts Misrepresent Video of Biden with Trump Hat

Posts Misrepresent Video of Biden with Trump Hat

A viral video showing President Joe Biden briefly donning a campaign hat for Donald Trump has been used to suggest that Biden is endorsing Trump. He isn’t. He had exchanged hats with a Trump supporter at a 9/11 memorial in an effort to show unity.

Harris Drew a Crowd in Detroit, But Detractors Spread Bogus Claim to the Contrary

Harris Drew a Crowd in Detroit, But Detractors Spread Bogus Claim to the Contrary

Vice President Kamala Harris drew a large crowd at a campaign rally near Detroit, according to photos, videos and press reports. But posts circulating online make the baseless claim — amplified by former President Donald Trump — that an image of the event was fabricated or manipulated by artificial intelligence to inflate the crowd size.

Posts Mislead About Harris’ Romance with Willie Brown

Posts Mislead About Harris’ Romance with Willie Brown

Vice President Kamala Harris had a romantic relationship with powerful California politician Willie Brown in the 1990s. But claims on social media that she broke up his marriage misrepresent the facts. Brown had separated from his wife years before he and Harris had dated.

Misinformation Swirls After Attempted Assassination

Misinformation Swirls After Attempted Assassination

Conspiracy theories and misinformation on social media began clouding coverage of the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump almost immediately after it happened. We addressed several of those claims.

Posts Misrepresent Ruling on COVID-19 School Mandate Lawsuit

Posts Misrepresent Ruling on COVID-19 School Mandate Lawsuit

A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District for its now-rescinded COVID-19 vaccine requirement. The court said the case should be allowed to develop beyond the preliminary arguments. But anti-vaccination activists have twisted the opinion to falsely claim the court had “declared that the mRNA covid jab is NOT a vaccine.”

Exaggerated Claims Circulate About Judge Merchan’s Family

Exaggerated Claims Circulate About Judge Merchan’s Family

Social media posts seeking to discredit the judge who presided over former President Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York have been circulating online. Contrary to a popular meme, the judge’s wife works for a Republican district attorney, not the Democratic state attorney general, and his daughter was not personally paid by a high-profile Democrat.

Posts Distort Missouri Divorce Law Regarding Pregnancy

Posts Distort Missouri Divorce Law Regarding Pregnancy

There’s no law in Missouri that prevents pregnant women from getting divorced. But social media posts claim Missouri women “cannot divorce their spouse if they are pregnant.” Legal experts told us a judge may wait to finalize a divorce until after a baby is born to determine custody and other arrangements.

Posts Misrepresent Saudi Prince’s Comment on Investment in Kushner Fund

Posts Misrepresent Saudi Prince’s Comment on Investment in Kushner Fund

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund invested money with Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, after he left the White House in 2021. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Fox News that the fund would keep its commitment to that investment. But social media posts are making the unfounded claim that Kushner has to return the money.