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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Meme Inflates Rise in Congressional Salaries

Meme Inflates Rise in Congressional Salaries

A viral meme on Facebook falsely claims that members of Congress have received a “231%” increase in pay in the last 30 years. Automatic cost-of-living adjustments have resulted in an increase of 94.4% from 1989 to 2009.

The Response to the Congressional Baseball Shooting

The Response to the Congressional Baseball Shooting

A viral Facebook post claims that “not one Democrat called for gun control” after a 2017 shooting involving Republicans in Congress. While demands for legislative action were quieter, there were some.

Cummings Didn’t Have Obama’s Records ‘Sealed’

Cummings Didn’t Have Obama’s Records ‘Sealed’

A meme on Facebook falsely claims that Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings “wrote a bill to keep all of Obama’s record sealed.” That distorts bipartisan legislation dealing with the federal records of all presidents that Cummings introduced, which became law in 2014.

False Caption on Refugee Picture

False Caption on Refugee Picture

A photo circulating on social media claims to show “Europeans trying to get to North Africa during World War II,” but it actually shows Albanian refugees arriving in Italy in 1991.

Posts Twist Facts on Democrats’ Names

Posts Twist Facts on Democrats’ Names

Social media posts claim some well-known Democrats are “fraudulent and corrupt” for not using “their real names.” But in some cases, the posts refer to them by an incorrect name, a nickname, a middle name or a maiden name.

A Misleading Message on Mueller’s Conclusions

A Misleading Message on Mueller’s Conclusions

A social media image makes the misleading claim that former special counsel Robert S. Mueller “can’t provide evidence that his probe reached a conclusion.” Mueller reached several conclusions, including that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to damage Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump.

Phony Claim About Trump’s Ellis Island Award

Phony Claim About Trump’s Ellis Island Award

President Donald Trump was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1986, but it wasn’t given for his “work within the black community,” as a popular meme circulating on social media claims.

Comparing Benefits for Refugees and Senior Citizens

Comparing Benefits for Refugees and Senior Citizens

A popular meme falsely claims that each month refugees in the United States receive over three times more money in “federal assistance” than Social Security beneficiaries. That’s a new version of an old claim we debunked over a decade ago.