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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Revived Falsehood that Trump Fired ‘Muslim Judge’

Revived Falsehood that Trump Fired ‘Muslim Judge’

A viral story shared on Facebook falsely claims President Donald Trump has fired a “Muslim federal judge” over “Sharia Law.” The story was published two years ago by a website that calls its work satire, but it is being spread again by a Tumblr site.

Bogus Photo Targets Rep. Elise Stefanik

Bogus Photo Targets Rep. Elise Stefanik

An altered image makes it look like Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik stuck up her middle finger in a House committee room at the end of a public impeachment inquiry hearing. She didn’t.

Trump Repeats False Ukraine Claims

Trump Repeats False Ukraine Claims

President Donald Trump called into “Fox & Friends” a day after the impeachment hearings ended and repeated false statements that have been debunked by fact-checkers and, in some cases, members of his own administration.

Erroneous Claim of ‘End of Youth Hunting’ in Virginia

Erroneous Claim of ‘End of Youth Hunting’ in Virginia

Posts on Facebook wrongly claim that Virginia has “announced the end of youth hunting.” The state’s Department of Game & Inland Fisheries confirmed that there have been “no such changes” in state laws, and scheduled youth hunting days remain on the calendar.

Trump Cherry-Picks Sondland Testimony

Trump Cherry-Picks Sondland Testimony

President Donald Trump said he “turned off the television” after Ambassador Gordon Sondland testified that the president told him in a phone call, “I want nothing [from Ukraine]. I want no quid pro quo.” But Sondland had a lot more to say than that.

Social Posts Distort Facts on Political Relationships

Social Posts Distort Facts on Political Relationships

Social media posts falsely claim that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s nephew, and that Rep. Adam Schiff has a sister who is married to the son of George Soros. It also falsely states that a daughter of former Secretary of State John Kerry is married to a “mullah’s son in Iran.”

Memes Overstate Yovanovitch’s Wealth

Memes Overstate Yovanovitch’s Wealth

Questionable websites and social media posts claim — without evidence — that former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch’s net worth is as high as $23 million. According to her most recent financial disclosure, Yovanovitch has an estimated net worth of between $1.3 million and $3.3 million.

Legal Implications of Outing the Whistleblower

Legal Implications of Outing the Whistleblower

In one heated exchange during day three of the impeachment hearings, Rep. Adam Schiff cut off a line of questioning to protect the whistleblower’s identity, saying the whistleblower has “a statutory right to anonymity.” But the law he cited does not explicitly prohibit members of Congress from disclosing a whistleblower’s name.

Trump Misquotes Pelosi

Trump Misquotes Pelosi

In an early morning tweet, President Donald Trump falsely attributed a quote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The quote was actually a Fox News reporter’s characterization of Pelosi’s words. Trump then distorted what she actually said.