In an address to the nation a day after an Iranian attack on military bases housing U.S. soldiers in Iraq, President Donald Trump made some dubious, misleading and inaccurate claims.
FactChecking Trump’s Iran Address
Amid Military Tension, Meme Misdates Soldiers’ Deaths
A meme circulating on Facebook displays photos of five U.S. soldiers that purportedly were killed “this Tuesday in Afghanistan.” Actually, they died in 2013 and there was a sixth soldier killed in the same incident who isn’t included in the meme.
Biden’s Position on Osama bin Laden Raid
Former Vice President Joe Biden denied that he told then-President Barack Obama “not to go after [Osama] bin Laden” in what turned out to be a successful mission to kill the 9/11 mastermind. But Biden wasn’t giving the whole story, and has over time given contradictory accounts.
Pence Links Iran’s Soleimani to 9/11 Attacks
Vice President Mike Pence tweeted that Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani “[a]ssisted in the clandestine travel to Afghanistan” of some of the terrorists who executed the 9/11 terrorist attacks. However, that doesn’t mean that Iran, or Soleimani, knowingly aided al Qaeda in carrying out the attacks, which may be the impression some got from Pence’s tweet.
Conway, Pompeo on Iranian Cultural Sites
President Trump twice threatened to target cultural sites in Iran if Iranian leaders retaliate for the killing of Qasem Soleimani. Even so, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House counselor Kellyanne Conway falsely claimed that Trump never made such a threat.
Fake Tlaib Tweet Resurfaces Amid Iran News
An old tweet from an account impersonating Rep. Rashida Tlaib resurfaced on social media — this time with an erroneous claim that the tweet was her response to the recent attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
Social Media Video Strips Context From Biden Remark
A viral video clip takes former Vice President Joe Biden’s recent remarks about sexual and domestic violence out of context, leaving a false impression that he made a racist comment about the role of African and Asian nations in U.S. culture.
‘Satire’ Misinforms on Impeachment Witnesses
A bogus claim that Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House intelligence committee, paid impeachment witnesses “over $40 million” to testify is circulating online. That claim actually originated on a self-described satire website.
Concert Photo Used in Bogus Report of Trump Rally
A viral story falsely claims that President Donald Trump held a rally with “massive crowds” in Chicago, proving “Dems are turning to Trump.” There was no such rally. The story, which deceptively features a photo from a London concert, originated on a website that calls its work satire.
Social Posts Distort Facts on Trump Charities
Posts on social media falsely claim that the Trump family is “disallowed from operating ANY charity” in New York because they “stole from a kids cancer charity.” That inaccurately describes the outcome of a court case involving the Donald J. Trump Foundation, and conflates it with allegations about the Eric Trump Foundation.