Quick Take A Facebook post about protests taking place in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death is criticizing protesters for “destroying the cemeteries” of veterans. But three of the four images cited are old and have nothing to do with the protests. Full Story The protests against police brutality following […]
Facts Check
Two Former Officers Involved in Floyd’s Death Are Not In-Laws
Quick Take Contrary to social media posts, Kellie Chauvin, the estranged wife of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, is not the sister of Tou Thao, another former officer involved in the events that led to Floyd’s death, according to Kellie Chauvin’s […]
Viral Tweet ‘Alert’ Wasn’t From Antifa
Quick Take A tweet shared widely online during the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd — espousing a plan to bring violence to “residential areas… the white hoods” — was made to appear to be from antifa, the anti-fascist coalition. But the account behind the tweet was actually […]
Examining Biden’s Farm Bankruptcy Claim
Joe Biden claimed that farm bankruptcies increased last year “due largely to Trump’s unmitigated disaster of a tariff war.” International trade was a factor, but there were additional reasons that predate the trade war — such as years of relatively weak prices, declining incomes and rising farm debt, according to […]
Trump’s False Statements About How Democratic Leaders Handled Protests
President Donald Trump has made false statements and implications about how three Democratic officials responded to violent protests that followed George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis: Trump said the mayor of Washington, D.C., “wouldn’t let the D.C. Police get involved” during a turbulent protest outside the White House. […]
Trump Can’t Designate Antifa — or Any Movement — Domestic Terrorist Organization
As some nationwide protests have turned violent, President Donald Trump pointed to the anti-fascist movement antifa, claiming: “The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.” But there is no such official federal designation for domestic terrorism organizations. Experts cited other reasons a designation — even […]
Officer Charged in Floyd’s Death Hasn’t Committed Suicide
Quick Take A viral story shared on social media is falsely claiming that Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd, committed suicide in his prison cell. Full Story As national tensions surged over the death of George Floyd in police custody, a dubious website published […]
Falsehoods Follow George Floyd’s Death
Minneapolis has erupted in protests and riots since George Floyd, a black man, died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck during an arrest on May 25. The incident was captured on cellphone video that showed Floyd repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.” The four involved officers were fired the […]
Baseless Conspiracy Theory Claims Floyd Case Was ‘Staged’
Quick Take Viral text posts are advancing the groundless claim that George Floyd’s arrest and death in Minneapolis were “staged” to incite “racial tensions.” But they offer no evidence to support that conspiracy theory. Full Story Text posts of a nearly 1,000-word screed shared by thousands on Facebook are baselessly suggesting […]
Minneapolis Police License Plate Doesn’t Raise a ‘False Flag’
Quick Take Social media posts incorrectly claim that Minneapolis police license plates “dont say POLICE,” and that proves the death of George Floyd was a planned event. Actually, many police vehicles in Minneapolis have that license plate. Full Story The death of George Floyd — which came after a police […]