9/11

Did Ben Carson, the Housing and Urban Development Secretary, offer to do brain surgery on U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters? No, that's not true: Although Carson and Waters, a California Democrat, have shown great disdain for one another in the past, Carson, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, never made such a statement. The claim, which has been making the…

Did a young woman running for government office in Lewiston, Maine, get caught on audio and video making violent threats and harassing another candidate at his home? No, that's not true: The audio and video are actually of another individual - a man. The meme falsely accuses a Somali American woman of making threats she did not make. The story…

Did billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates help fund a patent for the Wuhan coronavirus? No, that's not true: The Pirbright Institute addressed the conspiracy theories and said the patents involve infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) only, and the Gates Foundation did not fund that work. The claim originated from an article (archived here) published by Natural News on January…

Is a Barrett M82 military rifle that an activist carried at a Virginia gun-rights rally this week "routinely used to shoot down planes in the armed forces"? No, that's not true: The Barrett M82 is a large-caliber sniper rifle that does not "routinely" shoot down aircraft. It is not a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) or a man-portable air-defense system (MANPAD), which…

Did Michelle Obama slam First Lady Melania Trump, saying, "She's a terrible role model for America's women?" No, that's not true: The quote is fabricated and part of a satirical site that trolls conservative readers into believing the stories are true. The claim originated from an article (archived here) published by Obama Watcher on November 26, 2019, under the title…

Were 23 people killed and dozens injured at a Virginia pro-gun rally? No, that's not true: The protest on Monday was peaceful, according to media reports. The website that posted the story is known for creating satirical content and describes itself as "the most reliable source of fake news on the planet." The claim originated from an article published by…

Is the Virginia governor preparing to order up to 10,000 body bags in anticipation of civil war breaking out? No, that's not true: The Democratic governor denies he has ordered body bags. This is an unsupported claim - a hoax played on people who fear the governor's new gun-control efforts will confiscate residents' weapons and set off a civil war.…

Were hundreds of birds that fell out of the sky found dead near a 5G installation? No, that's not true: Even though hundreds of starlings were found dead in Bodedern, a village in Wales, on December 10, 2019, Vodafone has confirmed that there is no 5G wireless service in the area, nor have any tests taken place. The mystery continues…

Is the Virginia governor planning to use roadblocks and U.N. troops to seize guns? No, that's not true: Gov. Ralph Northam has not requested United Nations assistance to confiscate guns, and he has not suggested using roadblocks for weapons seizures. The story first surfaced on an online radio program called "The Common Sense Show," which is known to traffic in…

Has the Virginia governor ordered plans to cut off electricity, telephones, and Internet communications ahead of statewide gun confiscation during the new year? No, that's not true: Gov. Ralph Northam has not issued any such order, and the false claim first surfaced from a white supremacist radio host with a history of spreading conspiracy theories and other falsehoods. This claim…