Qanon

EDITORS NOTE: Meet Carolina Chaney. Take a good look at her Facebook profile photo. Maybe she looks like your kid's math teacher or your doctor. Privacy settings block us from seeing anything about her, but we do see she is one of 11 administrators of the "Trump - 2020 KAG!#" Facebook group. Carolina started in that role on Monday,…

Do Pepsi Co. and other food companies use cells from aborted fetuses as ingredients for their products? No, that's not true: The false claim is based on the use of HEK 293 cells -- which were developed decades ago from live-baby birth fetal cells -- in taste research by another company. The cells are and never have been placed into…

Did President Trump reveal that he is Q, the anonymous leaker of purported "deep state" secrets to followers? No, that's not true: The claim is based on a video clip of a Trump rally in Kentucky on November 4, 2019 in which the president says he may not "hang it up" for another five, nine, 13, or 17 years. The…

Is John F. Kennedy Jr. alive and will he make a public return to join President Donald Trump as his vice presidential running mate in 2020? No, that's not true: It is a cornerstone of a conspiracy myth promoted by QAnon followers who believe that the son of President John F. Kennedy faked his own death (and that of his…

Was Britain's Prince Andrew put on suicide watch to protect the reputation of the Royal Family? No, that's not true: the story was put out by a satirical website but many people fell for the headline because the satire disclaimer on the site is hidden behind a disclaimer link that can't be reached because of infinite scrolling. The story originated…

Did President Trump's team appear to delete tweets where he used "invaders" to describe immigrants in the wake of the El Paso and Dayton attacks? No, that's not true: Tweets using the words "invaders" and "invasion" remained on the president's Twitter timeline a day after mass casualty shootings of August 3 and 4, 2019. The false claim originated in various…

Did Republican Congressman Jim Jordan say that Barack Obama and Joe Biden "were cowering in fear" while Donald Trump was "on the ground with first responders searching for survivors and pulling people to safety" after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on America? No, that's not true: It was a quote made up and tweeted by comedy writer Dan Lyons.…

Is Ruth Bader Ginsburg dead and are recordings being faked to hide the U.S. Supreme Court justice's death to prevent President Trump from having another high court appointment? No, that's not true: The 86-year-old Ginsburg appeared on camera on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, with NPR host Nina Totenberg for an interview in which she confirmed she is not dead, despite…

Was the recent power blackout in New York City likely a White Hat EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) attack designed to disable security measures during federal raids on enemy facilities related to the arrest of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein? No, that is not true: It is a unrealistic theory promoted by QAnon followers who believe there is a Deep State conspiracy…

Does a photograph of former President Barack Obama link him to accused pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's purported "Orgy Island"? No, that's not true: The photo used in social media posts shows Obama on a small boat with billionaire Richard Branson, not Epstein. The implication that the image connects Obama to Epstein's alleged child sex trafficking ring is false. The claim originated…