Barack Obama

Did John Gruden make statements about poor kids, people with Indian accents and the "first mainstream African-American"? No, that's not true: Four statements attributed to ex-NFL football coach John Gruden were not made by him but by Joe Biden over the years, all of which were reported by national news outlets. The claim appeared as a Facebook post (archived here)…

Does this photo show what Michelle Obama looked like in April 2017? No, that's not true: This photo has a fake five o'clock shadow added. Michelle Obama has been targeted by baseless claims that she is not a woman before, and this altered image is part of that trope. The original photo of Michelle Obama went viral on April 2,…

Was Jill Biden arrested at Tyler Perry's house in Atlanta on charges of elder abuse? No, that's not true: A video does not show President Joe Biden's wife being arrested. Claims that Jill Biden was arrested are completely made up. The first lady has been seen in public multiple times since the date when it was claimed she was arrested.…

Were 31 U.S. servicemen killed in Afghanistan "yesterday"? No, that's not true: Versions of a post that has circulated since at least 2015 use details of a 2011 attack in which 30 U.S. servicemen and eight Afghans were killed when a U.S. military helicopter was shot down. The post reappeared in August 2021 as U.S. troops left Afghanistan. The original…

Did Barack Obama pay for a new hospital in Martha's Vineyard named Kunduz following his lavish birthday party? No, that's not true: the post is a satirical dig at the former president, who threw an elaborate 60th birthday party for himself at his Massachusetts compound. "Kunduz hospital" refers to a 2015 U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan while he was commander in…

Is a letter rejecting AARP membership and criticizing President Joe Biden's "Socialist politics" from 2021? No, that's not true: The letter was written in 2009 during the administration of former President Barack Obama. A copy of the letter circulating online in 2021 included language that didn't appear in the original letter, including comments about the "Biden Regime" and "illegal perpetrators,"…

Was Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos flipping burgers at McDonald's at 23 years old? No, that's not true: at that age, Bezos was a Princeton University graduate who turned down various job offers to work for a start-up telecommunications company. The claim appeared in an Instagram post (archived here) published on June 23, 2021. The post was a graphic…

Were President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both out of the country at the same time in June 2021? No, that's not true: although there appears to be no law stating that at least one has to remain in the country while the other is abroad, Biden and Harris have not been out of the country at the…

Did theoretical physicist Shirley Jackson invent fiber-optic cables, the touch-tone phone and caller ID? No, that's not true: All of these were invented by other people. Although her professional accomplishments and accolades are many, she did not invent those telecommunication advances as a post claims, nor did she invent call waiting, the portable fax machine or the solar cell, which…

Does a list of indictments, arrests and executions reveal a number of politicians, celebrities and royals who have been executed including Barack and Michelle Obama? No, that's not true. This list is completely false. It is part of the baseless and debunked QAnon conspiracy theory: that Donald Trump is fighting a secret international cabal of child sex predators made up…