Flat Earth

Did U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is popularly known as AOC, propose a $10.5 billion cut to Social Security? No, that's not true: The Democratic congresswoman from New York never made such a proposal. The author of the post is trolling conservatives into believing and sharing these satirical stories as though they were real. The claim originated from an article…

Did actor Mel Gibson say, "The only reason liberals hate Trump is they hate God"? No, that's not true: The actor never made such a statement. The article is a work of satire, and the author of such posts is trolling conservatives into believing and sharing them as though they were real. The made-up quote originated from an article (archived…

Is U.S. Attorney General William Barr about to announce federal regulations banning Sharia Law in the United States? No, that's not true: The story was posted on a satirical site that trolls conservatives and bills itself as "satire for Islamphobes." But very often, real fake news sites copy and paste the information, positing it as true news. The story originated…

Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez' grandfather an illegal immigrant from Val Verde? No, that's not true: This satirical story is based on a fictional South American country that is featured several times in the work of Hollywood writer Steven de Souza. The story originated from an article (archived here) where it was published by Bustatroll.org on December 6, 2019, under the title…

Is Elena Morrison the greatest ballerina of the century, and is her weight-loss story an inspiration to all? No, that's not true: Elena Morrison is not on any list of "greatest ballerinas" of any century - and the story of her dramatic weight loss was fabricated by a company to sell leggings that purportedly "break down the structure of cellulite"…

Did freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggest the Earth may be flat? No, that's not true: The New York representative did not make such a statement. It is a claim from an article published by a well-known satirical site that trolls conservatives. These stories are often copied by other websites that republish them without any satire labeling, presenting them as real…

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…

Did Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez come up with a new bill that would require seniors to renew their driver's license every month? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to mislead Trump supporters and Republicans into sharing made up stories that are clearly marked as satire when you actually click them. Articles from…

Do flu vaccines contain 25,000 times more mercury than is legally allowed in drinking water? No, that's not true: Some flu vaccines do contain a trace amount of the organic compound Thimerosal, whch is 50-percent mercury. Thimerosal, used as a preservative only in multi-dose vials, breaks down in the body as ethyl mercury, which is removed from the body and…

Did Nancy Pelosi have a 150-year-old sign removed from the House Chamber entrance? And did the sign say "In God we trust"? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to educate gullible Trump supporters and Republicans about the need to actually click and read links before sharing or liking them in order…