Did MSNBC host Rachel Maddow post on X discouraging people from disclosing vaccine injuries "on social media," as a post on Instagram suggested? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for MSNBC confirmed to Lead Stories that "the post is fake." Lead Stories also conducted advanced searches through Maddow's X profile, both live and archived versions, dating to February 15, 2024, when the post was purportedly made. We found no evidence that the post had ever been shared.
A version of the claim originated in a post on Instagram shared on February 20, 2024 (archived here), that contained what appeared to be a screenshot of a post on X purportedly by Maddow. Text above the purported Maddow post said, "NBC entertainer Rachel Maddow would prefer for you to STFU about your vaxx injuries." A caption that accompanied the post read:
What in the ever loving flying pig f*ckery Illuminati adrenachrome drinking shit is this? Are you kidding me? Put me on your show, I DARE YOU. This is not just ballsy. It's repulsive. @maddowshow you're sick!!!!
Oh, I'm sorry that the thing we forced you to get f*ed you up- but don't you dare talk about it because the people who got f*ed from other jabs will then have another reason to speak up and support you! Much less try to spread awareness so others don't experience the same thing.
MINDBLOWN that this behavior and mindset exists.
There's nothing to call this other than evil.
Here is how the post appeared at the time of writing:
(Source: Instagram screenshot taken Weds Feb 21
The above image suggested that Maddow posted to X on February 15, 2024, the following statement:
If you truly are vaccine injured, PLEASE consider not blasting your health problems on social media. Antivaxxers are using every example of injury, no matter how small, to spread dangerous propaganda about the vaccine.
Lead Stories reached out to MSNBC for comment, and a spokesperson confirmed in an email received on February 21, 2024, that "the post is fake."
Lead Stories found no evidence that the above post was authentic or shared by the TV host based on advanced searches of both live and archived versions of Maddow's profile on X.
A reverse image search of the supposed post using Google Lens (archived here) revealed that its earliest iteration was shared to the self-described (archived here) sports "independent fan site" CSNBBS on February 17, 2024 (archived here). It was published on the thread, "Irony is lost on the left..."
Here's how that post appeared at the time of writing:
(Source: CSNBBS screenshot taken Wed Feb 21 18:18:34 UTC 2024)
An advanced search of Maddow's profile on X (@maddow) using the above wording for all posts between February 15, 2024, and the date of this publication, February 21, 2024, did not return any results (archived here). Lead Stories also searched archived versions of Maddow's X profile saved on February 15, 2024, (here, here, here and here) and February 16, 2024, (here, here and here). If the post in question had been shared and then deleted, it would presumably have appeared in at least one of the archived versions. It did not.
Lead Stories also conducted a general search of all posts shared by Maddow to her X profile through February 21, 2024 (archived here), and did not find any evidence that the post in question was active at the time of writing. A general search through X using the keywords from the post above (archived here) also did not return any posts by Maddow or by users.
Lastly, a search using the keywords on Google (archived here) also did not return relevant results either from Maddow's X profile or by any other reputable publications, websites or news organizations.
Other Lead Stories fact checks of claims involving Rachel Maddow can be found here.
