Tag Archives: Full

A Facebook account using the name “Wetherspoons” has shared a post claiming that the pub chain is offering free meals to people who share and comment.

The post has been shared more than 24,000 times at the time of writing, but it is not real. It copies similar posts from other Facebook accounts appearing to impersonate the brand which we’ve fact checked previously. 

The post says: “Hello everyone! I’m Tim Martin, founder of Wetherspoons. I’m very pleased to introduce you to my son Ryan Martin. Next week I will be retiring and handing over all control to my eldest Son. Before I depart I’d like to do one last good deed to say thanks because without all of you we wouldn’t be here today. So everyone who shares&comments within the next 7 days will receive a…

After shots rang out at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania on 13 July, social media became a hotbed for claims, counter-claims and conspiracy theories.

Images of a bloodied Donald Trump raising his fist would lead news coverage in the days after the attempted assassination attempt, which killed attendee Corey Comperatore. At the time of writing two others are in a serious condition.

The FBI named Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the “subject involved”. He was shot dead at the scene.

World leaders including President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Keir Starmer were quick to condemn the attack on Mr Trump, which left him with a wound but no stitches to his right ear, according to his son Eric.

But online, many people were sharing their own…

A screenshot claiming to show an article headlined “Reasonable for protesters to call Sir Keir Starmer ‘Tory scum’, court rules” has been edited.

The image has been shared on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). The caption says: “A court has found that it is plausible to describe Starmer as, “Tory Scum” – I think this was established long before this court ruling to be fair”.

While some saw it as a joke, others appear to believe it was genuine. 

The original headline was published by the Guardian in November 2023 and refers to Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith, not Mr Starmer. The article describes a high court ruling not to overturn an acquittal of two protesters who were previously found not guilty of using threatening, abusive or insulting words…

A video of Reform UK leader and Clacton MP Nigel Farage has been shared on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, claiming Mr Farage “says he will do nothing for the black community”. But this clip is missing important context. 

In the clip, Mr Farage says: “What was I going to do for the black community? Do you know what I said? ‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I couldn’t give a damn’.”

The video being shared online cuts Mr Farage off mid-sentence, whereas, in the full video, he actually says “I couldn’t give a damn whether you’re black or white”.

This clip comes from a video posted on YouTube by Canadian academic Jordan Peterson, who interviewed Mr Farage on 2 July 2024. The full interview lasts for around 50 minutes.

The shortened video was shared…

A picture claiming to show US presidential candidate Donald Trump golfing the day after being injured in an attempted assassination has been shared on social media.

The image shows the former president in his trademark red “Make America Great Again” cap, swinging a golf club over his shoulder. A small white bandage can also be seen covering the top part of his ear. 

The photo is captioned: “TRUMP GOLFING ONE DAY AFTER SHOOTING 7/14/24.” 

But this picture is not genuine—the original was taken during a golf tournament in Miami in October 2022 and the bandage appears to have been digitally added. 

Mr Trump sustained an injury to his ear after being shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania on 13 July. During an appearance at the Republican National Convention in…