Governing Through Misinformation

A midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter near Washington DC resulted in approximately 67 deaths. Trump held a press conference addressing the crash but used the occasion to blame diversity and equity initiatives without evidence, linking DEI programs to the accident.

President Trump blamed Ukraine for the war with Russia, stating that Ukraine should have made a deal earlier without territorial losses. Trump's comments contradicted Ukraine President Zelenskyy's assertion that Trump is operating within a 'web of disinformation,' prompting Trump to call Zelenskyy a 'dictator without elections.'

Trump offered expedited citizenship to South African farmers, falsely claiming on social media that the South African government was confiscating farmland. The statement echoed previous claims about the country mistreating white people.

Trump claimed without evidence that Biden's pardons of January 6 panel members are 'void' because they were signed using an autopen. Legal experts note there is no constitutional or case law basis for reversing a pardon.

The State Department's foreign disinformation office (R/FIMI) has been shuttered following criticism from right-wing figures who alleged it censored conservative speech. The closure comes as part of broader administration efforts to challenge existing institutional policies.

Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate ActBlue, the main Democratic fundraising platform, citing unsubstantiated claims of foreign contributions. The order represents the latest use of federal government resources to target political opponents.

The Trump administration granted 'refugee' status to 59 white South Africans, claiming they faced discrimination, though this claim has been widely criticized. President Trump also confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with a video containing false claims about the situation.

Trump hosted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House, during which Trump displayed a video and printouts claiming to show persecution of white South Africans. Ramaphosa attempted to correct the record regarding the false claims presented during the meeting.

During a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump made false claims that Australia was being 'inundated' by white South Africans fleeing 'genocide,' baselessly claiming they were being executed. He also played a social media video which he falsely characterized as showing 'burial sites' of white farmers.

During a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump presented images and videos as evidence of 'white genocide' in South Africa, but fact-checking revealed at least one image was from the Democratic Republic of Congo and other materials were false or misleading.

Trump reposted a conspiracy theory on social media claiming that former President Joe Biden was a "robotic clone" who had been "executed" in 2020 and replaced.

Justice Department and FBI leaders are struggling to implement Trump campaign promises that are often rooted in misinformation and conspiracy theories, creating institutional challenges for law enforcement agencies.

The Department of Homeland Security is facing accusations of falsely claiming that critics assaulted officers during ICE protests and raids. Civil rights advocates and scholars say the government's claims represent troubling indicators of rising authoritarianism.

A previously apolitical Social Security Administration sent an email praising Trump's tax bill with false claims about federal taxes; research shows a nurse on the CDC vaccine panel has been described as 'anti-vax longer than RFK' and has claimed vaccines caused her son's autism, a connection refuted by decades of research.

Trump officials addressed conspiracy theories about 'chemtrails' while spreading misinformation, according to experts. The EPA's move comes as the agency slashes funding for climate research and cuts staff for weather forecasting and scientific agencies.

Trump falsely claimed via social media that National Guard troops were deployed and 'in place' in Portland, despite no evidence of any Guard presence in the city.

The Trump administration is facing legal challenges and criticism over its implementation of immigration policy, with Democrats pushing back against what they characterize as misinformation about healthcare for undocumented immigrants at the center of a government shutdown dispute.

Trump shared a false claim on social media that former President Obama earned $40 million in 'royalties' from the Affordable Care Act. The claim originated from a satirical website and has been repeatedly debunked since 2017.

Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino was reprimanded by a judge for false claims that shots were fired at immigration officers during an operation in Chicago. This reprimand came only two days after the same judge called him out for lying about being assaulted by a protester.

Trump's Justice Department is investigating unfounded claims that Venezuela helped steal the 2020 election, according to an exclusive report. The discredited conspiracy theory could potentially strengthen arguments for military action against the Maduro regime.

The New York Times fact-checked Trump's recent affordability claims, finding that he made misleading statements about the cost of Thanksgiving meals, breakfast, gasoline, and general price levels.

President Trump suggested that Venezuela rigged the 2020 U.S. election, implying his Venezuela policy may be based on an unfounded election-rigging conspiracy theory rather than contemporary geopolitical concerns.

Trump made claims without evidence that President Biden did not personally sign executive orders, using an autopen signature device as part of attacks on his predecessor.

The Trump administration has directed the State Department to deny visas to factcheckers and content moderators, according to a state department memo that instructs officials to deny visas to applicants engaging in 'censorship.' The policy represents an escalation in the administration's hostility toward fact-checking and content moderation.

In a Pennsylvania speech on affordability, President Trump vacillated between making false economic claims and launching attacks on immigrants and Democratic figures including Ilhan Omar and Jasmine Crockett. Fact-checkers identified multiple false statements in the address.

A British anti-disinformation campaigner, Imran Ahmed, launched a legal challenge against the Trump administration after facing deportation threats, claiming he is being targeted for scrutinizing social media companies.

A US judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting Imran Ahmed, a UK anti-disinformation campaigner with the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Ahmed filed a complaint against senior Trump allies, accusing tech companies of 'sociopathic greed' in seeking to avoid accountability.

Trump stated he would 'love to fire' Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell during a Monday press conference and repeated false claims about renovation costs for the Fed headquarters.

Canadian officials stated that US health institutions are no longer dependable sources for accurate information, citing misinformation from the Trump administration as fueling Canadian concerns over childhood vaccinations.

On the fifth anniversary of the January 6 Capitol attack, Democrats held a hearing examining its impact while Republicans remained largely silent. Trump has continued to promote conspiracy theories denying the election integrity, which could affect this year's midterms.

The FBI conducted a search of the Fulton County election office in Georgia, raising concerns among critics that it had little legal basis and served Trump's agenda to fuel false claims of election fraud and weaken trust in 2020 election results. An Atlanta FBI official was reportedly ousted after questioning the bureau's renewed focus on unsubstantiated voter fraud claims.

Trump suggested that Republicans should 'take over' elections in 15 states before the midterms to protect the party, claiming the measure was necessary to prevent noncitizen voting despite unsubstantiated evidence of widespread noncitizen voting.

An FBI raid on the Fulton County elections office on January 28 was influenced by debunked claims from election deniers and followed a referral from a White House lawyer, according to newly released affidavits.

Trump threatened to refuse signing any bills until Congress approves a strict voter ID act, which would limit voting access and is based on his unfounded claims about noncitizens stealing elections. Trump also cheered an FBI subpoena of Arizona 2020 election records as part of efforts to spread false claims about voting.

The national intelligence director testified that a voting machine seizure in Puerto Rico was requested by a U.S. attorney who has been attempting to revive 2020 election conspiracy theories, raising questions about the role of Venezuelan conspiracy narratives in the Trump administration's actions.

Trump signed an executive order to restrict mail-in ballots, a move critics and legal experts view as probably unconstitutional. Trump has falsely claimed mail-in voting leads to legendary fraud, despite voting by mail himself last week.

Trump announced a 'fraud' crackdown in Democratic states with arrests beginning in California, making baseless claims about fraud in blue states and naming JD Vance as 'fraud czar' to lead the initiative.

Trump claimed without evidence that Iranians welcome U.S. strikes on infrastructure and dismissed concerns that bombing civilian targets would punish ordinary people or constitute war crimes. The president made these statements during a press conference after the White House Easter egg roll.

Vice President JD Vance headlined a campaign rally for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of Sunday's elections, though fact-checkers disputed some of his claims about EU treatment of Hungary.

RFK Jr. faced heated questioning from lawmakers during a budget hearing, with critics accusing him of promoting 'dangerous conspiracy theories' regarding vaccines and public health policies. Lawmakers criticized his 'terrible decisions' and funding cuts to key programs.

Autism advocates and health officials accused the Trump administration, specifically RFK Jr.'s health officials, of fueling a "crisis of public trust" by spreading misinformation about autism and vaccines, with critics saying the U.S. is "drowning in misinformation" under current health leadership.

Trump claimed without evidence that Democrats are 'trying to steal' California primaries for governor and Los Angeles mayor as vote-counting continues. Election officials say the lengthy counting process is standard for mail-in ballots.

Trump abruptly ended an NBC 'Meet the Press' interview when challenged by host Kristen Welker over false claims regarding January 6 and allegedly rigged elections, walking out without providing evidence for his assertions.

Trump and allies continued promoting baseless fraud claims about California's vote count ahead of midterms. Election experts and fact-checkers have labeled these claims unfounded, noting that California's slower vote-counting process is standard practice for mail-in ballots.

Trump delivered a primetime address focusing on election security and past claims about the 2020 election, rehashing debunked theories while some major TV networks declined to air the speech live. The address came despite Republican lawmakers urging him to focus on economic issues instead.

Trump and DHS officials claimed 250,000 noncitizens are registered to vote across four US states without providing evidence. Election experts and Democrats cast doubt on the claims, accusing Trump of 'working to rig the midterms' in advance through unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations.

Trump-backed Republican Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow, refused to concede his loss in Minnesota's Republican primary for governor to Lisa Demuth, repeating baseless claims of election anomalies despite all votes being counted and a double-digit defeat.