Facts Matter: Attack helicopter not deployed for Los Angeles protests
President Donald Trump recently deployed the Marines, along with National Guard members, to Los Angeles, California, because of protests in the city. Among the images shared on social media chronicling the activity was a video of a military attack helicopter in the skies over Los Angeles.
“Marine Corps gunship helicopter seen flying over Los Angeles. President Trump is NOT playing games!,” one X user posted along with the video.
But this video doesn’t show a reaction to the protests, according to PolitiFact. It shows a Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter taken before the protests began. That type of helicopter often flies out of air stations near San Diego.
The clip was recorded on June 2 by TikTok user Ed Martinez, who told PolitiFact he keeps an iPhone folder with videos of helicopters flying by.
“Military aircraft fly by all the time, it’s routine,” he said.
A U.S. Northern Command spokesperson told PolitiFact the military operation only involves ground support and the official Marine Corps account confirmed that in an Instagram post.
“There are no Marine Corps aviation assets in the greater Los Angeles area,” the post read.
Walz not connected to Minnesota shootings
A shooter on June 14 targeted two Minnesota lawmakers, killing Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at the couple’s home, after injuring state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
Police identified the shooter as a 57-year-old man from Green Isle, Minnesota. Almost immediately, social media users falsely tied the events to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, according to the Poynter Institute for Media Studies.
“Did Tim Walz order a hit job of a Democrat state legislator that voted against his agenda?” one X user wrote the day of the shootings.
In 2019, Walz had reappointed the man as a private sector representative to serve on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, a group of nearly 60 business members. The members, 41 of whom are appointed by the governor, advise the state legislature on labor policies that would be important to Minnesota’s workforce. The suspect had been originally appointed to that board by Gov. Mark Dayton, who served before Walz.
But there is no evidence linking Walz to the shootings, Pointer said. A spokesperson for Walz said the governor and the shooter didn’t have a personal relationship.
A representative from the governor’s office said thousands of people are appointed to unpaid positions on boards and commissions to advise the legislators.
Walz, in a news conference following the killings, described the shootings as an “unspeakable tragedy.”
Air raid sirens not planned for vaccinations
A recent story that appeared to be published by the London Daily Mail focuses on a warning about new COVID-19 vaccinations.
“Experts Claim Air Raid Sirens could be used to let people know when a new COVID Strain is circulating, leading to quicker queuing for Vaccinations,” reads the headline.
But this headline is satire, according to Reuters, and it didn’t come from the British newspaper.
A spokesperson for the Daily Mail told Reuters they did not produce that article and there are no online stories about using air raid sirens for COVID-19 warnings.
Reuters said it could not find the original article but the byline, “Raddick Satire” suggests it is a joke.
Swift, Kelce not photographed at rally
Recent photos on social media show singer Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, football player Travis Kelce, participating in a “No Kings” protest rally.
“Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce ignite ‘No Kings Day’ rally, joining thousands in a stunning show of support for equality,” read the headline on a June 15 post that included a photo of the couple with protesters and signs in the background.
But this photo and the claim is false, according to PolitiFact. The image was generated by artificial intelligence.
PolitiFact pointed out obvious mistakes and distortions. The picture shows Swift with one blue eye and one brown eye, and signs in the background read, “Tayis,” and “Taylr.”
There were no other media reports about the couple attending the protest rallies and neither Swift nor Kelce posting anything on their social media accounts.
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com.