Facts matter: Trump not giving away ‘no strings attached’ cash
A social media post earlier this month appears to show former President Donald Trump giving away thousands of dollars.
A video in the Dec. 15 Facebook post begins with clips of Trump as he supposedly says, “Regardless of what you think of me, this can help everyone. I’m about to put over $6,400 in your pocket that you need before Christmas. This new program is an economic incentive program that is open for every single one of you, and most people don’t even know about it.”
After Trump’s brief appearance, the 55-second video is a jumble of clips, including people holding money, people throwing money in the air, people getting money from an ATM and people with stacks of cash.
But this offer didn’t come from Trump, according to PolitiFact. The audio in the video has been altered to make it appear Trump is delivering the message.
The link included with the post brings users to a site that says to claim a $1,400 monthly subsidy and $0 health plan, the user should call and talk with a licensed agent. There is no mention of Trump giving away money with “no strings attached.”
The clip used in the video is taken from a May 10, 2023, CNN town hall event with the former president.
Colorado judge wasn’t arrested
The Colorado Supreme Court, on Dec. 19, delivered a decision that disqualified former President Donald Trump from appearing on the state’s primary ballot due to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol building in Washington D.C. The court said the finding was based on the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which bars anyone engaged in an insurrection or rebellion from holding federal office.
Recent social media posts claim Colorado Supreme Court Justice Monica Márquez, one of the judges involved in the decision, has been taken into custody.
“Well, now, THAT didn’t take long! One of the four Colorado Supreme Court justices has already been arrested on charges of Treason for attempting to deny residents of Colorado the right to vote for the candidate of their choice,” reads the topper of a Dec. 21 Facebook post which includes a link to an article headlined, “Marines Arrest Colorado SCJ Who Voted to Remove President Trump from State Ballot.”
But this post is wrong, according to Reuters. The article appears on a parody website.
“There is no legitimacy to this claim. Justice Márquez has not been arrested by the Marines, and is not in custody,” Colorado Judicial Branch spokesperson Robert McCallum told Reuters.
The fake article appears on the website Real Raw News, which includes a disclaimer saying the outlet publishes content that includes “humor, parody, and satire.”
Photo doesn’t show current border
A recent social media post shows a large group of migrants jammed up along a road.
A Dec. 18 Facebook post that includes the image calls for using the military to stop the flow of immigrants across the border.
But this post is deceiving, according to USA Today. The photo is from before President Joe Biden took office, but the timing of the post implies that it shows a recent scene.
The photo was taken in 2018 in a small Mexican town, not at the U.S.-Mexico border. It shows a caravan of migrants from Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and other countries traveling to the border. The group grew to thousands of people as it moved through Mexico.
The photo has been used repeatedly and mislabeled to criticize Democrats’ handling of immigration, USA Today said.
Landscaping company not charging Giuliani
On Nov. 7, 2020, Donald Trump’s personal attorney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani held a news conference outside Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Pennsylvania to dispute the results of the 2020 presidential election.
A recent social media post claims Giuliani still hasn’t paid the bill.
“Hey, @RudyGiuliani looking at our books, we notice that you still owe us for rental of lectern, yard fees, and hors d'oeuvres for ‘all the networks’. Hope this isn't a bad time. Yours etc. FSTL,” reads the Dec. 15 post on X.
But that post is a joke, according to Reuters. It comes from a parody account with the handle @TotalSeasons. The actual account for Four Seasons Total Landscaping is @therealfstl1992.
The satirical post showed up earlier this month after Giuliani was ordered to pay more than $148 million in damages to two women he falsely accused of rigging the 2020 election against Trump.
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com.