Facts Matter: All versions of Trump mug shot are fake
Former President Donald Trump was charged Tuesday in a New York City criminal court with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Shortly afterward, a purported mug shot of Trump appeared on social media.
There actually were different versions of a booking photo of the 45th president appearing online. In some he wore a suit and tie, in others he was dressed in an orange jumpsuit or a black T-shirt.
But none of the mug shots are real, according to The Associated Press. After the arraignment, Trump was booked and fingerprinted, but his photo was not taken.
The fake mug shots, which showed up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, were circulating before Trump was charged. Some included backgrounds with a height chart, while others were blank or had random numbers.
Trump's campaign also created a fake mug shot, showing the former president in front of a height chart and behind a placard. The image was displayed on a T-shirt, with the words "NOT GUILTY."
Sam Gregory, executive director at the nonprofit group Witness, told the AP the fake images contribute to misinformation online.
"Like other manipulated media, the speed of sharing exceeds the speed of fact-checking," he said. "People share what they want to believe."
Biden clip unrelated to Trump indictment
A video circulating on social media appears to show President Joe Biden claiming he was responsible for the recent indictment of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
"And there it is - he said the quiet part out loud. Biden all but confirmed that his team is coordinating these Trump indictments to 'stop Trump from taking power again,'" read a tweet that included the clip.
The video is authentic; it's taken from a Nov. 9, 2022, news conference at the White House, according to The Associated Press. But it's taken out of context. Biden wasn't speaking about Trump being charged with a crime.
During that event, a reporter, bringing up a G-7 conversation that focused on Trump's administration, asked Biden how he can assure his predecessor won't retake power in the U.S.
"Well, we just have to demonstrate that he will not take power by - if we - if he does run," Biden said. "I'm making sure he, under legitimate efforts of our Constitution, does not become the next president again."
Protester's release not due to video
Among the rioters convicted and sent to prison for their part in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building was the QAnon Shaman, whose real name is Jacob Chansley.
On Nov. 17, 2021, Chansley pleaded guilty to obstruction and was sentenced to 41 months in prison and required to pay $2,000 in restitution. He was released early to a halfway house on March 28.
During a broadcast of his show, Fox News host Tucker Carlson had aired security footage from the insurrection claiming those who breached the Capitol were there as "sightseers."
"The tapes show the Capitol police never stopped Jacob Chansley. They helped him. They acted as his tour guides," Carlson said.
Some social media users gave Carlson credit for Chansley's release.
"Q Shaman has been RELEASED following video evidence showing that January 6 was a hoax & inside job!" read one Facebook post.
But the release was part of Chansley's plea agreement and prison protocols, FactCheck.org notes. The security tapes didn't have anything to do with it.
"The release of Mr. Chansley was solely a decision of the Bureau of Prisons and was based on the plea agreement, sentence and the protocols of the Bureau of Prisons," Albert Watkins, a lawyer who represented Chansley during the trial, told FactCheck.org. "It was a decision which was part of an established protocol in place since well prior to the release of the videos."
Chansley is projected to be released from the halfway house on May 25.
Griner photos aren't new
WNBA star Brittney Griner was detained in Russia last year after she was charged with having cannabis oil in her luggage while in the country to play basketball. In December she was released and returned to the U.S. as part of a prisoner swap.
On April 1, a Facebook post claimed: "Brittney Griner's shocking detention photos leaked online. Fans are pleading for better treatment."
But the photos "aren't new and they weren't leaked," according to PolitiFact.
The photo included in the post is an actual photo of Griner taken in June in Moscow during a court hearing by photographer Kirill Kudryavstev for Agence France-Presse.
That photo, and others from the event, were widely published by news organizations at the time.
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com.