PeakMetrics / Fact Checks
Politics & government fact checks
Explore claims publishers have checked about politics & government. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.
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Search by text or image12,754 published reviews in this topic
Eine Rede des damaligen US-Präsidenten John F. Kennedy habe ihn das Leben gekostet, wird als Behauptung über soziale Medien verbreitet (archivierter Post, archiviertes Video). Der im Jahr 1963 ermordete Politiker habe zu der Sorte Mensch gehört, die «tiefliegende Ungerechtigkeit erkennen» würden und auch den Mut hätten, dagegen vorzugehen. Eine Rede, die er am 12. September 1962 an der Rice University in Houston, Texas, gehalten haben soll, habe deshalb ein Jahr später zu seiner Ermordung geführt - denn er habe sich «mit den Mächtigsten angelegt».
Publisher’s rating: In der zitierten Rede spricht Kennedy über die Gefahren des Kommunismus, nicht von einer undefinierten Gruppe der «Mächtigsten». Außerdem wurde sie nicht, wie behauptet, im Jahr 1962 an der Rice University gehalten, sondern am 27. April 1961 in New York.
The viral post presents edited excerpts of a John F. Kennedy speech as evidence that he confronted powerful people and that the speech led to his assassination. It attributes the speech to a September 12, 1962 appearance at Rice University in Houston. The review distinguishes the audio’s actual source from that alleged setting: the excerpts come from Kennedy’s April 27, 1961 address, “The President and the Press,” to the American Newspaper Publishers Association in New York. The review notes that Kennedy did speak at Rice on September 12, 1962, but says that address was about the United States taking a leading role in space research, not the subject of the circulated audio. It describes the social-media audio as short excerpts carefully cut together, with terms such as “secret societies,” “conspiracy” and “infiltration” made to suggest a different context. In the full 1961 address, the review says, Kennedy was discussing Cold War dangers and communism, not a secret world order or an undefined group of powerful people. The reported context was the recent Bay of Pigs invasion, which the CIA had planned in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s Cuban government. Kennedy addressed the press, indirectly referring to recent events and calling on journalists to voluntarily censor themselves during a crisis. This context supports the review’s account of what the speech concerned; the supplied text does not establish that the speech caused Kennedy’s assassination.
Auf Facebook wird in einem Posting (hier archiviert) ein Foto von Bundeskanzler Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) geteilt, auf dem er zwischen zwei Jugendlichen vor einer McDonald's-Filiale steht. Das Foto soll angeblich während der Corona-Pandemie entstanden sein, im Text dazu heißt es: «Na was sagt man dazu, der Messias höchst persönlich ohne Maske ohne Abstand und mit Körperkontakt» (sic!). In manchen Beiträgen steht, dass das Foto am 31. Oktober in Graz entstanden sein soll.
Publisher’s rating: Das ist falsch. Das Foto entstand am 27. September 2019. Das Restaurant befindet sich nicht in Graz, sondern in St. Lorenzen im Mürztal.
The post presented a photograph of Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz standing with two young people outside a McDonald’s as if it showed pandemic-era conduct without a mask or physical distancing. Some versions also said the photo was taken on 31 October in Graz. The review investigated both the photograph’s location and when Kurz visited the restaurant. To identify the location, the investigators compared visible features in the image with Google Maps imagery. They reported that the restaurant was in St. Lorenzen im Mürztal: the green sign bearing house number 1, wooden beams beside the entrance, white canopy, white panel, and bush matched that branch. The review says none of the McDonald’s restaurants in Graz had the same appearance. For the date, McDonald’s Austria’s spokesperson told dpa by email, after checking with the St. Lorenzen franchisee, that Kurz had visited on 27 September 2019. A spokesperson for Kurz also placed the visit on his return from a 2019 election campaign event in Upper Styria, said he had personally been there, and recalled people asking for selfies and taking pictures. This account places the image before the pandemic measures cited in the review, rather than on 31 October 2020.
Turkey’s President refused to shake hands with France President Macron
Publisher’s rating: FALSE
FACTLY examined a social-media image said to show Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan refusing a handshake offered by French President Emmanuel Macron. The review says the image was actually taken during the United Nations General Assembly session in New York in 2018, and that the two leaders did shake hands at their meeting there. To investigate the image’s origins, FACTLY reports conducting a reverse image search, which led to a similar Getty Images photograph. Getty’s description placed that photograph at the UN General Assembly session on 25 September 2018, when Macron met Erdoğan. FACTLY then found another Getty image with the same description and photo credits, this time showing the leaders shaking hands, and inferred both images were taken during the same meeting. The review also says a search using relevant keywords led to a 26 September 2018 post from Turkey’s Directorate of Communications showing Erdoğan shaking hands with Macron. The review connects that post’s date and New York location to the UN General Assembly meeting. On this evidence, it concludes that the circulated image was from 2018 and did not show Erdoğan refusing Macron’s handshake.
“Kamala Harris y el romance extramarital que lanzó su carrera”
Publisher’s rating: Falso
भाजपा सांसद ज्योतिरादित्य सिंधिया ने भरी सभा में “जय जय कमलनाथ” के नारे लगाये
Publisher’s rating: False
Joe Biden’s tweet mocking Indian Media
Publisher’s rating: FALSE
The claim concerns a screenshot presented as a tweet by then-President-elect Joe Biden, saying Indian media routinely portrayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lies as a “masterstroke.” FACTLY investigated whether Biden had actually posted it. The review reports that it searched Biden’s official Twitter account and did not find the tweet; it also says Biden had made no recent comments about Modi or Indian media on his social media handles. These checks address the claim’s central question: whether the post came from Biden’s account. (S1: “On searching for the tweet in the post on the official Twitter account of Joe Biden, we couldn’t find any such tweet.”) The review identifies a specific discrepancy in the screenshot: the visible account name was @CrypticMiind, while Biden’s official handle was @JoeBiden. FACTLY says the account that posted the tweet was a Biden fan-page parody account, and notes that Twitter had temporarily suspended it. This account-provenance evidence is why the screenshot does not establish that Biden made the statement. (S1: “the user id (@CrypticMiind) visible on the tweet shared in the post is different from the user id (@JoeBiden) of Joe Biden’s official Twitter handle.”) Taken together, the account mismatch and the review’s search of Biden’s official account support the conclusion that the circulating tweet was posted by a parody account, not Biden. The excerpt does not provide the original tweet’s URL or an archived copy of the post, so those details cannot be independently assessed from the supplied material.
Bei Protesten von Gegnern der staatlichen Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung der Corona-Pandemie werden regelmäßig die Teilnehmerzahlen maßlos überhöht. Das war etwa im Sommer in Berlin zu beobachten, aktuell auch bei der «Querdenken»-Demonstration in Leipzig am 7. November. «Über 1 Mio. Menschen heute in Leipzig», heißt es etwa in einem Facebook-Post (hier archiviert).
Publisher’s rating: Falsch. Selbst die Veranstalter gehen nur von einigen Zehntausend aus.
The claim concerns the «Querdenken» demonstration in central Leipzig on 7 November 2020, where a Facebook post asserted that more than one million people were present. The review compared that figure with estimates from the police, an academic research group, and the event’s own organizers. Those sources all described a crowd in the tens of thousands, not more than a million. The police reported 20,000 people on Augustusplatz that evening. The University of Leipzig research group «Durchgezählt» estimated 45,000 for the demonstration as a whole. The review explains that the researchers estimated how many people stood per square metre and related that estimate to the area of Augustusplatz and adjoining areas. The organizers’ own statement cited an estimate of 40,000 to 50,000 participants by independent institutions. The account also gives context for the event: the city ended the demonstration after violations of its conditions, including failures to observe mask and distancing requirements. Participants later forced their way onto the Leipzig Ring; the review reports pyrotechnics at a police cordon and scuffles. These details describe the same demonstration, but the central evidence against the Facebook figure is the stark difference between the post’s claim and the reported estimates, including the organizers’ own cited range.
Rund 20 000 Menschen sind am 7. November in Leipzig gegen die Corona-Maßnahmen der Bundesregierung auf die Straße gegangen - und haben dabei unzählig gegen geltende Hygieneregeln verstoßen. Ein in sozialen Medien verbreitetes Foto großer Menschenmassen (hier archivierter Post) soll wohl den Anschein erwecken, noch viel mehr Protestierende seien bei der «Querdenken»-Demonstration in der Messestadt dabei gewesen.
Publisher’s rating: Falsch. Das Foto zeigt regierungskritische Proteste in Warschau am 30. Oktober.
The claim concerns a photo circulated as evidence of the crowd at the 7 November 2020 Querdenken demonstration in Leipzig. The review identifies the scene in the image as a protest in Warsaw, Poland, rather than the Leipzig event. It reports that the Warsaw gathering took place on 30 October, amid demonstrations against the tightening of Poland’s abortion restrictions. The review describes two visual checks supporting that identification. First, Warsaw’s 237-metre Palace of Culture is visible in the image. Second, a Getty Images photograph by Omar Marques, identified as taken in Warsaw on 30 October, shows the same scene from the same perspective; the position of buses is given as a point of comparison. Reuters also illustrated its report on that evening’s Warsaw protests with a similar photograph. The review distinguishes the image’s actual setting from the separate Leipzig demonstration. Police said at least 20,000 people gathered at Augustusplatz, while the initiative Durchgezählt estimated up to 45,000 in total. The Leipzig event began largely peacefully, according to the review, but the city later ended the gathering because many attendees were not wearing masks and were not keeping the required distance. The photo’s Warsaw provenance therefore does not establish the size or appearance of the Leipzig crowd.
अमेरिकेचे नवे राष्ट्राध्यक्ष जो बायडन यांच्या शपथविधी कार्यक्रमाला भारताचे माजी पंतप्रधान डॉ. मनमोहन सिंग यांना प्रमुख पाहुणे म्हणून बोलवण्यात आलं आहे
Publisher’s rating: Claim is False
the Facebook page „მოგი*ყანთ ოპოზიცია“ (F*ck Your Opposition) shared the video of Nika Melia, a member of the opposition party National Movement that was uploaded on June 21, 2019. Said video was shared with the following words: “Standpoint of Traitors of the Country”. Video shows Nika Melia being interviewed by TV “Rustavi 2” in the Parliament chamber. Video footage has a logo of "Rustavi 2" that dates back to June 20, 2019. In an 8-seconds long video Melia states the following: “ Everybody already knows that Abkhazia and Samachablo are both sovereign states and should be completely under the influence of Russia…”.
Publisher’s rating: A video disseminated by the "F*ck Your Opposition” is manipulation because Nika Melia’s quote is incomplete and is disseminated without context. In reality, a complete version of the video shows that Nika Melia uses these words to demonstrate Russian Duma MP Sergei Gavrilov’s attitude towards Georgia. Melia commented on the protest over the June 20, 2019 appearance of a Russian MP in the parliament of Georgia.
ფეისბუქ-გვერდმა „მოგი*ყანთ ოპოზიცია“ 2019 წლის 21 ივნისს ატვირთული ოპოზიციური პარტია ნაციონალური მოძრაობის წევრის ნიკა მელიას ვიდეო, შემდეგი სიტყვებით გააზიარა: „ქვეყნის გამყიდველების პოზიცია“. ვიდეოში ჩანს ნიკა მელია, რომელიც პარლამენტის სხდომათა დარბაზში ტელეკომპანია “რუსთავი 2”-ს ინტერვიუეს აძლევს. ვიდეო კადრზე განთავსებულია “რუსთავი 2”-ის ლოგო, რომელიც 2019 წლის 20 ივნისით არის დათარიღებული. 8-წამიან ვიდეოში მელია შემდეგ სიტყვებს ამბობს: „უკვე ყველამ ვიცით, რომ აფხაზეთი და სამაჩაბლო არის, ერთიც და მეორეც დამოუკიდებელი სახელმწიფო და რუსეთის გავლენა მთლიანად უნდა გავრცელდეს...“
Publisher’s rating: „მოგიტ*ანთ ოპოზიციას“ მიერ გავრცელებული ვიდეო მანიპულაციურია, რადგან ნიკა მელიას ციტატა არასრულად, უკონტექსტოდ ვრცელდება. რეალურად ვიდეოს სრულ ვერსიაში ჩანს, რომ ნიკა მელია ამ სიტყვებს რუსეთის დუმის დეპუტატის სერგეი გავრილოვის საქართველოსადმი დამოკიდებულების წარმოსაჩენად იყენებს. მელიას კომენტარი 2019 წლის 20 ივნისს რუსი დეპუტატის საქართველოს პარლამენტში სტუმრობით გამოწვეულ პროტესტთან დაკავშირებით გააკეთა.
President Rodrigo Duterte says he can still do something to reduce corruption before his term ends in June 2022.
Publisher’s rating: Flipflop
ಉತ್ತರ ಪ್ರದೇಶದ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಯೋಗಿ ಆದಿತ್ಯನಾಥ್ರವರ ಭಾಷಣಕ್ಕೆ ಬಿಹಾರದ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾದು ಕೂತಿರುವ ಜನಸ್ತೋಮ
Publisher’s rating: FALSE
Por primera vez, no perdimos contiendas en la Cámara
Publisher’s rating: Falso
Biden’s energy plan would get rid of seniors’ air conditioning, heat and electricity
Publisher’s rating: Not Legit
Donald Trump called for the assassination of Joe Biden
Publisher’s rating: Not Legit
The review says The Lincoln Project used a video in which Trump referred to Biden as “shot” to suggest he was calling for Biden’s assassination. It says that in the context of Trump’s full remarks, he meant Biden would have to step down because of mental deterioration if elected, and that Kamala Harris would become president.
a Facebook page “მოგიტ*ანთ ოპოზიცია” (Fu** your opposition) shared a video, uploaded on its page on November 17, 2019, with a following description: “Vashadze’s address to the people”. The 16-second-long video shows how Grigol Vashadze speaks to journalists at a protest demonstration on November 17, 2019. In the video, Vashadze says: “Pardon my vocabulary, but I do not give a damn about the opinions of oppositional parties, non-governmental organizations, opinions of citizens – you will go on a hunger strike and you will be rightless for as long as we want to, that is it.”
Publisher’s rating: The video disseminated by “Fu** your opposition” is manipulative, as Grigol Vashadze’s quote is presented incompletely, outside of its original context. The page cut a 16-second segment from Vashadze’s three-minute-long speech – something that changes the meaning of the words said in the original video. In fact, Grigol Vashadze does not address the people with these words – he uses these words to express the attitude of Bidzina Ivanishvili towards the citizens of Georgia. The widespread video aims to discredit Grigol Vashadze and the United National Movement.