A July 15 Instagram post claimed that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced that the Biden administration would continue to call former President Trump a “threat to democracy” despite recent events. However, this claim is false. Jean-Pierre did not make such a statement during a press briefing. The Instagram post mischaracterized her response to a reporter’s question about the Republican Party’s agenda being a threat to democracy.
In the briefing, Jean-Pierre clarified that the administration would continue to denounce violence and emphasized the importance of speaking about someone’s record and character. She did not use the phrase “threat to democracy” in her response. The post falsely attributed those words to her, causing misinformation to spread on social media.
The post was created in the aftermath of a shooting at a Trump rally which resulted in the death of one person and injuries to others. President Biden called for a reduction in political rhetoric following the incident. Misinformation surrounding the shooting, including false claims about Trump’s injuries and Secret Service agents, has circulated online.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the misleading post but did not receive a response. It is important to fact-check and verify information before sharing it to prevent the spread of misinformation.
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