Media Offenders

Lie

OUTLET

Associated Press

REPORTER

Ali Swenson, Lauran Neergaard

CLAIM

Trump makes unfounded claims about Tylenol and repeats discredited link between vaccines and autism

CATEGORY

False Claim, Lie, Malpractice

THE OFFENSE

The Associated Press accused President Trump of misleading the public by drawing attention to evidence linking Tylenol use during pregnancy and children developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

THE TRUTH

There is extensive evidence linking Tylenol use to ASD, including a 2025 Harvard study, a 2019 Johns Hopkins study and a 2021 international consensus statement calling for women to “minimize exposure” to acetaminophen during pregnancy.

KEY POINTS

• The Associated Press omitted scientific studies that support President Trump’s claim in order to construct a narrative he’d misled the public.

SOURCES

• Trump makes unfounded claims about Tylenol and repeats discredited link between vaccines and autism
• Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's Statement
• Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology
• Taking Tylenol during pregnancy associated with elevated risks for autism, ADHD
• Paracetamol use during pregnancy – a call for precautionary action
• President Trump, Secretary Kennedy Announce Bold Actions to Tackle Autism Epidemic
OUTLET

The BBC

REPORTER

The BBC Staff

CLAIM

BBC apologizes to Trump over misleading edit, but rejects basis for defamation claim

CATEGORY

Lie, Omission of context

THE OFFENSE

The BBC released a doctored video of President Trump’s speech on January 6th, 2021.

THE TRUTH

By the BBC’s own admission, the broadcaster edited the speech in a misleading manner that “gave the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.” The bogus video led to the ouster of (now former) BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness. It also led to BBC Chair Samir Shah sending a personal letter to the White House apologizing on behalf of the BBC for the deceitful video edit.

KEY POINTS

• The BBC deceptively edited a video to misrepresent President Trump’s statements and help craft a narrative opposing him.

SOURCES

• BBC apologizes to Trump over its misleading edit, but says there’s no basis for a defamation claim
• Panorama – Trump: A Second Chance?
• BBC director general and News CEO resign over Trump documentary edit
OUTLET

The Washington Post

REPORTER

Michelle Boorstein, Tara Copp

CLAIM

U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols

CATEGORY

Lie

THE OFFENSE

The Washington Post’s Tara Copp and Michelle Boorstein published an article claiming that The U.S. Coast Guard would no longer classify the swastika, nooses, and the confederate flag as hate symbols.

THE TRUTH

The Washington Post’s claim isn’t remotely true, and they posted the article without official comment from the Coast Guard. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Copp and Boorstein’s article is “unequivocally false.”

KEY POINTS

• The Washington Post released a fake story about Coast Guard policy without confirmation or comment from the department.

SOURCES

• U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
• Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin's Statement
OUTLET

KTLA

REPORTER

Lily Dallow

CLAIM

L.A. mother says she was taken to U.S. border, being held until she self-deports

CATEGORY

Bias, Lie

THE OFFENSE

KTLA’s Lily Dallow published an article that blindly accepted the claims of a Los Angeles woman who said she’d been kidnapped by ICE.

THE TRUTH

The entire story was fabricated. The Los Angeles woman – Yuriana Calderon – was never in ICE custody and instead made up the kidnapping story to generate public sympathy and solicit donations.

KEY POINTS

• An illegal immigrant told an elaborate lie meant to demonize law enforcement.
• KTLA eagerly spread the story without confirming its credibility.

SOURCES

• White House Response
• KTLA Article
• Mexican National Charged in Federal Criminal Complaint with Staging Fake Immigration ‘Kidnapping’
OUTLET

NBC News

REPORTER

Didi Martinez, Julia Ainsley, Laura Strickler

CLAIM

Immigrants in overcapacity ICE detention say they’re hungry, raise food quality concerns

CATEGORY

Lie

THE OFFENSE

NBC News published an article in which detainees and so-called “immigration advocates” complained about food quality and overcrowding in ICE facilities.

THE TRUTH

The Department of Homeland Security has thoroughly debunked this. No ICE detainee is subject to a lack of food or subprime living conditions.

KEY POINTS

• NBC News published false reports from criminal illegal aliens as fact, ignoring the facts outlined by DHS, and contributed to a false narrative that has driven a 1,000% increase in violence against ICE agents.

SOURCES

• Immigrants in overcapacity ICE detention say they're hungry, raise food quality concerns
• DHS Debunks Georgia Senator’s False Allegations About ICE Detention Centers
OUTLET

CNN

REPORTER

Natasha Bertrand

CLAIM

Exclusive: Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, sources say

CATEGORY

Bias, Lie

THE OFFENSE

CNN’s Natasha Bertrand – the same “journalist” who reported the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation and the COVID lab leak was a conspiracy theory – published an inaccurate preliminary threat assessment downplaying the damage from U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

THE TRUTH

At President Trump’s direction, the U.S. military totally obliterated Iran’s nuclear program, the Israel Atomic Energy Commission finding “the devastating US strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable,” and Iran’s own Foreign Ministry spokesman admitting their “nuclear installations have been badly damaged.”

KEY POINTS

• ake news journalist Natasha Bertrand published a confidential and inaccurate assessment of Operation Midnight Hammer.

SOURCES

• Exclusive: Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, sources say
• Special counsel plans to use infamous Hunter Biden laptop as evidence at gun trial
• Top US intel agency rules out ‘manmade’ theory of coronavirus origins
• Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Have Been Obliterated — and Suggestions Otherwise are Fake News

Lie

Trump makes unfounded claims about Tylenol and repeats discredited link between vaccines and autism

BBC apologizes to Trump over misleading edit, but rejects basis for defamation claim

U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols

L.A. mother says she was taken to U.S. border, being held until she self-deports

Immigrants in overcapacity ICE detention say they’re hungry, raise food quality concerns

Exclusive: Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, sources say