Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
No, the New York Post didn’t run a ‘You’re Fired’ cover
If Your Time is short
- This is not a real New York Post cover.
- The actual cover on Nov. 4 said: "Nailbiter."
- The cover after the election was called for Joe Biden said: "It’s Joe time."
As the host of "The Apprentice," before he was elected president, Donald Trump would kick contestants off the reality show by saying, "You’re fired."
Trump’s detractors have co-opted the catchphrase since Democrat Joe Biden was projected as the winner of the 2020 presidential race.
The New York Post is not among them, though a fake cover circulating on social media could make you think otherwise.
"My fellow Americans, our long NATIONAL NIGHTMARE is over," reads a quote on the fabricated page, next to a photo of the president walking with his tie undone after a campaign rally in June.
Below the quote — an allusion to Gerald Ford’s speech when he acceded to the presidency in 1974 — the headline "YOU’RE FIRED" appears in all caps.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
"Even the NY Post has turned on him!" wrote one Facebook account sharing the image.
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
The date on the image of the tabloid cover says Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, though news organizations didn’t call the election for Biden until several days later.
The cover also says "FUTURE EDITION," whereas the actual Nov. 4 cover just listed the day, date and weather forecast.
Featured Fact-check
That cover — the real one — read "NAILBITER."
"Trump defies polls, election on razor’s edge," the cover said alongside an image of a woman biting her nails.
On Nov. 8, the day after the race was called for Biden, the cover said: "IT’S JOE TIME."
We rate this Facebook post False.
This fact check is available at IFCN’s 2020 US Elections #Chatbot on WhatsApp. Click here, for more.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Nov. 9, 2020
USA Today, ‘You’re fired’: Thousands taunt Trump with his own catchphrase after election loss, Nov. 7, 2020
The New York Times, Trump, (tie) undone, June 22, 2020
New York Post cover, Nov. 4, 2020
New York Post cover, Nov. 8, 2020
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
No, the New York Post didn’t run a ‘You’re Fired’ cover
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.