Says The Washington Times ran a front-page headline that said, “President Gore.”
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No, the Washington Times didn’t run the ‘President Gore’ headline that Trump spokesman shared
If Your Time is short
- The Washington Times said it never published a front-page headline that said, "President Gore."
A spokesperson for President Donald Trump’s campaign shared a fake front page with the banner headline "President Gore" as evidence that the media isn’t always right when it calls an election. Now the president’s supporters have followed suit.
"The media was wrong in 2000," Mathew Staver, the founder of Liberty Counsel, wrote on Facebook, sharing the doctored Washington Times front page. "20 years ago they were wrong. History has a way of repeating itself."
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 fake page has an image of Al Gore from 1997, when he was sworn in for a second term as Bill Clinton’s vice president. Below the words "PRESIDENT GORE," the page says: "Florida pushes Gore over the top with bare majority."
After Trump spokesperson Tim Murtaugh tweeted the image as "a reminder that the media doesn’t select the president," the Washington Times responded.
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"These photos have been doctored," the newspaper tweeted. "The Washington Times never ran a ‘President Gore’ headline." In a second tweet, it added: "Mr. Murtaugh has been officially notified via email about this error."
Murtaugh has since deleted his tweet.
Featured Fact-check
In the 2000 presidential election, some TV news networks called Florida for Gore over George W. Bush, and then, a few hours later, withdrew that projection.
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Our Sources
Facebook post, Nov. 7, 2020
The White House, The 1997 inauguration, visited Nov. 9, 2020
The New York Times, Trump’s campaign headquarters is plastered with a fake front page that says ‘President Gore,’ Nov. 8, 2020
New York Post, Trump campaign touts fake news of Al Gore win in fight for presidency, Nov. 9, 2020
The Washington Times tweet, Nov. 8, 2020
The Washington Times tweet, Nov. 8, 2020
New York, The 2000 election never ended, Nov. 5, 2020
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No, the Washington Times didn’t run the ‘President Gore’ headline that Trump spokesman shared
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