A photo shows Democratic lawmakers wearing clothing and masks with the Nazi swastika.
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
A group of Democratic lawmakers didn’t wear clothing, masks with swastikas. The image is doctored
If Your Time is short
-
The photo is doctored. None of the lawmakers wore anything bearing a resemblance to the Nazi swastika symbol.
Four Democratic congresswomen known as "the squad"— Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — became frequent targets of online misinformation after their wins in the 2018 midterm elections.
And the attacks haven’t stopped.
A photograph of the group, which also includes U.S. Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo. and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., is circulating on social media and shows the women wearing clothing or accessories that appear to have stars in the shape of the Nazi swastika symbol. For Bush and Bowman, the symbol appears on their masks.
The photo 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.)
Featured Fact-check
The photo isn’t genuine. It was manipulated to add the symbols. The colors on the clothing were also doctored.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
The original image was posted on Twitter by Bush on Jan. 3, the day the 117th Congress was sworn in. It shows no signs of any swastikas.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Jan. 11, 2021
Tin Eye, Reverse image search, Jan. 14, 2021
Twitter, Cori Bush post, Jan. 3, 2021
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Samantha Putterman
A group of Democratic lawmakers didn’t wear clothing, masks with swastikas. The image is doctored
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.