FACT CHECK: Deceitful and Misleading Facebook posts flood Social Media after Trump-Acosta incident

by BENJAMIN C. NELSON

Shortly after the Trump Administration revoked the Press Credentials of Jim Acosta from CNN (has since granted them back by Judge Order), two viral Facebook posts flooded the internet - both being false and misleading. Both posts have received thousands of "likes" and "shares" with well over a million views.

CLAIM: In one picture/post, it states, "Remember this during Obama's Criminal Administration?" It was followed with another statement saying, "This is Brenda Lee, a journalist from the George Informer being physically removed from Air Force One in 2009 by Obama's Order. She didn't grab anyone like Jim Acosta did. Brenda was removed from being Pro-Life. Brenda permanently lost her WH Press Credentials.

REALITY/TRUTH: Although the picture in the post is accurate, the description(s) are not. Lee was never on Air Force One during the time of the incident and President Obama was neither aware of what had occurred and the President was not in the vicinity at the time - he didn't order the removal of Brenda Lee. Lee was also not removed for being "pro-life" but instead for failing to adhere to security protocol by the Secret Service.

CLAIM: In another post, a video is shown with the description, "Apparently Obama can kick out a disrespectful reporter out but Trump cannot. Share if the double standard is ridiculous." In the video it shows where President Obama is asking the Secret Service to remove someone who is yelling in the crowd during a speech.

REALITY/TRUTH: Although the video is not altered, the description is entirely false. The video is of when President Obama was giving a speech in 2015 in the White House where a protester (not a reporter) started to heckle from the crowd and yell over the President himself. The Secret Service escorted the individual out.

Both claims have been vetted through the Associated Press, Snopes, and other media/fact checking outlets. NBC Los Angeles also reported on the 2009 incident with Journalist Brenda Lee. The article backs up the fact check and is in direct contradiction to what the false-Facebook post is spreading around.

Please visit the photo gallery of this article to see the pictures of the misleading posts