MBFC's Daily Vetted Fact Checks for 01/24/2025

Media Bias Fact Check selects and publishes fact checks from around the world. We only utilize fact-checkers who are either a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) or have been verified as credible by MBFC. Further, we review each fact check for accuracy before publishing. We fact-check the fact-checkers and let you know their bias. When appropriate, we explain the rating and/or offer our own rating if we disagree with the fact-checker. (D. Van Zandt)

Claim Codes: Red = Fact Check on a Right Claim, Blue = Fact Check on a Left Claim, Black = Not Political/Conspiracy/Pseudoscience/Other

Fact Checker bias rating Codes: Red = Right-Leaning, Green = Least Biased, Blue = Left-Leaning, Black = Unrated by MBFC

FALSE	Claim by Donald Trump Jr.: California wildfires have “nothing to do with climate change.” Politifact rating: False (High temperatures dried out the vegetation surrounding Los Angeles, which fueled the wildfires. About one-quarter of the dryness can be attributed to climate change, a preliminary report from University of California, Los Angeles found. Other factors that fueled the blaze, such as the unusually high winds, were likely not caused by climate change, the report said.) Los Angeles wildfires were worsened by climate change, despite claim to the contrary
BLATANT LIE	Claim via Social Media: Purports to show a plane helping fight the recent fires in California catch fire, then crash Check Your Fact rating: False (This happened in Chile and is unrelated to the California fires.) FACT CHECK: X Video Shows Plane Crash, Catch Fire In Chile, Is Not Linked To California
FALSE	Claim via Social Media: After the inauguration, Meta forced users to follow President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Politifact rating: False (When presidential power transfers, the former administration’s social media accounts are archived, and the usernames are passed on to the new administration. This applies only to official government accounts and not personal accounts. After President Donald Trump was sworn in, the @potus accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads were transferred to him. Former President Joe Biden’s presidential accounts were archived. People previously following @potus under Biden will continue to follow the government account under Trump, unless they decide to unfollow or block it.) No, Meta isn’t forcing users to follow Trump. Here’s how the social media power transfer works
FALSE	Claim via Social Media: A post shared on X claims that terrorists have never targeted the U.S. government. Check Your Fact rating: False (Terrorists have targeted the government. For example, the Pentagon on Sept 11.) FACT CHECK: Terrorists Have Attacked The Government
BLATANT LIE	Claim via Social Media: Investigators have been unable to unlock the phone of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, as of January 6, 2025. Lead Stories rating: False (The phone was unlocked in July 2024.) Fact Check: FBI DID Unlock Phone Of Alleged Trump Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, In July 2024
FALSE	(International: Australia): A photo depicts a battered solar farm in northern Queensland after recent wild weather. AAP FactCheck Rating: False (The claim is inaccurate. The image is from a 2018 photo of a solar facility in Puerto Rico, edited to resemble a news report using a fake news generator. It does not depict any Queensland solar farm, and there are no credible reports of such damage in Queensland.) No, Queensland solar farm not ‘smashed’ by wild weather

Disclaimer: We are providing links to fact-checks by third-party fact-checkers. If you do not agree with a fact check, please directly contact the source of that fact check.