MBFC's Daily Vetted Fact Checks for 08/19/2025

Fact Check Search

Media Bias Fact Check selects and publishes fact checks from around the world. We only utilize fact-checkers that 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

BLATANT LIE	Claim via Social Media: Ronald McDonald, the fast-food mascot, was inspired by a 19th-century serial killer of children. Lead Stories rating: False (AI Origin) Fact Check: Video Does NOT Prove Ronald McDonald Killed Children In 1892
TRUE	Claim via Social Media: U.S. President Donald Trump’s nomination for commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, E.J. Antoni, called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.” Snopes rating: True (Antoni described Social Security as a Ponzi scheme multiple times in late 2023 and 2024, both on social media and in a radio interview. He compared the program to financial frauds like FTX and Bernie Madoff and suggested it should eventually be sunset for future retirees.) Trump’s pick to lead Bureau of Labor Statistics called Social Security a ‘Ponzi scheme’
MOSTLY FALSE	Claim by Greg Abbott (R): “There are no states more gerrymandered than California and Illinois and New York.” FactCheck.org rating: Mostly False (Illinois is among the most skewed states for partisan maps, but California and New York both received favorable grades from nonpartisan groups. California’s citizen-led commission map mainly rewards incumbents, while New York’s court-drawn map is considered one of the most competitive in the country.) Assessing Redistricting Claims from Texas, New York Governors Greg Abbott Rating
BLATANT LIE	Claim via Social Media: An 11-year-old Montana girl named Patricia Harrington stopped a home invasion by fatally shooting two armed immigrants named Ralphel Resindez and Enrico Garza, and Fox News reported on it. Snopes rating: False (The story is a long-debunked hoax. It first appeared in 2007 and has resurfaced repeatedly despite having no basis in fact. No credible news outlet has ever reported it, and reverse-image searches show the widely shared photo does not depict an 11-year-old girl but a woman at a shooting range in Utah. The names and details in the viral post are fabricated.) 11-Year-Old Shoots “Illegals” Rumor
FALSE	(International: Australia): A study found that eating egg yolks reduces the severity of COVID. AAP rating: False (The research was not conducted on humans and no conclusions were reached.) Egg yolk COVID claim not all it’s cracked up to be

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.