MBFC’s Daily Vetted Fact Checks for 05/21/2026

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

TRUE Claim via Social Media: U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said that salaries for members of Congress have been frozen since 2009, and added, “we should at least let them engage in some stock trading so they can continue to, you know, take care of their family.”

Snopes.com rating: True (Correct Attribution)

Did Mike Johnson say members of Congress should be able to ‘engage in some stock trading’? Here’s context

BLATANT
LIE
Claim by Donald Trump (R): Maryland “sent out 500,000 illegal mail-in ballots” to help Democrats win.

AP rating: False (Maryland officials said no illegal ballots were sent; some voters received the wrong party’s primary ballot because of a vendor error, and replacement ballots are being issued while original returned ballots are voided.)

FACT FOCUS: Trump falsely accuses Maryland of sending ‘illegal’ mail-in ballots to voters

Donald Trump Rating

MISLEADING Claim via Social Media: FBI Director Kash Patel snorkeled around the sunken USS Arizona battleship at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, where visitors are banned from diving and swimming, for personal recreation.

Snopes.com rating: Misleading (The claim is misleading because it implies Patel improperly used a restricted memorial site for recreation, while officials confirmed the snorkeling trip was authorized and part of an official visit. However, there is no independent evidence showing whether the trip was recreational or tied to a specific government purpose.)

Did Kash Patel snorkel at Pearl Harbor memorial? We investigated

BLATANT
LIE
Claim by Donald Trump (R): An image shows Joe Biden turned away from Xi Jinping.

AFP Fact Check rating: False (Altered picture)

Altered photos of Biden, Trump with Xi spread online

FALSE (International: India): Indira Gandhi had also appealed to the people not to buy gold.

AFP Fact Check rating: False

Fabricated newspaper front page about gold control measures spreads in India

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.


Do you appreciate our work? Please consider one of the following ways to sustain us.

MBFC Ad-Free

or

MBFC Donation


Follow Media Bias Fact Check:

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mediabiasfactcheck.bsky.social

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Media_Bias_Fact_Check/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mediabiasfactcheck

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MBFC_News

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mediabiasfactcheck

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@mediabiasfactcheck

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mediabiasfactcheck/

Subscribe With Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to MBFC and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 22K other subscribers



Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments