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Viral image
Viral image
stated on January 29, 2021 in a Facebook post:

Photo shows Rachel Levine’s family.

Pants on Fire!

No, this isn’t a photo of Rachel Levine’s family

If your time is short

  • This photo has been doctored.
 
See the sources for this fact-check

President Joe Biden has tapped Rachel Levine, a pediatrician and Pennsylvania’s health secretary, as his assistant secretary of health. If her nomination succeeds, Levine would become the first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the U.S. Senate. It has also inspired transphobic attacks against her

One doctored photo that’s spreading on social media wrongly says the image shows Levine and her family. The photo of three people standing arm in arm has been altered to look like Levine is in the center holding a dog. 

A description at the top of the photo reads, with typos: “Biden’s new overweight transgender health secretary and her/his healthy family. Dr. Rachel Levine, she will be in charged of our healthy lifestyle. Congratulations America!!”

This post 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.)

The original photo shows Philip Chawner flanked by his daughters, Samantha and Emma. The British family appeared on a reality weight loss show called “Lorraine Kelly’s Big Fat Challenge.” 

Before being tapped for the Biden administration, Levine garnered national attention for her work overseeing Pennsylvania’s coronavirus response in the face of repeated attacks on her gender identity.

We rate this Facebook post Pants on Fire.

 

No, this isn’t a photo of Rachel Levine’s family

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on January 7, 2026 a press briefing

stated on January 14, 2026 a statement

Social Media
stated on February 14, 2026 social media posts



stated on January 20, 2026 an op-ed


Donald Trump
stated on February 3, 2026 remarks in the Oval Office


Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 social media posts





Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on stated on November 17, 2025 in remarks at George Washington University:

Donald Trump
stated on February 2, 2026 an interview with Dan Bongino