Viral image
Viral image
stated on August 15, 2021 in an Instagram post:

Says CNN said “Taliban fighters responsibly wearing masks.”

False

No, CNN didn’t praise the Taliban for wearing masks

If your time is short

  • This image is taken from a satire site.
 
See the sources for this fact-check

Some critics of CNN have recently panned how the network has covered the Taliban’s rapid rise to power in Afghanistan — and CNN has pushed back — but an image that some people have been sharing out of context was created in the name of satire.

It looks like a still from a CNN broadcast from Kabul with this chyron: “Taliban fighters responsibly wearing masks.” 

One person sharing the image on Instagram wrote: “@cnn is praising how responsible the Taliban is for wearing mask.” 

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.)

This image was taken from the Babylon Bee, a satire site. While many posts sharing the image show the site’s logo or name, others don’t and are presenting the joke as fact. It’s not. 

We rate claims otherwise False.

 
Our Sources

No, CNN didn’t praise the Taliban for wearing masks

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