A Costco gas pump screen said “Don’t blame us. Blame Joe Biden.”
No, a Costco gas station pump screen did not display a message that said ‘Blame Joe Biden’
If your time is short
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The photograph was digitally altered. The message was not programmed or authorized by Costco, company officials said.
Is Costco trying to avert blame for high fuel prices by telling customers at the pump to blame President Joe Biden?
That’s what one image shared on Facebook purports to show.
“Forget Stickers. Costco just went digital,” read the caption on the May 27 Facebook post along with a picture that supposedly shows a Costco gas pump screen with the message, “Don’t blame us. Blame Joe Biden.” (The sticker comment refers to stickers being placed on gas pumps with Biden’s face that read, “I did that!”)
The 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.)
Our ruling
An image on social media shows a Costco gas pump screen that said “Don’t blame us. Blame Joe Biden.”
The photograph is doctored. Inconsistencies in the image’s digital footprint show that the message was altered, and Costco representatives denied any of its screens were programmed or approved to display the words.
We rate this False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, May 27, 2022
FotoForensics analysis, June 1, 2022
Twitter post, May 30, 2022
Email interview, Muriel Cooper corporate communications at Costco, June 1, 2022
Snopes, Did a Costco Gas Pump Say, ‘Don’t Blame Us. Blame Joe Biden’? May 31, 2022
