Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

More Info

I would like to contribute

$
Bloggers
Bloggers
stated on April 4, 2018 in a fake news blog post:

“YouTube witness makes shocking admission on live TV. CNN pulls plug immediately”

Pants on Fire!
By Jon Greenberg
April 6, 2018

Fake news says CNN “pulled the plug” during YouTube shooting coverage

The day after a woman opened fire at the YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, Calif., Facebook users flagged a post on the Daily Vine website with the headline, “Whoa! YouTube witness makes shocking admission on live TV! CNN pulls plug immediately!”

The “admission” in the post was an employee at YouTube telling a Fox News affiliate reporter, “I didn’t have a gun on me, but I wish I did.” Here’s a screenshot of the video.

Google Docs Image

It’s important to note the time in the upper left corner: 2:03 p.m. Pacific time.

Now, here’s the screenshot of CNN in the Daily Vine piece.

Google Docs Image

The time stamp is 1:46 p.m. Pacific time, or about 15 minutes before the clip that CNN purportedly masked with a faux breakdown in its video feed.

So the clips don’t match up.

In addition, the clip of the eyewitness appeared on Fox News, not CNN.

Just to be complete, we used the real-time television recording service TVEyes to watch CNN’s coverage for the full minute of 1:46 p.m. PT. The network was interviewing an expert named Josh Campbell, and there was no technical interruption, and no break in the video feed.

What we have seems to be nothing more than some basic use of photo editing and a completely false headline.

This is a fine example of Pants on Fire fake news.

Share the Facts
1
1
7

PolitiFact rating logo PolitiFact Rating:

Pants on Fire

“YouTube witness makes shocking admission on live TV. CNN pulls plug immediately”
On a fake news website
Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Our Sources

Daily Vine, Whoa! YouTube witness makes shocking admission on live TV! CNN pulls plug immediately!, April 4, 2018

TVEyes, media monitoring, accessed April 6, 2018

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Jon Greenberg
Tucker Carlson
stated on November 8, 2022 election night coverage on Fox News
“Electronic voting machines didn't allow people to vote” in Maricopa County, Arizona.
False
Tim Ryan
stated on November 1, 2022 a town hall event
“J.D. Vance said nothing about” the attack on Paul Pelosi.
False
Mark Kelly
stated on October 26, 2022 a newspaper interview
Blake Masters “wants to privatize” Social Security.
Mostly False
Tim Ryan
stated on September 27, 2022 a campaign ad
“I voted with Trump on trade.”
Mostly True
Mark Finchem
stated on September 22, 2022 a Secretary of State debate
Ballot harvesting “altered the outcome” of a city council election in Yuma County, Arizona.
False
Hillary Clinton
stated on September 6, 2022 a tweet.
“I had zero emails that were classified.”
Half-True

Bob Good makes misleading comments about ‘army’ of IRS agents

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