Four Democratic congresswomen known as “the squad”— Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — became frequent targets of online misinformation after their wins in the 2018 midterm elections.
And the attacks haven’t stopped.
A photograph of the group, which also includes U.S. Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo. and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., is circulating on social media and shows the women wearing clothing or accessories that appear to have stars in the shape of the Nazi swastika symbol. For Bush and Bowman, the symbol appears on their masks.
The photo 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 photo isn’t genuine. It was manipulated to add the symbols. The colors on the clothing were also doctored.
The original image was posted on Twitter by Bush on Jan. 3, the day the 117th Congress was sworn in. It shows no signs of any swastikas.
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The photo is doctored. None of the lawmakers wore anything bearing a resemblance to the Nazi swastika symbol.
Statement
Context
a Facebook postSpeaker/Target
Statement Date
Our Sources
Facebook post, Jan. 11, 2021
Tin Eye, Reverse image search, Jan. 14, 2021
Twitter, Cori Bush post, Jan. 3, 2021
Translations
Language: en