Bill McCarthy
@billmccarthy.bsky.social
Senior digital investigation journalist covering online mis- and disinformation for AFP • Formerly with PolitiFact and the Raleigh News & Observer • Duke alum • “The internet folks” - Stephen Colbert
https://factcheck.afp.com/Bill-MCCARTHY
https://factcheck.afp.com/Bill-MCCARTHY
Pinned
Bill McCarthy
@billmccarthy.bsky.social
· May 21
Trump Displays DRC Visual As Proof Of South African 'Genocide'
US President Donald Trump brandished a stack of printed articles at the White House Wednesday that he claimed documented a genocide taking place against white people in South Africa.
www.barrons.com
“Look, here's burial sites all over the place. These are all white farmers that are being buried,” Donald Trump said during today’s White House meeting with South Africa’s president.
The image he was holding up, however, is of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-d...
The image he was holding up, however, is of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-d...
Right-wing influencers amplified a fake Islamic State group statement about Zohran Mamdani's election.
The fabricated message had not appeared on official IS channels and did not resemble the group's authentic communications, multiple experts told me.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
The fabricated message had not appeared on official IS channels and did not resemble the group's authentic communications, multiple experts told me.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
November 10, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Right-wing influencers amplified a fake Islamic State group statement about Zohran Mamdani's election.
The fabricated message had not appeared on official IS channels and did not resemble the group's authentic communications, multiple experts told me.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
The fabricated message had not appeared on official IS channels and did not resemble the group's authentic communications, multiple experts told me.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
US President Donald Trump shared a made-up headline about Barack Obama that originated with "America's Last Line of Defense," a network of satire sites run by internet troll Christopher Blair, who has said his fictional stories are intended to dupe and mock conservatives.
November 10, 2025 at 5:16 PM
US President Donald Trump shared a made-up headline about Barack Obama that originated with "America's Last Line of Defense," a network of satire sites run by internet troll Christopher Blair, who has said his fictional stories are intended to dupe and mock conservatives.
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
🇺🇸 US President Donald Trump has granted sweeping pardons to top allies accused of attempting to subvert the 2020 election, the administration's pardon attorney Ed Martin said.
➡️ u.afp.com/Sni6
➡️ u.afp.com/Sni6
November 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM
🇺🇸 US President Donald Trump has granted sweeping pardons to top allies accused of attempting to subvert the 2020 election, the administration's pardon attorney Ed Martin said.
➡️ u.afp.com/Sni6
➡️ u.afp.com/Sni6
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
Meta's fraud problem: The social media giant projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, documents seen by @Reuters show reut.rs/4qJTpdH
November 6, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Meta's fraud problem: The social media giant projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, documents seen by @Reuters show reut.rs/4qJTpdH
This video of a person tearing down American and United Nations flags has nothing to do with Zohran Mamdani's election this week as New York City mayor.
The clip is from a pro-Palestinian protest in 2023.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
The clip is from a pro-Palestinian protest in 2023.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
November 6, 2025 at 6:51 PM
This video of a person tearing down American and United Nations flags has nothing to do with Zohran Mamdani's election this week as New York City mayor.
The clip is from a pro-Palestinian protest in 2023.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
The clip is from a pro-Palestinian protest in 2023.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
THREAD:
My team @factcheck.afp.com has been tracking and debunking misinformation surrounding yesterday's elections in New York, Virginia and other US states.
See something that needs a fact-check? Let us know.
1/
My team @factcheck.afp.com has been tracking and debunking misinformation surrounding yesterday's elections in New York, Virginia and other US states.
See something that needs a fact-check? Let us know.
1/
November 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM
THREAD:
My team @factcheck.afp.com has been tracking and debunking misinformation surrounding yesterday's elections in New York, Virginia and other US states.
See something that needs a fact-check? Let us know.
1/
My team @factcheck.afp.com has been tracking and debunking misinformation surrounding yesterday's elections in New York, Virginia and other US states.
See something that needs a fact-check? Let us know.
1/
THREAD:
My team @factcheck.afp.com has been tracking and debunking misinformation surrounding yesterday's elections in New York, Virginia and other US states.
See something that needs a fact-check? Let us know.
1/
My team @factcheck.afp.com has been tracking and debunking misinformation surrounding yesterday's elections in New York, Virginia and other US states.
See something that needs a fact-check? Let us know.
1/
November 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM
THREAD:
My team @factcheck.afp.com has been tracking and debunking misinformation surrounding yesterday's elections in New York, Virginia and other US states.
See something that needs a fact-check? Let us know.
1/
My team @factcheck.afp.com has been tracking and debunking misinformation surrounding yesterday's elections in New York, Virginia and other US states.
See something that needs a fact-check? Let us know.
1/
This post shared repeatedly in Elon Musk's "Election Integrity Community" on X claims to show "suspicious" Democrats caught "carrying around ballots in a taxi."
But the video is, in fact, from Quebec during Canada's elections in April.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
But the video is, in fact, from Quebec during Canada's elections in April.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
November 5, 2025 at 5:32 PM
This post shared repeatedly in Elon Musk's "Election Integrity Community" on X claims to show "suspicious" Democrats caught "carrying around ballots in a taxi."
But the video is, in fact, from Quebec during Canada's elections in April.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
But the video is, in fact, from Quebec during Canada's elections in April.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
In what became a prevailing false narrative on Election Day, Elon Musk and others suggested NYC ballots were deceptively formatted to boost Zohran Mamdani.
But Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa were both listed twice because each was endorsed by two parties, per state election law.
u.afp.com/FusionVoting
But Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa were both listed twice because each was endorsed by two parties, per state election law.
u.afp.com/FusionVoting
November 5, 2025 at 4:04 AM
In what became a prevailing false narrative on Election Day, Elon Musk and others suggested NYC ballots were deceptively formatted to boost Zohran Mamdani.
But Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa were both listed twice because each was endorsed by two parties, per state election law.
u.afp.com/FusionVoting
But Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa were both listed twice because each was endorsed by two parties, per state election law.
u.afp.com/FusionVoting
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
Social media users are claiming a video shows a New York City man saying he would cast six illegal votes for Zohran Mamdani. But the video causing alarm originated as a joke playing on the popular "6-7" meme. Polling sites have safeguards to prevent fraud. u.afp.com/NYC67
u.afp.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Social media users are claiming a video shows a New York City man saying he would cast six illegal votes for Zohran Mamdani. But the video causing alarm originated as a joke playing on the popular "6-7" meme. Polling sites have safeguards to prevent fraud. u.afp.com/NYC67
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
A video DHS posted last month claimed at one point to show harrowing footage taken "in Portland, Oregon, as Antifa terrorists have surged against federal facilities."
As it did, it showed two clips from September anti-ICE protests in a suburb of Chicago.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
As it did, it showed two clips from September anti-ICE protests in a suburb of Chicago.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
November 3, 2025 at 10:22 PM
A video DHS posted last month claimed at one point to show harrowing footage taken "in Portland, Oregon, as Antifa terrorists have surged against federal facilities."
As it did, it showed two clips from September anti-ICE protests in a suburb of Chicago.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
As it did, it showed two clips from September anti-ICE protests in a suburb of Chicago.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
A video DHS posted last month claimed at one point to show harrowing footage taken "in Portland, Oregon, as Antifa terrorists have surged against federal facilities."
As it did, it showed two clips from September anti-ICE protests in a suburb of Chicago.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
As it did, it showed two clips from September anti-ICE protests in a suburb of Chicago.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
November 3, 2025 at 10:22 PM
A video DHS posted last month claimed at one point to show harrowing footage taken "in Portland, Oregon, as Antifa terrorists have surged against federal facilities."
As it did, it showed two clips from September anti-ICE protests in a suburb of Chicago.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
As it did, it showed two clips from September anti-ICE protests in a suburb of Chicago.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
A TikTok video viewed 3.6 million times claims to show Hurricane Melissa devastating Jamaica.
But the video was posted before Melissa even made landfall, and the scenes in the compilation are all from past storms in Italy, Mexico and the United States.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
But the video was posted before Melissa even made landfall, and the scenes in the compilation are all from past storms in Italy, Mexico and the United States.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
October 30, 2025 at 5:03 PM
A TikTok video viewed 3.6 million times claims to show Hurricane Melissa devastating Jamaica.
But the video was posted before Melissa even made landfall, and the scenes in the compilation are all from past storms in Italy, Mexico and the United States.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
But the video was posted before Melissa even made landfall, and the scenes in the compilation are all from past storms in Italy, Mexico and the United States.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
Dozens of AI-generated videos purporting to show storm damage, floodwaters, sharks, newscasts and residents in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa neared the island nation were removed from TikTok as a result of @afp.com's reporting. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated fakes proliferate as Hurricane Melissa nears Jamaica
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds Monday as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical safety information about the massive Category 5 storm.Senator ...
www.yahoo.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Dozens of AI-generated videos purporting to show storm damage, floodwaters, sharks, newscasts and residents in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa neared the island nation were removed from TikTok as a result of @afp.com's reporting. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
New @afp.com:
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated fakes proliferate as Hurricane Melissa nears Jamaica
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds Monday as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical safety information about the massive Category 5 storm.Senator ...
www.yahoo.com
October 28, 2025 at 12:04 AM
New @afp.com:
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Nice of the Washington Post to credit @afp.com's reporting on the White House's misleading "Chicago is in chaos" video in their report outlining further Department of Homeland Security deception. wapo.st/4nuDGwf
October 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Nice of the Washington Post to credit @afp.com's reporting on the White House's misleading "Chicago is in chaos" video in their report outlining further Department of Homeland Security deception. wapo.st/4nuDGwf
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
🇺🇸 Nearly a dozen houses have collapsed into the ocean along North Carolina's Outer Banks since September -- but why?
Experts say both reckless shoreline construction and sea level rise are to blame. Read more: u.afp.com/OuterBanksNC
Experts say both reckless shoreline construction and sea level rise are to blame. Read more: u.afp.com/OuterBanksNC
October 28, 2025 at 12:11 PM
🇺🇸 Nearly a dozen houses have collapsed into the ocean along North Carolina's Outer Banks since September -- but why?
Experts say both reckless shoreline construction and sea level rise are to blame. Read more: u.afp.com/OuterBanksNC
Experts say both reckless shoreline construction and sea level rise are to blame. Read more: u.afp.com/OuterBanksNC
Dozens of AI-generated videos purporting to show storm damage, floodwaters, sharks, newscasts and residents in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa neared the island nation were removed from TikTok as a result of @afp.com's reporting. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated fakes proliferate as Hurricane Melissa nears Jamaica
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds Monday as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical safety information about the massive Category 5 storm.Senator ...
www.yahoo.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Dozens of AI-generated videos purporting to show storm damage, floodwaters, sharks, newscasts and residents in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa neared the island nation were removed from TikTok as a result of @afp.com's reporting. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
“This storm is a huge storm that is likely to cause catastrophic damage, and fake content undermines the seriousness of the message from the government to be prepared,” one expert told me.
“Eventually such fake content will lead to loss of life and property."
“Eventually such fake content will lead to loss of life and property."
New @afp.com:
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated fakes proliferate as Hurricane Melissa nears Jamaica
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds Monday as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical safety information about the massive Category 5 storm.Senator ...
www.yahoo.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:10 PM
“This storm is a huge storm that is likely to cause catastrophic damage, and fake content undermines the seriousness of the message from the government to be prepared,” one expert told me.
“Eventually such fake content will lead to loss of life and property."
“Eventually such fake content will lead to loss of life and property."
New @afp.com:
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated fakes proliferate as Hurricane Melissa nears Jamaica
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds Monday as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical safety information about the massive Category 5 storm.Senator ...
www.yahoo.com
October 28, 2025 at 12:04 AM
New @afp.com:
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
AI-generated videos were clogging social media feeds today as Hurricane Melissa surged toward Jamaica, diverting attention from critical information about the storm.
TikTok appeared to remove more than two dozen such fakes after we flagged them.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
New video @afp.com:
I explained how we caught US President Donald Trump's White House using outdated footage from Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska and other states in a video that it claimed showed "Chicago is in chaos."
youtube.com/shorts/sKRcv...
I explained how we caught US President Donald Trump's White House using outdated footage from Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska and other states in a video that it claimed showed "Chicago is in chaos."
youtube.com/shorts/sKRcv...
White House's Chicago 'chaos' post video uses footage from other cities
YouTube video by AFP News Agency
youtube.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:50 PM
New video @afp.com:
I explained how we caught US President Donald Trump's White House using outdated footage from Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska and other states in a video that it claimed showed "Chicago is in chaos."
youtube.com/shorts/sKRcv...
I explained how we caught US President Donald Trump's White House using outdated footage from Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska and other states in a video that it claimed showed "Chicago is in chaos."
youtube.com/shorts/sKRcv...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
My latest @factcheck.afp.com:
Ted Cruz falsely accused Democrats of passing off footage from 2017 as the crowd that attended a "No Kings" protest.
But the video aired by MSNBC did, in fact, show people who swarmed Boston Common for the October 18 rally.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Ted Cruz falsely accused Democrats of passing off footage from 2017 as the crowd that attended a "No Kings" protest.
But the video aired by MSNBC did, in fact, show people who swarmed Boston Common for the October 18 rally.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
October 22, 2025 at 8:28 PM
My latest @factcheck.afp.com:
Ted Cruz falsely accused Democrats of passing off footage from 2017 as the crowd that attended a "No Kings" protest.
But the video aired by MSNBC did, in fact, show people who swarmed Boston Common for the October 18 rally.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Ted Cruz falsely accused Democrats of passing off footage from 2017 as the crowd that attended a "No Kings" protest.
But the video aired by MSNBC did, in fact, show people who swarmed Boston Common for the October 18 rally.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
An erroneous, AI-generated X Community Note led a flurry of right-wing accounts -- and eventually US Senator Ted Cruz -- to falsely claim that aerial footage MSNBC aired of the "No Kings" protest in Boston was a misrepresented visual from years earlier. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
October 22, 2025 at 8:34 PM
An erroneous, AI-generated X Community Note led a flurry of right-wing accounts -- and eventually US Senator Ted Cruz -- to falsely claim that aerial footage MSNBC aired of the "No Kings" protest in Boston was a misrepresented visual from years earlier. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Steve Bannon says in an interview with the Economist that “there’s a plan” for Donald Trump to remain president in 2028 despite the 22nd amendment to the US Constitution limiting presidents to two terms. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijf7...
Steve Bannon: Trump will have a third term
YouTube video by The Economist
www.youtube.com
October 24, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Steve Bannon says in an interview with the Economist that “there’s a plan” for Donald Trump to remain president in 2028 despite the 22nd amendment to the US Constitution limiting presidents to two terms. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijf7...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
A recent AFP investigation caught the White House misrepresenting outdated footage from Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska and other states in a video that it claimed showed "Chicago is in chaos."
Our new YouTube short shows a side-by-side of the deception: www.youtube.com/shorts/sKRcv...
Our new YouTube short shows a side-by-side of the deception: www.youtube.com/shorts/sKRcv...
White House's Chicago 'chaos' post video uses footage from other cities
YouTube video by AFP News Agency
www.youtube.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:06 PM
A recent AFP investigation caught the White House misrepresenting outdated footage from Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska and other states in a video that it claimed showed "Chicago is in chaos."
Our new YouTube short shows a side-by-side of the deception: www.youtube.com/shorts/sKRcv...
Our new YouTube short shows a side-by-side of the deception: www.youtube.com/shorts/sKRcv...