Debunking false, misleading claims about President-elect Trump

Throughout the presidential campaign, newly elected President Donald Trump has been both the subject and spreader of a variety of false claims.

In the final phase of the campaign that is now led Trump back to the White HouseSocial media users continued to share misinformation about him incorrectly captioned images And Trump’s made-up statements to false claims about his own campaign signs And lawsuits.

Trump has also made false claims, including his oft-repeated claim that he lost to Joe Biden in 2020 because of election fraud. He also wrongly claimed that millions of non-citizens vote in American elections, that Haitian migrants in Ohio ate pets and that the The government had no money to help the hurricane victims because it was issued to migrants who are in the country illegally.

Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris with conquering multiple battlefield statesincluding North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, putting him over the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the presidency.

Here’s a look at checks on Trump from the USA TODAY Fact Check Team:

Claim: Image shows Trump’s statement comparing government action against ‘executed’ squirrel to efforts against illegal immigration

Our assessment: Changed

The image is a fabrication. A Trump campaign spokesperson said the statement is not genuine. There is no record of this on the website where the campaign would post such a statement.

Full fact check: Trump’s statement comparing Peanut the Squirrel made up immigration

Claim: Trump-funded campaign sign with swastika on it

Our rating: False

There is no evidence that the swastika sign came from Trump’s campaign. A Barnwell County official told PolitiFact that the sign had been tampered with, and a Trump spokesperson told USA TODAY that the sign was “fake.” A local GOP official said close-up images suggest the logo was a sticker placed over a legitimate campaign sign.

Full fact check: Swastika sign ‘absolutely not’ from Trump campaign, GOP official says

Claim: Joe Rogan said he won’t vote for Trump as of October 29 after having him on his podcast

Our rating: False

There is no evidence that Rogan made such a statement against Trump. This was further confirmed late on November 4, when Rogan endorsed Trump.

Full fact check: No, Joe Rogan hasn’t said he won’t vote for Donald Trump

Claim: Post implies image shows Donald Trump voting in the 2024 presidential election

Our assessment: Missing context

The implied statement is false. The image shows Trump casting his vote in New York during the 2016 presidential election. The former president now lives and votes in Florida.

Full fact check: Image of Trump peeking at his wife’s ballot is from 2016

Claim: Trump’s misspelled name on Virginia ballot is election fraud

Our rating: False

A Virginia election official said the typo appears on a rarely used ballot screen, and not on the ballots themselves. It doesn’t affect how people vote because it isn’t visible until voters make a choice on a paper ballot.

Full fact check: Trump’s name misspelled on voting machine assessment screen, not ‘election fraud’

Claim: The Constitution ‘clearly states that a criminal cannot serve in an elective capacity’

Our rating: False

Neither the 14th Amendment nor any other part of the Constitution prohibits criminals from coming to power, an expert told USA TODAY. The section referenced in the message bars anyone who has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and “engage in insurrection” from taking power, but a Supreme Court decision in March requires Congress to take action takes steps to enforce this.

Full fact check: The 14th Amendment does not prohibit criminals from gaining power

Claim: Trump had convictions ‘vacated’ on October 10 and was reimbursed $500 million

Our rating: False

As of October 10, Trump’s conviction in his criminal hush money case had not yet been “overturned.” He is facing a separate civil fraud judgment of nearly $500 million and has posted $175 million bail but has not “returned” any of that money. While judges heard arguments in September related to his appeal of that verdict, they did not rule before the post was shared.

Full fact check: Post Falsely Claims Trump’s October Conviction ‘Nullified’

Claim: Image shows Trump post saying ‘I hate Adolf Hitler’

Our assessment: Changed

The image is a fabrication. The details of the post match those of an online meme generator, and there is no record of the post on Trump’s Truth Social profile or in reputable media reports.

Full fact check: Image of Trump post about ‘hatred’ for Hitler is fabricated

Claim: Trump’s exclusion from Oregon’s voter pamphlet is evidence of election interference

Our rating: False

The Oregon GOP and the State Department said former President Donald Trump’s statement was excluded because he chose not to submit one. His name is listed in the pamphlet with a disclaimer saying so, and he will still appear on the state’s ballots.

Full fact check: Exclusion of Trump’s statement in the Oregon pamphlet is not a sign of interference

Claim: Trump canceled second debate, appearances on CNN, ’60 Minutes’ and others

Our assessment: Partly false

Trump canceled some of the events mentioned in the post, but he never agreed to participate in others.

Full fact check: Partially false claim that Trump canceled CNN town hall, NRA meeting and other events

Claim: Video shows Trump’s school report

Our assessment: Changed

The image of the report is fabricated. Fordham University identified it as inauthentic in a social media post.

Full fact check: Those aren’t Trump’s numbers from Fordham. Image in video is a ‘fake’

Claim: Image shows message from Trump about suspected second assassination attempt

Our assessment: Changed

The image is a fabrication. There is no record of the post on Trump’s Truth Social account.

Full fact check: Trump’s supposed post that his potential killers are “0-2” is fabricated

Claim: Image shows headline from The Atlantic stating: ‘Trump is literally Hitler’

Our assessment: Changed

The image is made up. The Atlantic said the headline is an edited version of an Oct. 22 article titled “Trump: ‘I Need the Kind of Generals Hitler Had.’” The summary has also been changed.

Full fact check: No, the Atlantic did not publish a story with the headline that Trump is Hitler

Claim: Image shows Trump wading through floodwaters after Hurricane Helene

Our assessment: Changed

Experts and an AI detection tool confirmed that the image was generated by AI. There is no evidence that Trump waded through the water in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Full fact check: The image of Donald Trump wading through floodwaters was generated by AI

Claim: Melania Trump said she wants a divorce

Our rating: False

Melania Trump has made no public statements supporting the claim, and a spokesperson for Donald Trump said the claim is false. The former first lady has reiterated her support for her husband in numerous interviews in the final weeks of the 2024 campaign.

Full fact check: Melania Trump has publicly supported her husband and not called for divorce

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The most viral falsehoods about Trump we’ve debunked