A roundup of some of the week’s most popular, but completely untrue, stories and images. None of these are legitimate, even though they were widely shared on social media. The Associated Press investigated them.
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Trump says a judge in New York will not let him attend his son’s graduation ceremony. No ruling has been made yet
CLAIM: Judge Juan M. Merchan of New York told the former president Donald Trump on the first day of his hush money trial that he cannot attend his son Barron’s graduation ceremony on May 17 because he has to appear in court that day.
THE FACTS: Merchan said Monday he was unwilling to rule on a request to adjourn the court on May 17 so Trump can attend the ceremony. He said his decision will depend on the progress of the trial. Still, as he left the court after the first day of the trial, Trump said, “it looks like the judge won’t let me go to my son’s graduation.” Moments later, he expressed dismay that the process made it so “I can’t go to my son’s graduation” and a number of other events, including a hearing at the U.S. Supreme Court and campaign stops.
Trump then continued his criticism of the judge on his Truth Social platform, writing in one post that he “probably won’t attend” and that “the judge, Juan Merchan, is preventing me from proudly attending my graduation ceremony.” son to attend.” Less than two hours later, he wrote in another post that he was “forbidden from attending.”
Social media users were quick to adopt Trump’s claims.
“Lefty NYC judge won’t allow President Trump to attend Barron’s graduation,” reads an X-post that had received about 23,000 likes and 11,200 shares as of Thursday. “This is going to be very counterproductive. The American people are tired of this Marxist tyranny.”
Some reports also said that Trump will be arrested if he does attend the graduation ceremony.
But Merchan has not yet ruled on the matter.
Trump’s lawyers on Monday requested that the trial not take place on May 17 so that the former president can attend the ceremony. A lawyer for Trump also requested that the trial be postponed on June 3 so that he could attend his own son’s graduation ceremony.
Merchan said he was not prepared to make a decision on either request, but noted that if the trial goes as planned, he is willing to delay the trial for one or both days. “It really depends on how we perform on time and where we are in the process,” he said.
The judge will order Trump to appear in court in New York next Thursday, while the Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether as a former president he is immune from prosecution in one of his four criminal cases. Trump does not need to be at the Supreme Court for the arguments.
Merchan read Trump his so-called “Parker warnings” on Monday, informing him that his right to attend the trial could be revoked if he acted and he could be sent to jail for disruptive behavior. Trump said he understood a warrant would be issued for his arrest if he deliberately fails to appear at the trial, according to a court transcript. This is standard criminal procedure in New York.
Trump is charged with 34 felonies for falsifying company records as part of a scheme to bury damaging stories that he feared could harm his 2016 campaign, especially as Trump’s reputation at the time suffered from comments he made about women made.
Trump faces charges in three other criminal cases, including two related to the 2020 election. He was ordered on Feb. 16 to pay $335 million in fines in a civil case for a scheme to defraud banks, insurers and others misleading by inflating his assets in financial statements, a decision he is appealing.
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No, immigrants didn’t storm New York City Hall looking for luxury hotel rooms
CLAIM: Immigrants in the US illegally stormed New York City Hall on Tuesday, demanding housing in luxury hotels instead of city shelters.
THE FACTS: Social media posts misrepresented the participants’ actions and why they gathered at City Hall.
Hundreds of black immigrants gathered peacefully in City Hall Park during a hearing on racial inequality in New York’s immigrant shelter and support systems. They gathered there after it became clear that only about 100 people would be allowed into the hearing, The Associated Press reported.
New York police told the AP that no arrests have been made in connection with the rally. Those in attendance said they came for a variety of reasons, including to support city council members during the hearing or to see if they could get information about jobs and housing.
Many shared videos of the gathering showing large groups of people quietly walking around or waiting in line. Other images showed people cheering outside City Hall.
“Illegals just overrun and surrounded NYC City Hall,” reads an X-post that had received about 32,000 likes and 20,600 shares as of Thursday. “They are trying to occupy the building and demand that luxury hotel rooms be provided to illegals instead of the shelters that New York has provided. This is only going to get worse.”
A caption on a TikTok video of people in line reads: “TODAY IN BIDEN’S AMERICA… illegals in NYC stormed City Hall as they were moved to shelters and out of their luxury hotels.” It was viewed approximately 67,300 times.
But the gathering of more than 1,500 immigrants, mostly from Guinea, was peaceful and there was no indication they had arrived en masse at City Hall to demand luxury hotel accommodation.
They were at City Hall for a hearing held by the City Council’s Immigration Committee to examine racial disparities in the city’s immigrant shelter and support systems. Relatively small proposals were on the day’s agenda. For example, a series of bills requiring administrators to collect better data on migrants receiving city services, as well as a resolution for the federal government to eliminate or refund immigration application fees. Immigrants also testified about their own experiences.
Before the hearing, a press conference was held on the steps of City Hall. Speakers in attendance included Councilor Alexa Avilés, Immigration Commission Chairwoman, attorney Jumaane Williams and representatives from advocacy and support groups.
Emmet Teran, a spokesman for Avilés, told the AP that groups represented at the conference invited immigrants they work with to attend, although other early arrivals were also allowed outside security barriers. He added that another impromptu press conference was held for those who could not get in.
“It’s disgusting but not surprising from the people saying these things,” Teran said of the claims spreading online. “I think we were very clear in our messaging about the hearing about what we wanted to discuss, which was the experiences of Black immigrants in New York City.”
Teran described the crowd as “incredibly calm” and said people were understanding, even if some were frustrated about having to wait in line or not being able to get to the hearing. They gathered in City Hall Park after realizing that only about 100 people would be allowed into the hearing, the AP reported. Many attendees said they heard about the event through word of mouth, often through WhatsApp groups with fellow immigrants.
An AP reporter who was at the meeting noted that it was calm and orderly. When asked, immigrants were particularly concerned about obtaining permission to work in the US. Some also complained about the lack of access to halal food in shelters. Others worried about being evicted from shelters or had come to support city council members.
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The WEF chairman is alive and well, despite claims online
CLAIM: Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, was recently hospitalized in serious condition and may have died.
THE FACTS: Reports making these allegations began to spread widely after a website that claims to publish “satire and comedic op-eds and editorials” posted an article about Schwab’s alleged hospitalization. A WEF spokesperson told The Associated Press that the claims are untrue.
“BREAKING: Klaus Schwab was apparently hospitalized seriously ill,” reads an X-post that had received about 26,000 likes and 9,000 shares as of Thursday. “Anyway, that doesn’t bother me.”
The word ‘bug’ seems to be emphasized in reference to another false claim, namely that the WEF wants to replace meat with insects.
Other reports go a step further, stating that Schwab “may be dead.”
But the WEF founder is not fatally ill or worse, said Yann Zopf, spokesperson for the organization.
“These claims are completely baseless and baseless,” he wrote in an email to the AP. “Professor Schwab’s health is excellent. Like many high-profile individuals and organizations, he and the World Economic Forum have been the target of conspiracy narratives, as well as disinformation and disinformation campaigns.”
The recent accusations began to spread widely after a website called the Weekly Crier published an article on Sunday titled: “World Economic Forum Founder Klaus Schwab Hospitalized.” Weekly Crier says on its About Us page that in addition to “reliable and unbiased news and information,” it also posts “satire and comedic opinion pieces and editorials.”
The article about Schwab does not cite any sources, saying only that he was “reportedly hospitalized late last night” and that other details “have not been officially released.” It adds that “the WEF community has been relatively silent on this issue in the meantime.”
Weekly Crier did not respond to a request for comment.
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Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck
