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Phony image said Maxine Waters called for undocumented immigrant as SCOTUS nominee
As the nation awaits President Donald Trump’s announcement of a nominee to succeed retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, social media has erupted with chatter from politicians and pundits about the potential pick.
Another person dominating the internet space has been U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who first made headlines on June 23, 2018, when she told protestors at a Los Angeles rally to put pressure on the Trump administration over its policy separating immigrant families at the border with Mexico.
Waters has been under constant fire from conservatives — including Trump, who elevated her profile with a series of Twitter attacks — for her comments at the rally. Waters also has become a target of several false reports and internet memes.
The latest example: A doctored image purporting to show her telling CNN that an "illegal immigrant" should be nominated as the next Supreme Court justice.
"Waters: SCOTUS pick should be illegal immigrant," said the chyron in what appeared to be a screenshot of a CNN interview with Waters. The photo was posted to Facebook on June 28, 2018, by Trump Nation, a group devoted to supporting the president. On a ticker at the bottom of the image, Waters is quoted as saying, "It’s the only way the Democrats can ever win again."
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In a comment accompanying the image, the post said: "... and this is why WE don't watch CNN... They are bat shit crazy! SHARE if you agree …"
But, as several media outlets were quick to point out, the image is fake.
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The screenshot was likely lifted from an Oct. 24, 2017, interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo in which Waters explained what she had meant when she said she would "take Trump out." In the original clip, Waters can be seen wearing the same attire and jewelry — and speaking in front of the same backdrop — as in the doctored photo. She makes no mention of a judicial nominee being an immigrant.
We searched Google and Nexis and could not find any credible reports indicating that the doctored image was real. Trump Nation did not respond to a request for comment.
We rate this image Pants on Fire!
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Our Sources
Trump Nation on Facebook, Timeline Photo, June 28, 2018
CNN on YouTube, "Rep. Maxine Waters: I will ‘take Trump out,’" October 24, 2017
Huffington Post, "Maxine Waters Becomes Target of Fake News," July 3, 2018
Snopes, "Did Maxine Waters Call for an ‘Illegal Immigrant’ to Be the Next Supreme Court Justice?" July 2, 2018
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Phony image said Maxine Waters called for undocumented immigrant as SCOTUS nominee
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