FACT CHECK: Is Joe Biden Restricting Twitter Blue Users From Voting?
A post shared on social media showed a purported CNN headline that claims President Joe Biden has moved to restrict Twitter Blue users from voting.
They’re saying they arent going to let blue checks vote in the election… you’re going to have to show them your phone and if they see you have a blue check they won’t let you. No matter how you feel about Elon Musk we can’t let them get away with this pic.twitter.com/cXwx3tqKXG
— merritt k (@merrittk) April 30, 2023
Verdict: False
The caption is inaccurate. There is no evidence that CNN published this headline.
Fact Check:
CNN news host Don Lemon recently announced that he had been fired from the network, NBC News reported. This comes after Lemon was criticized for comments that he made about women on his morning news show.
The Twitter post purports CNN published a story about Biden banning Twitter Blue subscribers from voting. The post shares the alleged article in a screenshot.
“Biden considers voting restrictions on Twitter Blue users in upcoming election,” the alleged headline reads.
The claim is baseless. There is no credible news report that suggests this story is accurate. This headline does not appear on CNN website. There is no record of this headline on any of CNN’s verified social media accounts. There is no record of this tweet on the deleted tweet tracker, PolitiTweet.
The fake article was most likely created to further poke fun at the controversial Twitter Blue subscriptions. Twitter CEO Elon Musk caused a stir when he announced that the blue check mark verification on Twitter accounts would now be a paid subscription for $8 a month, according to CNN. (RELATED: Is Kenya Getting Rid Of The U.S. Dollar?)
This is not the first time a misinterpretation of a law or fabricated laws have started the spread of misinformation online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim that the death penalty was instated for those who take children to drag shows.