WebQoof Recap: Misinformation About Trump Assassination Attempt & Sonia Gandhi

WebQoof Recap | Here are the top five pieces of misinformation that went viral this week.

(Source: Kamran Akhter/ Altered by The Quint)

From AI-generated images related to former US President Donald Trump and former Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to misinformation surrounding the widow of late Indian Army Captain Anshuman Singh, Smriti, here are all the viral pieces of fake news that we debunked this week.

1. Fact-Check: Italian Journalist Misidentified as Trump Shooter 'Mark Violets'

A claim going viral on the internet states that the shooter who shot at former US President Donald J Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was identified as one "Antifa member" named Mark Violets. The claim accompanied by a photograph of the supposed shooter.

The information has been attributed to the Pennsylvania police department.

However, this is not true.

• The photograph belongs to an Italian journalist called Marco Violi.

• The shooter, who was killed by the US Secret Service agents, was identified by the United State Federal Buruea of Investigation as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

You can read our story here.

2. Fact-Check: These Videos Don't Show Late Captain Anshuman Singh’s Widow, Smriti

Two videos of a woman wearing a pale yellow saree and another blue one, appearing to flaunt her outfit, are being widely shared on social media.

Those sharing the video are claiming that they show the widow of late Captain Anshuman Singh, Smriti and proceed to accuse the woman of "running off" with one crore rupees.

An archive of this post can be seen here.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

However, these claims are false.

The viral videos show model Reshma Sebastian, not Smriti Singh.

You can read our story here.

3. No, Secret Service Agents Were Not ‘Smiling’ After Donald Trump’s Shooting

A day after former US President Donald Trump was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday, 14 July, social media users shared a photo of him being surrounded by Secret Service (SS) agents on social media.

The photo, which shows SS agents smiling while a bleeding Trump raised his fist in the air, is being shared to claim that the incident was "staged" or a "photo op," questioning why his protective detail was smiling.

This image is edited.

(Source: Altered by The Quint)

However, this photo is altered. The original photo does not show any of the Secret Service members smiling.

You can read our story here.

4. Altered Image Viral as Photo of Young Sonia Gandhi Smoking a Cigarette

A black-and-white photo, which purportedly shows a young Congress leader Sonia Gandhi smoking a cigarette, has gone viral on social media.

However, this photo has been edited to morph Gandhi's face on the original image.

• The original one, which has been on the internet since at least 2015, shows an unidentified woman smoking a cigarette.

You can read our story here.

5. No, Republican VP Candidate JD Vance Was Not Welcomed With ‘India’ Chants at RNC

A video of US politician and Republican senator of Ohio JD Vance, who was recently announced to be former US President Donald Trump's running mate for the 2024 US Presidential elections, is being shared on social media.

• The video shows Vance arriving with his Indian-origin wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Tennessee.

• Those sharing the video claimed that people raised "India! India!" chants when the Vances arrived.

An archive of this post can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

But this video is altered. All available footage from the convention shows Vance arriving to a song by the country band Sixwire.

You can read our story here.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818, or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)