We are monitoring social media, national and international media, and fact-checking websites in order to share the Fake News making the rounds each week.

The world of news is complex – and false stories and images are often widely shared on social media. Blasting News’s editorial team spots the most popular hoaxes and misleading information every week to help you discern truth from falsehood. Here is some of the most popular fake news of the week from around the world. Don't be fooled!

Please send us fake news tips or claims to check at this email: factcheck@blastingnews.com or at this X/Twitter account @BNFactCheck: Read this page for our submission guidelines.

✨ AI summary:

Immigrants eating pets in Springfield: Trump falsely claimed immigrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, but local authorities confirmed no evidence supports this.

Abortions in the ninth month: Trump's claim that Democrats support abortions up until birth is misleading, as such procedures are only allowed in rare, severe medical cases.

Trump's rally crowds vs. Kamala Harris: Trump's rally crowd sizes are often exaggerated, and Harris's rallies have drawn comparable or larger crowds.

Transition surgeries for immigrants in jail: Trump falsely claimed Democrats support gender transition surgeries for undocumented immigrants in jail, which is not a current policy.

Kamala Harris’s "audio earrings": Claims that Kamala Harris wore "audio earrings" during the debate are false, with no evidence to support this accusation.

1. Trump’s assertion that immigrants in the US are eating cats and dogs is baseless

The Lie: During the Sept. 10 political debate on Abc, former president of the US Donald Trump said: “A lot of towns don’t want to talk about it because they’re so embarrassed by it.

In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” Trump referred to immigrants without specifying their nationality.

Country: Us

  • Languages and outlets: English, social media
  • Where spotted: Telegram conspiracy theory and alt-right groups

The Truth:

  • This claim is entirely baseless. Local authorities, including the mayor and police in Springfield, Ohio, have stated there are no credible reports to support Trump's assertion. Authorities confirmed that there have been no incidents involving immigrants eating pets in the area. Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck stated that no credible evidence exists of pets being harmed or eaten by Haitian immigrants, despite the city receiving numerous threats following the debate.
  • This rumor appears to have originated from unverified social media posts, but no evidence has emerged to validate it. ​
  • The spreading of these debunked conspiracy theories harms the Haitian community in Springfield: they have reported concerns for their safety.

2. It’s not true that in Dem states you can do an abortion on the 9th month

The lie: During the debate with Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump falsely claimed that Democrats support abortions up until the ninth month, and even suggested they support infanticide after birth.

Country: Us

  • Languages and outlets: English, social media
  • Where spotted: Telegram conspiracy theory and ultrareligious groups

The Truth:

  • This assertion has been repeatedly debunked. Abortion laws in Democratic states, while more permissive than in many Republican-led states, do not allow unrestricted abortions up until birth. In fact, late-term abortions are rare and highly regulated, typically permitted only when the mother's life or health is at risk or in cases of severe fetal abnormalities.
  • Statistics show that only about 0.9% of abortions occur after 21 weeks, and even fewer happen close to the third trimester. These cases are almost always due to serious medical complications, not elective decisions.

3. Trump’s rallies crowd is not bigger than Kamala Harris

The lie: During several of his rallies, former President Donald Trump falsely claimed that his rally crowds were significantly larger than those drawn by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Country: U.S.

Languages and outlets: English, social media

Where spotted: Twitter and Truth Social, often amplified in pro-Trump groups

The truth:

  • While Trump is known for boasting about the size of his rallies, his claims are often exaggerated. According to data from the Crowd Counting Consortium and other observers, Trump's average rally size has fluctuated between 5,000 and 16,000 attendees. However, Vice President Kamala Harris has consistently drawn large crowds, with recent rallies averaging about 13,400 people. Contrary to Trump's assertions, Harris's events have drawn comparable, and sometimes larger, crowds than Trump's, particularly in key battleground states​.

4. Democrats are not doing transition surgery to immigrants in jail

The lie: During a recent debate, former President Donald Trump claimed that Democrats, particularly Kamala Harris, support providing gender transition surgeries to undocumented immigrants in jail.

Country: U.S.

Languages and outlets: English, social media

Where spotted: Twitter, Facebook, and conservative forums

The truth:

  • This claim is largely false. Trump referenced a 2019 ACLU questionnaire in which Kamala Harris supported providing medically necessary care, including gender-affirming treatment, to incarcerated individuals, including immigrants. However, this position is not currently part of her platform for the 2024 election.
  • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not offer transition surgeries to detained immigrants, only providing limited care, such as hormone therapy for those already undergoing treatment before being detained. There is no policy or proposal by the Democratic Party to perform gender-affirming surgeries on undocumented immigrants in detention​.

5. No, Kamala Harris didn’t wear audio earrings during the debate

The lie: Following the September 2024 debate, social media posts falsely claimed that Kamala Harris was wearing "audio earrings" designed to secretly feed her information during her debate with Donald Trump.

Country: U.S.

Languages and outlets: English, social media

Where spotted: Twitter, Facebook, and conspiracy forums

The truth:

  • There is no evidence to support the claim that Kamala Harris wore audio earrings during the debate. High-resolution images from the event show Harris wearing her usual South Sea Pearl earrings from Tiffany & Co., which differ in design from the Nova H1 audio earrings mentioned in the posts.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED