FACT CHECK: Viral Image Falsely Claims To Show ‘Drunken’ Nancy Pelosi With Barack Obama
An image shared on Facebook over 43,000 times purportedly shows “drunken” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with former President Barack Obama.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence Pelosi is intoxicated in the photo. Her office has said she doesn’t drink on multiple occasions.
Fact Check:
In recent days, social media users have shared a photo of Obama kissing Pelosi on the cheek along with the claim that it shows her inebriated. Taken by Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque, it shows Obama and Pelosi on Sept. 30, 2016 at Joint Base Andrews “upon their return from Israel,” where they attended the funeral of former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, according to the caption.
“Oh that ‘Crazy Nancy,'” reads text inside the image circulating on Facebook. “This needs to go viral! I’m very sure she doesn’t want this drunken photo out there of her.”
Check Your Fact found no evidence in media reports that Pelosi was intoxicated when the photo was taken. Other photos available on Getty Images taken the same day at the base show Pelosi, Obama, former President Bill Clinton and then-Secretary of State John Kerry exiting Air Force One. None of their captions mention Pelosi being drunk.
Lamarque told Reuters that he does not remember Pelosi or anyone else in the group being drunk at the time. (RELATED: Is Nancy Pelosi’s Daughter The Chief Marketing Officer At Zoom?)
This isn’t the first time social media users have claimed a photo or video shows Pelosi intoxicated. Pelosi’s office has on multiple occasions over the years said that the House speaker doesn’t drink. Christine, Pelosi’s daughter, also said that the House speaker doesn’t drink in May 2019, when a manipulated video falsely claiming to show Pelosi drunk went viral.
Republicans and their conservative allies have been pumping this despicable fake meme for years! Now they are caught. #FactCheck: Madam Speaker doesn’t even drink alcohol!
https://t.co/rJ5jxiuvqM— Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) May 23, 2019
“Republicans and their conservative allies have been pumping this despicable fake meme for years!” she tweeted. “Now they are caught. #FactCheck: Madam Speaker doesn’t even drink alcohol!”
