FACT CHECK: Instagram Post Falsely Claims Colin Powell Died By Suicide
A video shared on Instagram claims Gen. Colin Powell, former secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, died by suicide.
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Verdict: False
Powell passed away due to COVID-19 complications.
Fact Check:
The video shows a headline alleging “Colin Powell Committed Suicide” and then proceeds to scroll through the story beneath it. In the article, it attempts to claim Powell died by suicide via prescription medication and to accuse President Joe Biden’s administration and “its media cohorts” of lying about Powell’s cause of death.
Powell, 84, passed away Monday due to “complications from Covid 19,” his family announced in a post on his verified Facebook account. Though Powell was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, he suffered from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that causes a weakened immune system and that has been found in a study to reduce the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in those who have it, according to CNBC. He also had Parkinson’s, which can increase a person’s risk of severe COVID-19, CBS News reported.
The article shown in the Instagram video comes from Real Raw News. On its “About Us” page, Real Raw News states that its website “contains humor, parody, and satire.” The video being shared on Instagram, however, does not make clear the claim came from a website with such a disclaimer. (RELATED: Did Colin Powell Say That If He Was The Defense Secretary, He Would Court-Martial Michael Flynn?)
Social media posts have previously made inaccurate claims that originated from Real Raw News articles. For example, Check Your Fact recently debunked the allegation former President Bill Clinton was killed with poison at Guantanamo Bay.
