FACT CHECK: Did Fox News Publish This Graphic Showing An FBI Statement About NFL Players Collapsing?
A post shared on Twitter allegedly shows a Fox News graphic stating the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it is “normal for professional NFL athletes to collapse and be put on a breathing tube.”
BREAKING 🚨 The @FBI has just released a statement on professional athlete Damar Hamlin: #WorldEconomicForum#Davos #Agenda2030 #GreatReset #FBI #Fauci #Gates #CDC #BigPharma #CrimesAgainstHumanity #WEF #KlausSchwab #BillGates #COVID19 #FauciLiedMillionsDied #FauciFiles pic.twitter.com/8GjKpRryhH
— WallStreetApes (@riggedgov) January 3, 2023
Verdict: False
The FBI did not put out any such statement. A Fox News spokesperson confirmed that the image is fabricated in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and collapsed after making a tackle during a game against Bengals in Cincinnati Jan. 2, according to ABC News. The professional football player reportedly had his breathing tube removed overnight Thursday and was able to speak to teammates via facetime Friday morning, Fox News reported.
The Twitter post allegedly shows a Fox News graphic allegedly depicting a statement from the FBI. “BREAKING @FBI has just released a statement on professional athlete Damar Hamlin,” the post’s caption reads.
“It is unfortunate that conspiracy theorists are feeding the American public misinformation,” the alleged statement reads. “It is completely normal for professional NFL athletes to collapse suddenly and be put on a breathing tube,” reads the alleged statement.
This statement is fabricated, however. The graphic cannot be found through a keyword search on the Fox News website and does not appear on any of the outlet’s verified social media accounts. Likewise, the statement cannot be found on the FBI’s website.
“It is a fake graphic and it never aired on the channel,” a Fox News spokesperson confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact.
Check Your Fact reached out to the FBI, but the spokesperson declined to comment. (RELATED: Did Fox News Report On This Quote From Elon Musk?)
The COVID-19 vaccine has been the subject of misinformation since it was introduced in 2020. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim from December 2022 suggesting 80 Canadian doctors had died after getting the vaccine.
