FACT CHECK: Instagram Post Falsely Claims Rachel Maddow Sent Tweet About Anti-Vaxxers, Vaccine Injuries
A post shared on Instagram claims to show a tweet from MSNBC host Rachel Maddow asking anti-vaxxers not to discuss vaccine injuries on social media.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence Maddow sent the purported tweet. An advanced search of Maddow’s verified X account does not generate the alleged remark.
Fact Check:
ABC has been ordered to face trial following a lawsuit from two crew members of the soap opera “General Hospital” who claimed they faced “religious discrimination” over the network’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates, according to Fox News. James and Timothy Wahl, the father-son pair who sued the network, alleged they “were fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination,” the outlet reported.
The Instagram post, which has received over 3,000 likes, purports to show a tweet from Maddow asking anti-vaxxers not to discuss vaccine injuries on social media. “If you are vaccine injured, PLEASE consider not blasting your health problems on social media. Antivaxxers [sic] are using every example of injury, no matter how small, to spread dangerous propaganda about the vaccine,” the text of the purported tweet reads.
The claim is false, however. An advanced search of Maddow’s verified X account does not generate the alleged remark. The claim also does not appear on her verified Facebook and Instagram accounts. Likewise, the purported tweet is neither referenced on MSNBC’s website nor its verified social media accounts.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting Maddow made the purported remark. In fact, the opposite is true. Both Snopes and Lead Stories debunked the claim as false. Additionally, in its debunk, Lead Stories also noted that the purported tweet from Maddow could not be found via searches of archived versions of her verified X account. (RELATED: Video Of Benjamin Netanyahu Refusing Mic From Arab Official Lacks Context)
Although the purported tweet from Maddow does not provide specifics, it appears to reference the COVID-19 vaccine. The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic recently held a hearing on vaccine safety that highlighted purported injuries resulting from the COVID-19 vaccine.
Check Your Fact has contacted MSNBC for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.