FACT CHECK: Was John Fetterman Arrested After Punching A Starbucks Barista?

Anna Mock | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has been arrested for punching a Starbucks barista. 

Verdict: False

There is no evidence to corroborate the claim. It originates from a parody account.

Fact Check: 

Fetterman introduced the Stop the Scroll Act alongside a Republican senator on Tuesday which would require social media platforms to institute warnings on content, according to Fox News. Fetterman referred to his efforts to protect children from harmful content online as “common sense,” the outlet reported.

A post claims Fetterman was arrested after punching a Starbucks barista. It shows a video that contains an image of Fetterman smiling with his hands held up while the song “Keep On Smilin'” by Wet Willie plays.

“#BREAKING: Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman arrested after punching Starbucks barista,” the caption reads.

This claim is false. There are no credible news reports about Fetterman committing such an act. (RELATED: No, Pennsylvania Senator Fetterman Did Not Say He Would Vote for Trump)

The claim originates from an X account called Breaking 911. The account’s bio reads, in part, “Parody artist. If you fell for my bait, you owe me eight dollars.” In response to X users believing the story to be genuine, the account posted a screenshot of its bio and simply said, “eight dollars.” 

Check Your Fact reached out to a Fetterman spokesperson for comment. 

This is not the first time misinformation involving Fetterman has spread online. Check Your Fact debunked a claim in June that Fetterman had died in a car crash.

Anna Mock

Fact Check Reporter

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