FACT CHECK: Did The Guardian Publish An Article Claiming Sharing Squirrel Memes Makes You A White Supremacist?
A post shared on social media purports that a headline from The Guardian claims that people who shared memes about Peanut the Squirrel are white supremacist.
Screenshot from Facebook
Verdict: False
The claim stems from a satirical account.
Fact Check:
Former President Donald Trump has won the presidential election, but the popular vote is still being counted, USA Today reported. Trump is currently leading in the popular vote as well by more than five million votes, if he keeps the popular vote, this would be the first time since George W. Bush that a Republican candidate has done so.
A post shared on Facebook shared a screenshot of what appears to be a headline from The Guardian that claims sharing memes of squirrels makes you a white supremacist. The alleged article in the screenshot follows The Guardian’s formatting, including a photo of the author in the right corner.
The alleged headline reads, “Sharing Squirrel Memes? Congratulations, You’re a White Supremacist.”
The claim is inaccurate. There is no such headline found on the website. Likewise, there is no such headline found on any of their social media accounts. Furthermore, the byline in the screenshot attributes the article to Sian Norris, but it does not appear in the list of articles written by her.
The post appears to stem from a satire account. The account features a profile photo that reads, “False information.” The bio reads, “Meme and video Alchemist, Pain in the Ass of Influencers, Happy Hubby. Pet lover.” (RELATED: No, Image Does Not Show The Guardian Article From Tim Walz About Dancing On Stage Naked)
The post comes after a man’s pet squirrel, P’Nut, was taken by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and euthanized just days before the election, New York Post reported. A rabies test requires access to the subject’s brain, but there have been no results made public.
Check Your Fact has reached out to The Guardian for comment.
This is not the first time a fake post has circulated online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim Elon Musk made a post criticizing the U.S. for ending the apartheid in South Africa.
