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‘Let’s go Brandon’ gets ‘fact-checked’ after satirical tweet claiming term was banned goes viral

October 21, 2021 | | Print Article
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Jeff Charles, who is a contributor to RedState, Liberty Nation, and is the host of A Fresh Perspective Podcast, put out a tongue-in-cheek tweet claiming that Facebook had banned the viral anti-Biden “Let’s go Brandon!” catchphrase and the AP fact-checked him on his satirical assertion.

“BREAKING: Facebook to change its hate speech policy to include posts that say ‘Let’s go Brandon.’ ‘This while [sic] thing has gone far enough. It’s offensive and really really mean,’ said a top executive at the social media company.” Charles tweeted. His byline on Twitter is “I spit hot satire.”

“A tweet falsely claimed Facebook had changed its policy on hate speech to prohibit a slogan popular among critics of President Joe Biden. The user who originated the claim told @AP it was satire, but many social media users spread it as if it were true,” the AP stated in a tweet fact-checking Charles.

“Here’s Associated Press’ ‘fact check’ of my satirical tweet about Facebook’s ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ policy. I have finally made it!” Charles quipped following the fact-check.

The curious thing about the fact-check was that Charles had already told the AP that the tweet was satirical in nature.

Per the AP’s actual fact-check:

CLAIM: Facebook has changed its hate speech policy to include posts that use the phrase “Let’s go Brandon.”

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. A tweet alleging that Facebook changed its policy on hate speech to prohibit the phrase “Let’s go Brandon” was meant to be satirical, the post’s author told The Associated Press. A Facebook spokesperson also confirmed to the AP that the company has not changed its policy to ban the slogan, which is popular among critics of President Joe Biden.

THE FACTS: A tweet shared Wednesday by conservative commentator Jeff Charles jokingly alleged that the social media company had amended its hate speech policy to ban accounts from using the phrase “Let’s go Brandon,” a meme created by opponents of Biden.

Charles told the AP that his post was satirical. His Twitter bio also states: “I spit hot satire.” However, many social media users spread the incorrect claim seemingly believing it was true. Numerous users condemned the supposed action by Facebook, arguing it infringed upon freedom of speech.

The media outlet went on to explain where the phrase originated and what it means.

“The phrase ‘Let’s go Brandon’ refers to a meme that emerged earlier this month from a video of an interview with NASCAR driver Brandon Brown after he won an Xfinity Series race at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway,” the AP noted.

“A reporter said on air that fans behind him were chanting ‘Let’s go Brandon,’ when video footage indicates the actual chant was ‘F— Joe Biden.’ Some people have suggested the reporter purposefully misinterpreted the crowd’s chant and the quote has become a catchphrase among critics of Biden,” the Associated Press clarified.

The AP went on to point out that Charles had a typo in his tweet and that he stated he was quoting a top official at Facebook. The outlet even spoke to Facebook about the issue and spokesperson Irma Palmer stated the quote was false which was already evident.

Charles went on to ask via Twitter, “Maybe it was a slow news day? I wonder what I would find if I went through these ‘fact checks’ to see how often they do this to the left?”

The fact-check set social media and Charles’ supporters on fire:

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