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Sanders supporter’s T-shirt altered in photo, does not mention 9/11

By BEATRICE DUPUYMay 10, 2019 GMT

In this May 4, 2019 photo provided by the Bernie Sanders campaign, presidential candidate Sen. Sanders, I-Vt., shakes hands with supporter Ashton Ayers in Ames, Iowa. Ayers’ shirt features a picture of labor activist Eugene V. Debs, who ran as a Socialist Party candidate for president five times between 1900 and 1920. On Friday, May 10, 2019, The Associated Press has found that a manipulated version of this photo has been circulating on the internet. (Georgia Parke/Bernie 2020 via AP)

CLAIM: Photo shows presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders shaking hands with a young man and pointing to his T-shirt, which says: “Listen here, Bud, America deserved 9/11.”

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The gray T-shirt worn by a Sanders supporter has no mention of 9/11. It shows a picture of labor activist Eugene V. Debs, who ran as a Socialist Party candidate for president five times between 1900 and 1920.

THE FACTS: The photo of Iowa State University student Ashton Ayers shaking hands with the Vermont senator was taken at a May 4 event in Ames, Iowa, by Georgia Parke, a social media strategist for Sanders’ campaign. Ayers also can be seen wearing the T-shirt with Debs’ photo in a video on Sanders’ YouTube site. The photo has been a popular target for manipulation, with this recent image being shared widely across social media platforms, including Discord, Reddit and Facebook.

Ayers told The Associated Press that Sanders recognized Debs on his shirt immediately and pointed at it.

“He was surprised a young man knew who Debs was,” Ayers said.

Here’s more information on Facebook’s fact-checking program: https://www.facebook.com/help/1952307158131536

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This is part of The Associated Press’ ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.