PolitiFact has become a trusted source for honest, quality fact-checking. But only for people who don’t actually care about facts.
Check out PolitiFact’s take on the pro-police Thin Blue Line flag that’s appeared at some Trump campaign rallies:
Wtf?—@PolitiFact rates it “mostly true” that the pro-police thin blue line flag is actually an “anti-Black Lives Matter” flag. pic.twitter.com/E0Y9qk5VOL
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) October 30, 2020
This is not a drill:
I know it’s hard to believe. Here’s the link: https://t.co/95gerebNff
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) October 30, 2020
Over the weekend, Dartmouth Prof. Jeff Sharlet tweeted this about the flag at a Trump rally in Waukesha, Wisconsin:
Tonight in Wisconsin. First the anti-Black Lives Matter flag flew outside his rallies, then beside the American flag. Now it has replaced the American flag. That’s significant. pic.twitter.com/1IXgo06A3C
— Jeff Sharlet (@JeffSharlet) October 25, 2020
Sharlet’s tweet was featured in a Facebook post that referred to the Thin Blue Line flag as “the anti-Black Lives Matter flag.”
And according to PolitiFact, that’s proof enough that the pro-police flag is effectively anti-BLM:
In terms of the Facebook claim, The image and description — that the flag has taken on greater prominence at the Trump rallies in Wisconsin — is on target. And the Thin Blue Line flag has become a prominent part of the pro-police Blue Lives Matter movement — which arose to counter the Blak Lives Matter movement.
That said, while it is possible to support both, Trump has made clear he opposes the Black Lives Matter protests — and made that opposition, and a strong law-and-order message, a prominent part of his re-election campaign. So, those attending the rally or seeing the images could easily see the flag as an “anti Black Lives Matter flag.”
We rate the claim Mostly True.
Recommended
Because of course they do.
Unreal
— Dan Shisler (@Dan_Shisler) October 30, 2020
Just wow
— Liberty (@DCC3313) October 30, 2020
We rate PolitiFact Mostly Garbage. But only because we’re feeling magnanimous.
@PolitiFact is *completely* false
— Howard Freeman ?? (@AmericaDowntown) October 30, 2020
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