Have you heard? The Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., is apparently handing out a petition to all its guests:
A friend is required 2 stay @ Trump hotel in DC 4 work. They handed her this @ check in. This is NOT OK @CNN check it out #1stAmend pic.twitter.com/60rwiCGW9U
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 11, 2017
Seems totally legit and not at all sketchy.
THIS👇🏻is being given to guests checking in at Trump Hotels clearly violating ethical & likely legal policy! Republicans, GOP can you speak? pic.twitter.com/kS207ta8OL
— CJ, Inspired (@ivesoncj) October 11, 2017
The photo has gone viral, provoking plenty of outrage.
WHAT in the actual fuck??? https://t.co/mr860MTQ3q
— Merrin Dungey (@RealMerrinD) October 12, 2017
Walter Shaub, former director of the U.S. Office of Government and Ethics, is trying to get to the bottom of this (with a little help):
Do we know whether the hotel itself was handing this out, as opposed to some random person?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
I’m waiting to find out if this was really being given out by the hotel itself.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
I don’t know this source. I’m going to wait for confirmation.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Anybody can start a petition there. pic.twitter.com/Hnm4pbchST
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Why isn’t the friend talking about this?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
I’m skeptical of this one.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Work conf is there. Sometimes U can't control where they put U w/A big co. They R prob there b/c it is cheap. He dropped prices. Bigly
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
What was the date of the conference?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Here is a closeup of her original post that shows her check-in and hotel name by geo tag. pic.twitter.com/cbLj7FvC2f
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
How did she get bold text on Twitter?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Or that font type?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
She isn't on Twitter. Simple. Not all people Tweet
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
Which social media platform did she use?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
I use several devices. My phone font is funky & screenshot her post
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
From which social media platform?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
So this was on Facebook?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
It was a FB post with geo tags.
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
Would you like me to put her in touch with a reporter?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Can we just focus on this outrageous act by @TrumpHotels and not on how/whether/where friend shared this document? #Priorities
— Cassie (@casimmel) October 12, 2017
I want to confirm it before I talk about it.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Which reporter?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Story of T Hotel helping petition to ban CNN from fed bldgs may be a hoax. Don’t think FB posts look like this. Would gladly talk to source. pic.twitter.com/D8kkXzFE0b
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Paul P. Murphy
— Andreas Kreissl (@silverhead1964) October 12, 2017
I was asking her. But if you know this, can you tell me how you know?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
@murphy_paulp is it true that you’re speaking with the source of this story?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
I’m skeptical that this is happening at all.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Thank you Walter! It does look fake – maybe someone could check in/out and confirm. Does look fake but at this point I wouldn't be surprised
— Melanie ❄️ (@melaniedeppen) October 12, 2017
I’m trying but the original poster of this story isn’t answering basic questions, which heightens my skepticism.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
@ackrantz11 can you answer this question? https://t.co/R2yng3oYVo
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
She won’t answer my question about when the conference occurred. Until she does, that’s it for me.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
I tracked down the original woman from Trump Hotel conference if you would like to talk to her. DM me for her info.
— Half-Blind Trust (@rkfatheree) October 12, 2017
Just sent a DM. I won’t post the information publicly but I will let folks know if you respond and provide the info.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
This may be fake.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Working on it. The poster is refusing to answer my questions, so it’s not looking good.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
One claim that's going around is that the desk clerk / concierge gives it to you when you check in.
— Nuclear Lunge (@swiley1983) October 12, 2017
I doubt that.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Those three dots in the upper right.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Just went to Trump Hotel in search of one of these fliers. Found nothing. Spox: “We have no knowledge of this and nothing to do with it.”
— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) October 12, 2017
Good work!
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
@ACLU is this legal @waltshaub can they do this, this seems inappropriate and seems like censorship and encouraging propaganda https://t.co/cwAKyqrWzk
— ❄️Serenity❄️ (@Caprica1026) October 12, 2017
I don’t know that I believe they ARE doing it.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
I think this may have been a hoax.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Journalist Zach Everson did some digging of his own:
1/ Just emailed the Trump Hotel DC's managing director about this Tweet that start to go viral last night asking if it was true. pic.twitter.com/onTLG6RaEQ
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
2/ As The Internet seems to be jumping to conclusions, gonna do the same: it seems out of character.
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
3/ For starters, there's only 1 report of this paper being passed out (as my feed shows, I monitor Twitter & Instagram for hotel mentions).
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
4/ I stayed at the hotel in April: CNN was available in my room (and the "failing NYT" was even featured in the hotel's digital access).
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
5/ The production value of the flyer is far below what I saw when I stayed at the hotel.
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
6/ Original poster pointed out the friend's Facebook location as proof she was there. One doesn't have to be on site to check in on FB tho.
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
7/ So we have 1 account of this happening. One. And it's been RT'd more than 10,000 times (including by some people who should know better). pic.twitter.com/RjbzB9KdsZ
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
8/ I'll share any reply I get from the Trump Hotel DC (or if this story can be verified somewhere else one way or the other).
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
9/ Of course, any new info will have much less reach than the original post. 😕
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
10/ BTW, I've seen it RT'd by an editor at the New York Times & a New Yorker journalist—people who should know to call or email first. 🙁
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
11/ Breaking: Trump Hotel DC dir on accusation it's passing out anti-CNN flyer:
"We have no knowledge of this and nothing to do with it." pic.twitter.com/hqZPWxfQj8
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
12/ Now to tell the tens of thousands who've RT'd it. (Of course, suspect his email wouldn't suffice for many.)
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
Good work. This didn’t seem plausible and the person who put this in motion was acting squirrelly.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
Well, the sound of the crickets chirping is certainly deafening.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
The meetings are this week. She will not give name of Co & I don't blame her. It was handed by suited indiv in lobby to several ppl
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
This is shaping up to look like a hoax. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for people to ask questions. https://t.co/1QieINMcJy
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
People are asking some legitimate questions about this post. Can you answer some of them to demonstrate that this is not a hoax?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
When was the conference?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
But the conference at Trump International Hotel was this week? What day did she post her checkin?
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
She claims the conference was this week. Can you find out whether there was conference this week? pic.twitter.com/wfFgLI6Z4U
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
These R the ans as I was given them: she was handed it by a suited employee by the check-in. Several ppl rec'd it. Didn't question it…
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
Often get them when u come 4 mtgs. Went 2 sit down 4 drinks in lobby bar, read it & took pic (Why bad lighting & crooked) posted to FB…
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
Sent 2 atty friend who sent 2 Me as neither has Twitter.
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
What day did this happen? Also, her company didn’t host the event, so she surely could tell us the event name.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 12, 2017
@waltshaub I have answered everything U have asked. Don't come @ me sideways if the answers aren't 2 ur liking. Go eat a snickers
— 6million$woman (@ackrantz11) October 12, 2017
Well, this has been fun, hasn’t it?
17/ All from one tweet.
That has not been verified by anyone else.
That has been disavowed by the hotel.
That just seems very unlikely.
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
18/ Executive summary:
Chaos and disarray pic.twitter.com/SRs26Gupsp
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
19/ Yes, but it hasn't been RT'd 7,000 times. pic.twitter.com/V51xIz8OBJ
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
20/ One person, Joy. One, And it wasn't hard to track down (rather than just send it out for a few hundred RTs). pic.twitter.com/5RlDiQ3O65
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
21/ @snopes weighs in:
Falsehttps://t.co/cygM4qkuap pic.twitter.com/UBSZ6BZAJB
— Zach Everson (@Z_Everson) October 12, 2017
Huh:
This rumor appears to have originated from a single Facebook post that has either been deleted or made private. On 10 October 2017, Twitter user @ackrantz11 posted a screenshot purportedly showing the original post and claimed that a “friend” had received the flyer when she checked in to the Trump Hotel:
We identified and interviewed the woman pictured in this Facebook post. She told us that she was never actually a guest at the Trump Hotel in Washington D.C. She did, however, use Facebook’s “check in” feature when she stopped in for a few drinks at the lobby bar. While she was there, an anonymous person handed her the flyer.
…
The original Facebook poster also told us that she did not know Twitter user @ackrantz11, whose tweet pushing this rumor garnered more than 10,000 retweets:
No idea who this person is. My friend posted something similar. I think this person just copied it. I think they assumed when I “checked in” on fb I was checking in to the hotel. This person sure seems to answer a lot of questions about my stay though!
Welp.
