US

Voice Of America Reporter ‘Fact-Checks’ Trump’s Meme Showing Him Awarding Medal Of Honor To Hero Dog

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Voice of America’s (VOA) White House bureau chief fact-checked a meme President Donald Trump tweeted showing him awarding a Medal of Honor to the dog who partook in the al-Baghdadi raid.

Steve Herman tweeted a photo from Trump on Wednesday, where the dog who was injured during Saturday evening’s raid on Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was photoshopped in front of the president. Trump was giving the dog, whose name is still classified, a Medal of Honor.

“AMERICAN HERO!” Trump’s tweet read. The photo was largely known as being photoshopped.

Herman fact-checked the meme Wednesday, appearing to not realize that it was intended to be known as a fake. He added that he “requested details from the @White House” on the photo because there was “no such canine event” on the president’s schedule.

I’ve requested details from the @WhiteHouse on this photo.
There was no such canine event on today’s @POTUS schedule but there is a Medal of Honor ceremony set here for later today for an active duty Green Beret. https://t.co/NESINT9J4b

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) October 30, 2019

The VOA reporter provided an update later with the White House’s response.

“‘It’s photoshopped,’ acknowledges a @WhiteHouse official. The dog is not here at the @WhiteHouse — yet,” Herman added.

He continued by finding the original picture, which was from when Trump gave former U.S. army soldier James McCloughan a Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry during the Vietnam War.”