Elon Musk celebrated a community fact-check feature that caused the White House to delete a misleading tweet claiming President Biden is responsible for increases in Social Security payments.
The feature provides community notes from users that add context to claims made in tweets. It is the second time since Musk’s takeover of the social media platform that the President has been stung with the label.
This time, however, it forced the White House to take down the tweet after being called out.
“Seniors are getting the biggest increase in their Social Security checks in 10 years through President Biden’s leadership,” the verified White House account tweeted Tuesday.
The ‘context’ label provided information noting that the increase is actually a legal requirement caused by “the annual cost of living adjustment, which is based on the inflation rate.”
Not only was the post designed to give unwarranted credit to Biden, but it turns out it’s a result of the one thing the President can actually take credit for – inflation.
How embarrassing.
WOAH – The White House *deleted* its tweet after Twitter placed a fact-check disclaimer on it. pic.twitter.com/1XJKnjRG5V
— Joseph A. Wulfsohn (@JosephWulfsohn) November 2, 2022
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RELATED: Tables Turned? Elon Musk’s Twitter Slapped Biden With a ‘Fact-Check’ About Corporate Taxes
White House Forced to Delete Tweet Praising Biden After Fact-Check
Conservatives on Twitter celebrated the fact-check of Biden and the White House as the feature has consistently been used to place warnings on right-leaning accounts.
“I have been working in digital for 10+ years now and I’ve never seen this happen with lefty narratives,” wrote author Jason Howerton.
Townhall reporter Mia Cathell noted that the fact-checks had, prior to Musk’s purchase of Twitter, gone in only one direction.
“Before now, Twitter fact-checking flags have been one-sided and seldom critical of the Biden administration,” she wrote.
Noticed since Elon Musk’s takeover that Twitter has generated crowd-sourced disclaimers that fact check President Biden, the White House, and left-wing claims. Before now, Twitter fact-checking flags have been one-sided and seldom critical of the Biden administration. pic.twitter.com/uiOp9xaHA8
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) November 2, 2022
Elon Musk himself celebrated the fact-check on Biden’s White House tweet on Social Security increases by calling it “awesome.”
“The community notes feature is awesome,” he said, responding to a user clearly shocked that it was slapped on a White House tweet. “Our goal is to make Twitter the most accurate source of information on Earth, without regard to political affiliation.”
Amusingly, Musk’s tweet also got hit with a context label, a simple explanation of the program called “Birdwatch.”
The community notes feature is awesome.
Our goal is to make Twitter the most accurate source of information on Earth, without regard to political affiliation.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2022
Second Time Biden Has Been Fact-Checked
The misleading Social Security tweet marks the second time in a week that President Biden and the White House have been fact-checked as Twitter has shifted to new ownership.
The Political Insider reported that Biden, from his own account, recently posted a tweet regarding “facts” about corporations making billions without paying taxes and how his so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ “puts an end to” it.
That tweet earned a label pointing out that only 14 out of the 55 corporations being referenced would be impacted by his tax law – just over 25%.
Thank you @elonmusk for bringing balance to the force pic.twitter.com/bB4sYNbsMT
— Megan Fox (@MeganFoxWriter) October 30, 2022
President Biden was also hit with a “Birdwatch” back in September, prompting the post to be deleted and reworded.
Twitter fact checks Biden and then the original tweet disappears. Did the White House delete their tweet after being called out and rewrite a new similar one? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/RLeBbBQGk2
— Adam Milstein (@AdamMilstein) September 9, 2022
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tried to explain why the Social Security tweet was deleted, suggesting it “was not complete.”
“Usually, when we put out a tweet, we post it with context, and it did not have that context,” she claimed.
They usually add context? There have to be nothing short of a dozen tweets from the White House claiming inflation was 0% in July. Here’s one:
President Biden’s economic plan is working. In July:
– Our economy had zero percent inflation
– Real wages went up
– Our economy added 528,000 jobs— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 10, 2022
Perhaps they’ll get around to adding some context to that tweet at some point.
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