FACT CHECK: Did Reuters Publish This Fact Check About White House Employee Andrew Bates Tweeting ‘Nazi Symbolism?’

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a screenshot of a Reuters fact-check about a White House employee using Nazi symbolism in a recent tweet.

Verdict: False

The image is digitally fabricated. A Reuters spokesperson confirmed the outlet published no such story.

Fact Check:

Deputy White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates drew criticism for a recent meme he tweeted that allegedly featured a depiction of the Nazi eagle pin and promoted Chinese propaganda, according to Newsweek. The meme’s creator told Daily Dot that the photo resembling the poster from the 2012 Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises” and was not intended to include Nazi imagery.

pic.twitter.com/eb1AxcMFyK

— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) August 8, 2022

The Facebook image appears to show a screenshot of an article from Reuters about the controversy. “Fact Check – White House employee Andrew Bates did use Nazi Symbolism in a recent tweet, but he did so in a way that exhibits how extreme the opponents of Biden have become,” the alleged article’s headline reads. (RELATED: Does This Image Show A Ukrainian Soldier Covered In Nazi Tattoos?)

This image is fabricated. There are no credible news reports or fact-checks from Reuters or any other news outlets that match the alleged headline. No such headline or article could be found on any of Reuters’ social media accounts.

“Reuters did not publish a fact check regarding a tweet by White House employee Andrew Bates and the alleged use of Nazi symbolism,” a Reuters spokesperson told Check Your Fact in an email. “Headlines about the tweet that were attributed to Reuters Fact Check in some social media posts were fabricated.”

This is not the first time Reuters had been the subject of misinformation on social media. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim from May that suggested the Rothschild family owned the outlet.