FACT Verify: Did Canadian Politician Pierre Poilievre DEMAND Abolishing All Social Programs Within A Tweet?

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a tweet from Canadian member of Parliament (MP) Pierre Poilievre advocating for the abolishment of all social programs. 

Verdict: False

The image is digitally fabricated. There is no record of Poilievre sending such a tweet. 

Fact Check: 

Poilievre announced his candidacy for prime minister in February 2022. The 42-year-old MP has since emerged as a frontrunner to be the Conservative Party’s nominee to run against incumbent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Politico reported.

An image shared on Facebook appears to show a tweet from Poilievre’s verified account calling for an end to all social programs. “Here’s a simple idea: Abolish all social programs,” reads the alleged tweet. “This guy is awful,” reads the post’s caption. 

The image is digitally fabricated. The purported tweet does not appear on Poilievre’s verified Twitter account nor is there a record of it on Politwhoops, a website that tracks the deleted tweets of politicians. There are likewise no credible news reports that mention such a tweet or Poilievre advocating for the abolishment of social programs as part of his platform. Check Your Fact searched his website but found no evidence that Poilievre had endorsed such an idea. 

“The tweet is a fake,” a spokesperson for the Poilievre campaign told Check Your Fact in an email. (RELATED: Did A Member Of Biden’s Covid-19 Task Force Suggest Withholding Social Benefits From Those Who Refuse To Be Vaccinated?)

The fake tweet is likely based on a visually similar tweet from Poilievre that reads, “Here’s a simple idea: STOP. PRINTING. MONEY,” and includes a link to donate to his campaign. The tweet also linked to a Global News article that reported the Liberal Party was seeking to increase spending despite fears of growing inflation.