FactCheck.org's Weekly Update

On the day of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, the first National Guard members arrived to assist at about 5:40 p.m. Here, we present a timeline about the efforts to deploy those troops.

In the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol, the House Democrats introduced legislation to impeach President Donald Trump, charging him with “inciting violence against the Government of the United States.” Here we review Trump’s comments and actions leading up to the impeachment vote.

A viral tweet that migrated to Facebook distorts the facts on the consequences of a potential, second impeachment of President Donald Trump. Impeachment alone would not strip Trump of his pension or bar him from pursuing office in the future, as the post falsely claims.

A digitally manipulated, phony letter referring to a “Democratic Play book” and attributed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been circulating online, contributing to partisan rancor following the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

A bogus headline on social media claims that President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration has been cancelled and that major TV networks are set to “lose” their “licenses.” The falsehood relies on a debunked post wrongly claiming that President Donald Trump has “invoked” the Insurrection Act and will remain in power.

A falsehood on social media claims President Donald Trump has “invoked” the Insurrection Act, seized control of the country through the military and will “remain president indefinitely.” A Defense Department spokesman told us he was not “aware of any actions” regarding the Insurrection Act.

Q: What are the risks of the newly identified coronavirus variants?
A: There’s no clear evidence yet that mutant versions cause more severe disease, although some are likely more contagious. Scientists expect vaccines will work but are monitoring the situation.