A photoshopped CNN report stating that left-wing anti-fascist movement Antifa took responsibility for storming Capitol Hill has circulated online. The image, however, has been digitally altered.
The image shows protesters waving “Trump 2020” flags alongside a CNN news banner reading: “ANTIFA HAS JUST TAKEN RESPONSIBLITLY (sic) FOR STORMING CAPITAL (sic) HILL”. It circulated on Facebook ( here , here and here ).
The image contradicts Reuters reports that Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building on Jan 6 (here). CNN posted no such news on its website and its reporting called the demonstrators who stormed the capitol “pro-Trump rioters” (here).
There are clear signs the screenshot was doctored, for instance the news banner had incorrectly spelt “responsibility” and “Capitol Hill”, and the fonts did not match CNN style.
Antifa is also a decentralized, amorphous group (here), so it is unlikely they would put out an official statement.
A reverse-image search showed that the real photo was a thumbnail from a CNN video with a bulletin reading: “THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: CONGRESS COUNTS THE VOTE” (bit.ly/3bj3euE) and was posted on the CNN politics website on Jan 6 ( here , skip to 01:23).
It is not the first piece of misinformation to emerge blaming the riots in Washington D.C. on Antifa. Reuters recently debunked claims that a protester who stormed the Capitol wearing a fur had previously was part of Antifa (here) and that Antifa had received private escorts to the protests from the D.C. Police (here).
VERDICT
Altered. This image of CNN news coverage from Jan. 6 was altered to show fake a news bulletin that Antifa had admitted to storming Capitol Hill.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.