| USA TODAY
Texas ends its mask mandate
Texas, where the coronavirus has killed more than 42,000 people, is becoming the largest state to end its mask mandate. Government Greg Abbott says all limits for indoor dining will also be lifted next week. (March 2)
AP
The claim: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted that he was deliberately endangering Texans
On March 2, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that Texas would end its mask mandate and reopen businesses to full capacity. This decision drew criticism from individuals who felt that the measure was premature and dangerous.
“Unfortunately, some Texans were left alive after the storm. I acted quickly to rectify this, “reads a false tweet that apparently came from Abbott’s account.
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While the exact count of deaths since the winter storm in mid-February and related power outages are still unknown, medical investigators said the storm killed at least 86 people.
There is no evidence that Abbott tweeted that he would deliberately endanger Texans who were spared by the storm.
The Facebook user who posted the image told USA TODAY he posted it satirically after seeing it on Reddit.
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Abbott’s office confirms the tweet is false
Madi Biedermann, a spokeswoman for Abbott’s office, confirmed in an email to the US TODAY that the tweet was false.
USA TODAY COULD FIND no record of such a tweet from Abbott’s Twitter account.
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Another Twitter user tweeted the same phrase on March 2 in response to Abbott’s reopening announcement. That tweet received 3,500 retweets and 33,800 likes.
The image was probably changed to claim that Abbott tweeted it himself.
Our rating: Satire
An image that appears to have the Texas government, Greg Abbott, confessing that he deliberately endangered Texans spared by the storm in February is SATIRE. The poster confirms that he posted the image as a joke. Abbott’s office said the tweet was false and there was no record of the tweet on his profile.
Our sources for fact checking:
- USA TODAY, March 3, “Five states are turning mask mandates back. More could be on the way. That could mean it for all of us.”
- Austin American-Statesman, February 25, “How did at least 86 people die in the Austin area during the freezing of Texas? It remains a mystery”
- USA TODAY, March 7, Email Madi Biedermann, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Office
- Twitter, Advanced Search, Visit March 8, “Unhappy After the Storm (From: GregAbbott_TX)“
- Senator Bribeluncheon, March 2, tweet
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