FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Purports To Show Tweet From Congressman On Trump Verdict
A post shared on Facebook purports to show a tweet from Rep. Jack Kimble defending 2024 presumptive Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump amid his recent felony conviction.
Verdict: False
The claim, which originally stems from X, formerly Twitter, was shared by a satire account. There is no one with the name “Jack Kimble” currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Fact Check:
Trump’s campaign has reportedly accelerated the process of vetting his potential running mate, according to Fox News. Among the candidates under consideration are Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Florida) and J.D. Vance (Ohio) as well Republican Reps. Byron Donalds (Florida) and Elise Stefanik (New York), the outlet indicated.
The Facebook post purports to show a tweet from Kimble defending Trump amid his recent felony conviction. “This trial has been so unfair to President Trump,” the tweet begins. “This whole time he was trying to prove his innocence, there was another team of lawyers trying to prove he was guilty. I thought this was America,” the tweet continues.
The claim is false, however, as it originally stems from a satire account. “I normally don’t break character, but I will this time. People react to my Tweets in a variety of ways. Only one way bothers me—It’s the ‘of course I know it’s satire, but other less intelligent people won’t’ people,” a June 1 post shared by the X account reads.
I normally don’t break character, but I will this time. People react to my Tweets in a variety of ways. Only one way bothers me—It’s the “of course I know it’s satire, but other less intelligent people won’t” people.
— Rep. Jack Kimble (@RepJackKimble) June 1, 2024
The account claims Kimble is a congressman representing California’s 54th district. An Amazon link included in the account’s bio redirects social media users to a book called “Detective Jesus #1: Thou Shall Not Kill,” authored by an individual named “Jack Kimble.” (RELATED: Video Of Bar’s Reaction To Trump’s Conviction Is Altered Media)
Likewise, a search of the U.S. House of Representatives’ website does not yield any results for a congressman with the name “Jack Kimble.” No one named “Jack Kimble” appears in the Official List of the U.S. House of Representatives serving in the 118th Congress, either. A spokesperson for the U.S. House of Representatives directed Check Your Fact to the document.
In addition, a December 2021 article from the Los Angeles Times indicates California is divided into 52 congressional districts, not 54.
Furthermore, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. Reuters also reported the claim originally stemmed from the satirical X account via a June 6 article.