A post shared on Facebook claims the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has purportedly forwarded the names of 163 members of Congress to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for “immediate audit.”
Verdict: False
The claim is false and originally stems from a Feb. 16 post shared by a satirical Facebook page.
Fact Check:
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates 58% of Americans are worried that DOGE cuts might impact programs such as student financial aid and Social Security, according to The Hill. The same poll shows that 29% of Americans “did not express the same concerns,” the outlet reported.
“DOGE forwarded the names of 163 members of Congress to the IRS for ‘Immediate Audit’ [and] 156 of them are Democrats,” the Facebook post, which does not provide a source to support its claim, reads.
The claim is false and originally stems from a Feb. 16 post shared by “America’s Last Line of Defense,” which is a satirical Facebook page. “The flagship of the ALLOD network of trollery and propaganda for cash. Nothing on this page is real,” the “Intro” section of the page’s bio reads. The original post has received over 3,000 likes as of writing.
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on DOGE’s verified X account, @DOGE, or the department’s website. President Donald Trump has not mentioned the claim on his personal or government X accounts or his TRUTH Social account. The IRS does not appear to have publicly commented on the claim, either. DOGE Lead and Tesla CEO Elon Musk also has not addressed the claim.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Feb. 19, Lead Stories debunked the claim, tracing its origin to the same satirical Facebook page. (RELATED: X Post From Ashley St. Clair Claiming She And Musk Used IVF To Conceive Child Is Fake)
Check Your Fact has contacted the IRS for comment.
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