The Squad Didn’t Wear Swastika Dresses

Drew Fossen

News

16th January 2021

The picture was photoshopped (Getty Images).

The Claim

Members of Congress known as “The Squad” posed wearing swastika dresses.

News posted on

Emerging story

A photo featuring “The Squad” – US Congress members Rashida Tlaib (D- Michigan), Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), Jamaal Bowman (D-New York), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), Cori Bush (D-Missouri), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) – that shows some of them wearing dresses with stars in the shape of the Nazi swastika symbol went viral on social media. The photo also shows the same symbol on two of their masks. This photo was shared on January 12th, 2021.

It quickly went viral, being shared on Facebook and Twitter with negative comments.

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar’s investigation found this photo to be fake. The original photo was posted by Cori Bush on January 3rd, 2021.

As you can see from the original photo, there are no swastikas on the dresses or masks of the congresswomen and congressman pictured. The photo has also been photoshopped to add a bowtie onto Ayanna Pressley’s head.

According to the Guardian, members of the squad have been frequently vilified by Trump and his supporters, labeling them as anti-Semitic. In a campaign speech in North Carolina in 2019, Trump said “Omar has a history of launching vicious, anti-Semitic screeds.”

Ilhan Omar has faced controversy over some Tweets and comments she's made about Israel, but she says she is not anti-Semitic.