Morgue Trucks Are Not Advertising for Texas Gov. Abbott
The Claim
Bodies of dead Texas COVID patients are being loaded into trucks that are advertising Governor Abbott’s 2022 political campaign.
News posted on
Emerging story
Late this month, a picture appeared on social media depicting a morgue truck with the slogan “ABBOTT GOVERNOR 2022,” while bodies are being loaded in the back. Referring to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the image was shared over 1,000 times, and the caption “Picture of the Week from Texas” was sometimes added. The implication is that Covid-19 victims are being loaded into semi trucks advertising for next year’s governor race.
Misbar’s Analysis
Our analysis shows this picture to be faked. The original image is available from Reuters and taken by photographer Ivan Pierre Aguirre. It shows no such banner for Governor Abbott.
Abbott is known to openly oppose mask mandates, creating legislature banning mandates statewide. His actions are receiving pushback, and citizens are openly voicing their displeasure at his actions. One reader of the Austin-American Statesman complains that Abbott has strayed from his conservative ideals by removing power from local governments. Houston news station KHOU11 notes that Abbott’s office supports their action by declaring Texans are still responsible for wearing masks to protect each other, but they will not be forced to by the government.
In August, refrigerated morgue trucks were requested by the Texas Department of Health Services, due to increased deaths in Bexar County. The image does indeed show Covid victims’ bodies being placed in refrigerated semi-truck trailers in Texas. These morgue trucks are being used all throughout the nation to temporarily store bodies due to the influx of more than 600,000 American deaths this year.
Possibly created as satire, the image intends readers to blame Abbott for Texas deaths from COVID, while Governor Abbott believes Texans are responsible for wearing masks to protect each other. Whatever side of the ethical debate a reader may lie on, this image is manipulated.
