Fact check: False claim that video shows Sen. McConnell calling for Speaker Pelosi to be 'jailed'
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The claim: Video shows Sen. Mitch McConnell calling for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be 'jailed'
Some social media users are sharing a video they claim shows Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., calling for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to be "jailed."
"'She should be jailed!' Mitch McConnell exposed Nancy Pelosi to her face In congres (sic)," reads the caption of an Aug. 16 Facebook post featuring the video.
The video was viewed 37,000 times in a week and accumulated more than 2,000 interactions.
But the video doesn't show what the caption claims.
While the Senate minority leader mentions Pelosi during the video, he does not call for her to be jailed.
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USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the claim for comment.
Video shows McConnell pushing legislation and discussing proposed Jan. 6 commission
The video in the social media post is composed of two separate clips.
The first clip is from early 2019 and shows McConnell advocating for the House to pass legislation pertaining to Israel, Syria and Jordan.
In the clip, McConnell mentioned the House speaker once, saying, "Speaker Pelosi apparently feels compelled to have her members vote on a resolution that would reportedly condemn anti-Semitism." The comment ostensibly referred to a House resolution that passed in March 2019 and condemned bigotry against various racial, ethnic and religious groups.
In the second clip, filmed in early 2021, McConnell discussed the proposed commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In the clip, he criticized as "partisan" Pelosi's proposed structure for the commission.
McConnell did not call for Pelosi to be jailed in either clip.
McConnell's office did not respond to a request for comment.
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USA TODAY found no evidence elsewhere of McConnell calling for Pelosi to be jailed in any other statement.
The claim was also debunked by PolitiFact.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that a video shows McConnell calling for Pelosi to be "jailed." McConnell mentions Pelosi in the video, but he does not call for her to be jailed.
Our fact-check sources:
PolitiFact, Aug. 18, No, McConnell didn’t say Pelosi should be jailed
The New York Times, March 7, 2019, House Votes to Condemn All Hate as Anti-Semitism Debate Overshadows Congress
Congress.gov, accessed Aug. 22, H.Res.183 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
Sen. Mitch McConnell, March 6, 2019, House Should Support Israel, Pass the Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act
Sen. Mitch McConnell, Feb. 24, 2021, McConnell Remarks on Democrats’ Proposal to Give January 6th Commission a Partisan Slant
Politico, Feb. 22, 2021, Republicans demand equal representation on 1/6 Commission
NPR, Feb. 24, 2021, McConnell Blasts Pelosi's Proposed Jan. 6 Commission As 'Partisan'
Congress.gov, accessed Aug. 22, Congressional Record
Congress.gov, accessed Aug. 22, S.1 - Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019
Google, accessed Aug. 22, Search: "she should be jailed" "mitch mcconnell"
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Video shows McConnell talking policy, not Pelosi 'jailing'
