Fact check: Video shows Mayorkas being questioned by Hawley, not begging 'forgiveness'

Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY
·2 min read
186

The claim: Video shows Alejandro Mayorkas begging Josh Hawley for forgiveness

A Facebook video shows Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, questioning Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at a Senate hearing.

"Watch Mayorkas BEGS Josh Hawley for forgiveness after B0MBSHELL 'Hunter's laptop' reveal at hearing," reads the video's caption in the April 25 post (direct link, archive link).

The video was viewed more than 50,000 times and shared more than 800 times in a day.

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Our rating: False

The video shows Hawley questioning Mayorkas about his decision to hire Nina Jankowicz, a misinformation researcher, to lead the Disinformation Governance Board. Mayorkas does not request "forgiveness" or apologize at any point in the video.

Video shows Hawley criticizing hiring decision by Mayorkas

The exchange between Hawley and Mayorkas occurred during a May 4, 2022, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.

The Disinformation Governance Board was a short-lived effort by the Department of Homeland Security. The stated goal of the board was to coordinate responses to national security-related misinformation, according to The Washington Post.

Compared online to the "Ministry of Truth" – a reference to George Orwell's "1984" – the board "was hampered from the start by questions about its purpose and an uneven rollout that further confused its mission," the Associated Press reported.

Fact check: False claim video shows Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez crying in congress

Jankowicz resigned from her position after being subjected to sexist online harassment and threats, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Hunter Biden's laptop was acquired by the FBI in 2019 and remains a subject of Republican scrutiny. The president's son is also under federal investigation for possible tax and gun violations.

While the post references a "bombshell" reveal, the laptop is only discussed in the video in reference to public comments previously made by Jankowicz about the laptop.

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Video caption mischaracterizes Hawley, Mayorkas exchange