Hold Politicians Accountable for Spreading False Information

I am writing to urge you to introduce legislation that holds public officials accountable for knowingly spreading false information. President Trump’s recent claim that Kilmar Abrego García had “MS-13” tattooed on his knuckles, a claim based on a digitally altered image, demonstrates the dangers of unchecked political misinformation. Experts in gang identification have confirmed that García’s actual tattoos do not indicate gang affiliation and the supposed “MS-13” markings were added digitally. This is not an isolated incident. Fact-checkers have documented numerous falsehoods from President Trump during his second term, including misstatements about trade deficits, inflation, and immigration. Misformation erodes public trust, undermines informed decision-making, and can lead to harmful policy decisions. Scholars warn that repeated falsehoods from leaders can normalize misinformation, making it harder for citizens to discern truth from falsehood. To protect our democracy, we need laws that hold public officials accountable for deliberate misinformation. I urge you to champion legislation that imposes consequences for knowingly spreading false information in office.