Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

More Info

I would like to contribute

Aaron Sharockman
By Aaron Sharockman March 30, 2018

No, Robert Redford didn't say Michelle and Barack Obama should go to prison

A story circulating on Facebook claims in a headline that actor Robert Redford thinks Michelle and Barack Obama should be sent to prison. But if you click, all you find is jibberish.

This story is a hoax.

"Robert Redford Says: Michelle And Barack Obama Should Get Five Years In Prison," reads the headline on newsdonaldtrumps.com.  There is no story, however, to accompany the headline, just stray text about dental implants and tooth extractions.

The page also includes an image copied from an interview Redford gave to Vanity Fair in January 2016. The image does not include any mention of the Obamas, and neither does the full Vanity Fair article.

In reality, Obama awarded Redford the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2016.

Featured Fact-check

This particular hoax -- that an actor says Obama and/or his wife should be sent to prison -- appears to be a favorite of people who peddle misinformation.

Similar hoaxes say Clint Eastwood, Nicole Kidman and Jeff Bridges all made the same claim.

None of them should be trusted.

Our ruling

A blog claimed in a headline actor Robert Redford said Michelle and Barack Obama should get five years in prison. But that’s rubbish.

We rate this claim Pants on Fire.

Share the Facts
1
1
7
PolitiFact rating logo PolitiFact Rating:
Pants on Fire
"Robert Redford Says: Michelle And Barack Obama Should Get Five Years In Prison."
In a post on the Internet
Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Our Sources

Newsdonaldtrumps.com, "Robert Redford Says: Michelle And Barack Obama Should Get Five Years In Prison," March 28, 2018

Vanity Fair, "Catching up with Robert Redford at Sundance, Talking Barbra, the 70s, and the Future of Indie Film," Jan. 30, 2016

Time, "President Obama Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Robert de Niro, Diana Ross and More," Nov. 22, 2016​

Hoax alert, "Fake News: Obama Should NOT Get Ten Years In Prison According To Jeff Bridges, Nicole Kidman or Clint Eastwood," July 5, 2017

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Aaron Sharockman

No, Robert Redford didn't say Michelle and Barack Obama should go to prison

Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!

In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.

Sign me up