'Vote Trump' church arson in Mississippi was by a congregation member
A week before the election, outlets widely reported the burning of Hopewell M.B. Church, a historically Black church in Greenville, Mississippi, spray-painted with 'Vote Trump', as a likely racially or politically motivated hate crime.
The coverage tied Trump's campaign to racist intimidation of Black voters.
What was reported
A week before the election, outlets widely reported the burning of Hopewell M.B. Church, a historically Black church in Greenville, Mississippi, spray-painted with 'Vote Trump', as a likely racially or politically motivated hate crime.
What actually happened
In December 2016, investigators arrested Andrew McClinton, a Black member of the congregation, and charged him with first-degree arson of a place of worship. The state fire marshal said officials did not believe the fire was politically motivated and that there may have been efforts to make it look that way.
The proof
McClinton's December 2016 arrest and the Mississippi fire marshal's statement that the arson was not believed to be politically motivated.
The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:
'Vote Trump' church arson in Mississippi was by a congregation member — Debunked. McClinton's December 2016 arrest and the Mississippi fire marshal's statement that the arson was not believed to be politically motivated. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/greenville-vote-trump-church-arson/
Original reporting
- Reuters (syndicated): Black church torched in Mississippi with 'Vote Trump' scrawled on sidehttps://www.adn.com/nation-world/2016/11/03/black-church-torched-in-mississippi-with-vote-trump-scrawled-on-side
- Al Jazeera: 'Vote Trump' sprayed on fire-damaged black US churchhttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/11/03/vote-trump-sprayed-on-fire-damaged-black-us-church/
Corrections, findings & records
- CBS News: Congregation member arrested in black church burning in Mississippihttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/andrew-mcclinton-arrested-in-burning-of-black-church-in-mississippi/
- Fox News (AP): Mississippi church member charged in 'Vote Trump' arsonhttps://www.foxnews.com/us/mississippi-church-member-charged-in-vote-trump-arson
Archived copies
Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.
- Archived copy: Reuters (syndicated): Black church torched in Mississippi with 'Vote Trump' scrawled on sidehttps://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2016/11/03/black-church-torched-in-mississippi-with-vote-trump-scrawled-on-side
- Archived copy: Al Jazeera: 'Vote Trump' sprayed on fire-damaged black US churchhttps://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/11/03/vote-trump-sprayed-on-fire-damaged-black-us-church/