Saturday, October 31, 2026Every claim sourced. Every source linked.
The record of what the American press got wrong, and who it helped
The Big Lies › 2016 › File PF-0087
Debunked

Louisiana student's 'Trump hat' hijab attack was fabricated

The day after the election, national outlets reported a University of Louisiana at Lafayette student's account that two men, one in a white Trump hat, beat her, robbed her and pulled off her hijab.

Screenshot of the original report as published
Screenshot of the report as published: columbian.com. Tap to open the source.
Who it helped: Democrats

The story supported a narrative of hate crimes by Trump supporters right after the election.

What was reported

The day after the election, national outlets reported a University of Louisiana at Lafayette student's account that two men, one in a white Trump hat, beat her, robbed her and pulled off her hijab.

What actually happened

On Nov. 10, Lafayette police said the student admitted during questioning that she had made up the story. She was issued a summons for filing a false report. The account had been grouped with other campus incidents as evidence of post-election attacks by Trump supporters.

The proof

Lafayette Police Department statement that the student admitted fabricating the attack.

The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:

Louisiana student's 'Trump hat' hijab attack was fabricated — Debunked. Lafayette Police Department statement that the student admitted fabricating the attack. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/louisiana-lafayette-hijab-trump-hat-hoax/

Original reporting

Corrections, findings & records

Archived copies

Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.

Get the daily file.