Image of CNN report on Kenya seeking watercraft for Haiti invasion is fabricated | Fact check

Andre Byik, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Image shows a CNN report on Kenya seeking US watercraft to invade Haiti

A March 14 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a screenshot of a social media post supposedly from CNN about unrest in Haiti.

"Kenyan present (sic) William Ruto reportedly called president Joe Biden to organize the purchase of 'several dozen' WW2 era amphibious landing crafts for a naval invasion of the Haitian coast," reads what appears to be a post on X, formerly Twitter, from CNN.

On-screen text included in the Instagram post reads, "African nations are about to launch a D-day style invasion on Haiti."

The post was liked more than 20,000 times in four days.

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Our rating: Altered

The image is digitally fabricated. CNN didn't share the post or publish any such report, a spokesperson said.

Image originated on 4chan message board

Emily Kuhn, a spokesperson for CNN, said the image is a fabrication and "not something we posted on X or reported."

The post does not appear in a search of CNN's X account, and there are no articles on its website about Kenya's president contacting President Joe Biden to purchase World War II-era watercraft to invade Haiti.

The image in the Instagram post contains several irregularities uncharacteristic of posts shared on CNN's main X account, including the misspelling of the word "president" as "present," the absence of a hyperlink to a related story and the addition of a device label, "Twitter for iPhone."

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A similar version of the fabricated image circulating on social media platforms indicates that it originated on 4chan, a collection of message boards where users can share content anonymously.

Haiti has been gripped by ongoing gang violence and political instability. A plan to deploy 1,000 Kenyan police officers to the Caribbean nation to restore security was put on hold after Haiti's prime minister, Ariel Henry, announced on March 11 that he would resign, The New York Times reported.

The Instagram user who shared the image did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CNN post on Kenya-US call about Haiti invasion isn't real | Fact check