Video of Jim Jordan congressional hearing shows questioning, not fight | Fact Check
The claim: A fight broke out during a congressional hearing
A May 6 Facebook video (direct link, archive link) shows a congressional hearing that includes Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican.
“F.ight BREAKS as Swalwell tries to OUTSMARTS Jim Jordan with SHAMEFUL interruption in questioning,” reads the typo-strewn caption on the post.
The video was shared more than 500 times in a week.
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Our rating: False
No fight happened. The video shows a hearing where then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is being questioned. The video is an example of a misinformation technique known as “false framing.”
Video shows committee hearing on Clinton email investigation
The video in the Facebook post shows part of a June 28, 2018, hearing of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Much of the meeting focused on an inspector general’s report on the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.
Jordan questions Rosenstein pointedly in the clip, with Swalwell interjecting to ask that Rosenstein be allowed to finish his answers to questions. During the hearing, Jordan accused Rosenstein of withholding information from the committee, according to USA TODAY coverage.
But at no point does a physical altercation happen.
Fact check: Post falsely links Hillary Clinton and Whitewater scandal with Oklahoma City bombing
USA TODAY has debunked numerous posts that pair false captions with videos of politicians or cable news programming, a type of misinformation known as "false framing."
Mike Caulfield, a research scientist at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, previously told USA TODAY the technique works in two ways. First, users tend to trust a post that features authentic footage from what they recognize as a credible source. This style of misinformation also exploits how users often scroll past the video with the sound off, never realizing that the caption doesn’t match what the video shows.
USA TODAY could not reach the social media user who shared the video for comment.
PolitiFact and Check Your Fact also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
C-SPAN, June 28, 2018, Justice Department OIG Report on Clinton Email Probe,
USA TODAY, June 28, 2018, Deputy AG Rosenstein, FBI Director Wray grilled by House panel on Clinton inquiry
USA TODAY, Nov. 4, 2022, Fact check: Video shows House GOP criticizing Jan. 6 committee, not laughing at Liz Cheney
Mike Caulfield, Oct. 18, 2022, Email interview with USA TODAY
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House members did not fight over Hillary Clinton emails | Fact Check
