EXCLUSIVE: According to internal communications, Biden administration officials successfully pressured the fact-checking website Snopes to change its rating on a fact check it conducted regarding a potential federal ban on gas stoves.
In early January 2023, Snopes issued a “mixed” rating on the claim that the Biden administration was considering banning gas stoves, citing comments made by a top official who oversees product regulations. Shortly before the fact check, Richard Trumka Jr., a member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), said such a ban was “on the table.”
“This is a hidden danger,” Trumka told Bloomberg at the time. “Any option is on the table. Products that cannot be made safe can be banned.”
A month earlier, Trumka said regulating gas stoves should be a priority “either by dramatically reducing emissions or banning gas stoves entirely” because of their climate and health impacts, CBS News reported.
BIDEN OFFICIALS EXPLORED TAKING GAS STOVES EARLIER THAN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN, EMAILS SHOW
Richard Trumka Jr., a Biden-appointed member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, repeatedly suggested his agency was considering banning gas stoves because of their impact on health and the climate. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)
But Snopes, which originally gave its “mixed” rating as a result of Trumka’s statements, changed the rating to “false,” stating that the CPSC is “not currently considering a ban on gas stoves.” The updated Snopes article included additional comments from the CPSC and downplayed Trumka’s earlier statement.
However, Snopes only changed its article after pressure from the CPSC to do so, according to emails exchanged between the CPSC and White House communications officials and obtained by the watchdog group Functional Government Initiative (FGI). through a request for information.
BIDEN ADMIN PREPARING TO TARGET Americans’ gas ovens amid stove crackdown
“I sent a tough letter to this writer yesterday when the initial complaint was rated ‘mixed,'” CPSC communications director Pamela Rucker Springs wrote in an email to White House deputy press secretary Michael Kikukawa. on January 11, 2023, with a link to the updated version of Snopes. review of facts.
Kikukawa responded enthusiastically, saying that the modification would be “very useful in the future.”
Trumka’s comments sparked outrage among consumer advocates, energy industry groups and lawmakers. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“As a matter of routine, any time the CPSC identifies factually inaccurate coverage in any media outlet, we contact the outlet to request a correction. That’s what happened in this circumstance,” Springs told Fox News Digital when asked. asked about the Snopes fact-checking tampering.
“We were happy to see accurate reports that the administration is not trying to ban gas stoves, and never has,” Kikukawa added.
BIDEN’S ENERGY SECRETARY MEETS BANS ON CHINA-CONNECTED GROUP GAS STOVES IN US
Meanwhile, Trumka’s comments sparked widespread outrage among consumer advocates, Republicans and some Democrats. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R.N.D., even introduced the Gas Stove Freedom and Protection Act, which would prevent federal dollars from going toward regulatory efforts to ban gas stoves.
Amid the outrage, Trumka walked back his comments about opening the door to a ban, saying in a social media post that “the CPSC isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves.”
The White House eventually distanced itself from Trumka’s statements and denounced any ban on gas stoves. (Getty Images)
Additionally, CPSC Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric issued a statement clarifying that he was not “looking” to ban gas stoves, and the White House said President Biden would not support a ban on gas stoves. In March 2023, the CPSC made issue a public information request on the health impacts of gas stoves, which ultimately did not result in any regulatory action.
“A commissioner appointed by President Biden wanted to ban gas stoves and was caught, sparking a public outcry,” said IGF researcher and spokesperson Peter McGinnis. “So CPSC staff leaned on Snopes, seeking to counter the narrative by breaking down details about the commission’s processes.
“And the White House considers this ‘helpful’. Helpful with what? This goes beyond dysfunction: the government uses sympathetic media to censor inconvenient news,” McGinnis said. “The American people deserve to keep their gas stoves and know the truth about the regulations government officials are considering.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Snopes did not respond to requests for comment.
