Despite claims to the contrary, the Department of Justice is not investigating people who chant "F--- Joe Biden" or its 18-month-old, SFW counterpart Let's Go Brandon.
Last week, a headline from DogFacePonia, a very transparently satirical website, began spreading on social media as though it were real.
The headline suggested Attorney General Merrick Garland would launch an investigation into Joe Biden's chanting critics. Once the headline was screenshotted, cutting off the site's masthead that reads, "It's not fake news, it's fairy tale news," some online seemingly took it as fact and began incidentally spreading misinformation.
The developing hoax, spotted by The Daily Dot and debunked by Reuters, has disturbed some conservative commenters who believe their right to free speech is under attack.
On Twitter, the above tweet was shared nearly 3,000 times, with many commenters ready to fight for their right to chant "Let's Go Brandon" at NASCAR events or around the internet.
Even without the full context, many commenters missed the screenshotted article's obvious tells, such as the author being listed as "Dogfaceponia" and a joke in the lede about Biden hearing "F--- Joe Biden" anywhere he goes in Michigan.
So no, Merrick Garland will not arrest anyone for exercising their right to engage in an 18-month-old meme in public, because the right to repeat memes well after their expiration date is what makes America great.
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