Fact Check: Did Marco Rubio cancel Tom Hanks’ passport and restrict his travel?
WASHINGTON, DC: A post has been circulating on social media claiming that the Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled Hollywood actor Tom Hanks’ passport, restricting his ability to travel abroad.
The claim suggests that the actor has been barred from leaving the country until there are answers to some difficult questions. Let us fact-check the truth behind the claim.
Claim: Marco Rubio cancelled the passport of Tom Hanks
The rumor that Rubio cancelled the acclaimed actor’s passport emerged this month on a Facebook page named Famed Zone, posted on Wednesday, December 10.
Along with a photo of Hanks and Rubio, the post was accompanied by a caption, “HOLLYWOOD'S NIGHTMARE UNLEASHED! Tom Hanks' passport is CANCELED!"
"The Secretary of State just grounded "America's Dad" as his secret Greek island paradise explodes into a chilling federal crime scene! Find out why the A-Lister is TRAPPED in the US now!” The caption continued.
Similar versions of the rumor have spread on the platform, and one post was in the form of a video generated by artificial intelligence.
Fact check: The viral post is a satire
Although some believed the rumor to be factual, there is no evidence that Rubio had taken such actions against Hanks.
Rather, the rumor originated from a Facebook page named America's Last Line of Defense, which describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as suggested by its bio, “The flagship of the ALLOD network of trollery and propaganda for cash. Nothing on this page is real.”
The page has a history of making up stories for shares and comments, sometimes relying on AI writing software to do its storytelling.
Rumor ties Marco Rubio to passport bill for Israel critics
The fictional story emerged in September of this year, after a rumor began circulating that a proposed bill in the US House of Representatives would allow the Secretary of State, not Marco Rubio, to deny or revoke the passports of US citizens for criticizing Israel.
According to the claim, the bill would also allow the affected people to appeal the denial or revocation of their passports.
