Hillary's Ankle Monitor: When Did It Begin?

In February 2021, a doctored image of former US First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wearing an electronic ankle monitor was circulated on Facebook. The image was purported to be evidence that Clinton may have been arrested. However, the original photo, taken in 2019, showed Clinton walking through New York without any ankle monitor. As of February 9, 2021, there were no credible reports or evidence to suggest that Clinton had been arrested or was wearing an ankle monitor. This incident is not isolated, as Clinton has often been the target of misinformation on social media.

The image of Hillary Clinton wearing an ankle monitor is doctored

The image of Hillary Clinton wearing an ankle monitor is indeed doctored and was shared on social media in February 2021. The image was purportedly evidence that Clinton "may have been arrested". However, the original photo was taken in 2019 and published in the Daily Mail, showing Clinton walking through Amagansett Square in New York without an ankle monitor.

The image was shared on Facebook on 3 February 2021, with a caption in Korean that translates to English as: "Hillary might be arrested by now. She seems to be enjoying it, but had no idea that her picture was taken while wearing an ankle monitor."

A reverse image search revealed that the original photo was published on 27 August 2019 by MailOnline, the website for the UK tabloid Daily Mail. The photo, credited to splashnews.com, shows Clinton walking without an ankle monitor and is captioned: "Looking relaxed: Hillary wore sensible navy flats to walk around Amagansett Square, a shopping and dining area in Amagansett, New York."

There were no credible reports that Clinton had been arrested as of 9 February 2021.

Another image of Clinton wearing an ankle monitor while walking a dog at the beach was also found to be doctored. The original photo was taken in 2014 by Matt Agudo for INFphoto.com and published in the Washington Free Beacon. It showed Clinton walking her dog on a beach in Amagansett, New York, with Bill Clinton and a secret service agent, without an ankle monitor. This image is linked to the #PizzaGate conspiracy theory, which alleges that celebrities and government officials are under house arrest for child sex trafficking charges.

The original photo was taken in 2014 and published in 2019

In 2021, an image purportedly showing former US First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wearing an electronic ankle monitor was circulated on Facebook. The posts claimed that the photo was evidence that Clinton "may have been arrested". However, the image was doctored, and the original photo was taken in 2014 and published in 2019.

The original photo, taken by Matt Agudo for INFphoto.com, showed Clinton walking without an ankle monitor in Amagansett, New York, with her husband, Bill Clinton, and a secret service agent. It was published by the Daily Mail and MailOnline (the website for the UK tabloid Daily Mail) in 2019, and it did not include any ankle monitor.

The altered image was shared on Facebook in February 2021 and included a superimposed ankle monitor. The post's Korean-language caption translated to English as: “Hillary might be arrested by now. She seems to be enjoying it, but had no idea that her picture was taken while wearing an ankle monitor.”

This claim is linked to the #PizzaGate conspiracy theory, which alleges that celebrities and government officials are under house arrest for child sex trafficking charges. However, there were no credible reports that Clinton had been arrested as of February 9, 2021.

The image was shared on Facebook in February 2021

An image claiming to show former US First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wearing an electronic ankle monitor was shared on Facebook in February 2021. The image was published on Facebook on 3 February 2021. The Korean-language caption of the post translates to English as: "Hillary might be arrested by now. She seems to be enjoying it, but had no idea that her picture was taken while wearing an ankle monitor."

The image was shared alongside the claim that it was evidence that Clinton "may have been arrested". However, the image has been digitally manipulated and doctored. The original photo, published by MailOnline and credited to splashnews.com, shows Clinton walking around Amagansett Square in New York in 2019 without an ankle monitor.

This is not the first time a digitally altered image of Clinton has been shared on social media. In August 2020, a 2014 picture of Clinton walking in the Hamptons was debunked by fact-checkers after it was falsely claimed that she was wearing an ankle monitor.

The ankle monitor was superimposed into the image

In 2020 and 2021, a doctored image of Hillary Clinton purportedly wearing an electronic ankle monitor began circulating on Facebook. The image was shared with a caption in Korean that translated to English as: "Hillary might be arrested by now. She seems to be enjoying it, but had no idea that her picture was taken while wearing an ankle monitor." The image was shared widely on Facebook, with over 150 users sharing the photo.

Nick Merrill, a spokesperson for Clinton, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an email that the altered image is "bullshit." The doctored image may be linked to a baseless conspiracy theory that alleges various Hollywood celebrities and government officials are under house arrest for crimes against children. Similar claims have been debunked about other celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, and Tom Hanks.

It is important to be cautious and verify the authenticity of images and information shared on social media to prevent the spread of misinformation and false claims.

The image is linked to the #PizzaGate conspiracy theory

The image in question, purportedly showing former US First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wearing an electronic ankle monitor, has been shared repeatedly on social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter. The posts claim that the photo is evidence that Clinton "may have been arrested". However, this image has been confirmed to be doctored, with a reverse image search revealing that the original photo, taken in 2014 by Matt Agudo for INFphoto.com, does not include an ankle monitor. The original photo shows Clinton walking her dog on a beach in Amagansett, New York, with her husband, Bill Clinton, and a secret service agent.

This claim is linked to the #PizzaGate conspiracy theory, which alleges that celebrities and government officials are under house arrest for child sex trafficking charges. The theory originated from a fake online report that a Washington, DC, pizza restaurant was a front for a child sex trafficking ring. While the image of Clinton with an ankle monitor has been debunked, the #PizzaGate conspiracy theory has persisted and continues to circulate online.

The #PizzaGate conspiracy theory first emerged in 2016 and centres on allegations that high-profile individuals, including politicians and celebrities, were involved in a child sex trafficking ring centred around a Washington, DC, pizza restaurant called Comet Ping Pong. The theory was based on leaked emails from John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, which were released by WikiLeaks. The emails were purported to contain coded language and references to child sex trafficking, although no evidence of this was ever found.

The theory gained widespread attention, with numerous individuals and media outlets spreading the allegations. It led to real-world consequences, including threats and harassment directed at individuals named in the conspiracy theory. The pizza restaurant, Comet Ping Pong, became a target of harassment and threats, with its owners and staff receiving death threats and facing significant disruption to their business. The conspiracy theory was widely discredited and debunked by fact-checkers and media organisations, who found no evidence to support the allegations.

Despite the lack of evidence and widespread debunking, the #PizzaGate conspiracy theory has proven to be resilient and continues to circulate in various forms. It has evolved to include new individuals and allegations, often targeting high-profile figures who are perceived as controversial or unpopular. The doctored image of Hillary Clinton with an ankle monitor is one example of how the conspiracy theory continues to be propagated and adapted to fit new narratives.

Frequently asked questions