Fact Check

Did Malia Obama Cause 24 Classmates to Be Expelled for Praying on Campus?

A routine review of content labeled satire.

Published Nov. 8, 2019

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 29:  Malia Ann Obama is seen in Tribeca  on March 29, 2017 in New York City.  (Photo by Alo Ceballos/GC Images) (Alo Ceballos/GC Images/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 29: Malia Ann Obama is seen in Tribeca on March 29, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Alo Ceballos/GC Images)
Claim:
Malia Obama had 24 classmates expelled for praying on campus.

On Nov. 3, 2019, the website BustATroll published an article positing that Malia Obama had caused 24 of her Harvard classmates to be expelled for praying on campus:

Malia Obama Had 24 Classmates Expelled For Praying On Campus

The oldest of the Obama girls has had her share of troubles the past few years since Daddy left the White House. Drugs, shoplifting, arrests – she’s a bad seed from a rotten apple. Now she’s focussed her attention on destroying the lives of fellow classmates at Harvard – the ones who DESERVE to be there, unlike herself who got in because of her father’s influence.

This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:

Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined. Any similarities between this site’s pure fantasy and actual people, places, and events are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and satirical.

For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.

Sources

BustATroll.org.   "Malia Obama Had 24 Classmates Expelled For Praying On Campus."    3 November 2019.