Claim: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D., Mich.) is not a real person. She is actually the drag queen alter ego of Rep. George Santos (R., N.Y.).
Who said it: Various sources / internet sleuths
Why it matters: "Gretchen" would be the first drag-queen governor in American history. Even if Santos is technically prohibited from holding two public offices in different states, a genuinely inclusive society would prioritize the need for diverse representation over any legal issues that may arise. Additionally, if the governor of Michigan were revealed to be a Republican, the media might actually start investigating his/her administration.
Context: Santos is under fire for allegedly embellishing his/her résumé during the 2022 campaign, among other things. Mainstream journalists are naturally obsessed with Santos, a freshman congressman from Long Island who has essentially no power, and have devoted an inordinate amount of time and resources to following his/her every move. They are considerably less interested in fact-checking President Joe Biden, the most powerful geezer in the world.
Analysis:
We couldn't find a single photo of George Santos and "Gretchen Whitmer" in the same room together. That's very suspicious, but not definitive. Our proprietary facial recognition software identified a number of statistically unlikely similarities between the two persons but was unable to determine with scientific certainty whether they are in fact the same individual.
Verdict: No rating / inconclusive
