Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge of Allegiance in Schools Nationwide: Hoax

Story:

Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge of Allegiance in Schools Nationwide.

Other Versions

Obama the Signing of Executive Order 13738, revokes the Pledge of Allegiance. Violate this order can face fines of up to $10,000 and up to one year in federal prison.

Picture Suggesting Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge of Allegiance in Schools Nationwide — Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge of Allegiance in Schools Nationwide

Analysis:

According to a story spread wide online, U.S. President Barack Obama has signed an Executive Order 13738, which revokes the Pledge of Allegiance and bans its use in all public schools around the nation. No, the claim is not a fact.

Origin of Story

The story in question originated in mid August 2016 from an article published on website abcnews.com.co. As per the article, in a controversial move, President Obama signed an Executive Order 13738, which revokes the federal government’s official recognition of the Pledge of Allegiance. The introduction paragraph from the article is quoted below:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Early this morning, President Obama made what could very well prove to be the most controversial move of his presidency with the signing of Executive Order 13738, which revokes the federal government’s official recognition of the Pledge of Allegiance. Under the new order, it is now illegal for any federally funded agency to display the pledge or for any federal employee to recite, or encourage others to recite, the pledge while on duty. This law also applies to federal contractors and other institutions that receive federal funding such as public schools. Individuals who violate this order can face fines of up to $10,000 and up to one year in federal prison.

Fake News Article

Firstly, there is no such Executive Order 13738 that bans The Pledge Of Allegiance in U.S. Schools, and there are no credible reports about the claim. The website abcnews.com.co mimics ABC News website in appearance, but has a different URL. It does not carry any Disclaimer information, and has been publishing fake stories like ‘Secret Service Agent Says Obama Is Gay & Muslim In New Tell-All Book‘.

Screenshot of related article on website abcnews.com.co

So quite clearly, the claim that U.S. President Obama signed an Executive Order Banning The Pledge of Allegiance in all U.S Schools is just a hoax that originated from a fake news article.