copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-14): On July 14, an anonymous 4chan user claimed he was a Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis who had been ordered not to shoot the gunman who opened fire at former President Donald Trump’s July 13 rally. A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson said the claim was "categorically false" and that the Secret Service does not employ anyone named "Jonathan Willis." The anonymous 4chan user ID was only linked to four posts, all dated July 14.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-16): "My name is Jonathan Willis, I’m the officer in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump’s rally," the post reads. "I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp. 100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump." [...] "I didn’t follow the orders though, as soon as the shooter opened on Trump I returned fire despite strict orders to not engage. I had eyes on the shooter for three minutes watching him fiddle with his rifle and adjust the scope, it was obvious he was a shooter yet I wasn’t allowed to engage," the post continued. "After I killed the shooter I was arrested, questioned by the FBI, and just released an hour ago. Already lost my job for not following orders, but I’m glad I took the shots anyway." [...] Secondly, as noted by Secret Service spokesman Nate Herring, no individual named Jonathan Willis is employed by the agency.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-15): False flags, fake Secret Service agents: Conspiracies take over the internet after Trump assassination attempt A Secret Service spokesman on Monday debunked one of the most prominent — and outlandish — claims that emerged in the darkest corners of the internet [...] "I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp," the post asserted. "100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump."
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-15): Anonymous Secret Service agent claimed he "had the assassin in [his] sights for at least 3 minutes" on the 4chan bulletin. [...] The post, allegedly written by Willis, alleges that he was one of the officers present at the rally during the shooting. Although Willis had the shooter within range "for at least 3 minutes", there were no instructions from the top brass of the Secret Service to neutralize him. [...] "My name is Jonathan Willis. I'm the officer in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump's rally. I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp. 100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump," he allegedly wrote on 4chan.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-08-02): News organizations including Politico, Axios and CBS News reported that top Secret Service and FBI officials on July 17 updated members of Congress on the investigation of the July 13 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. [...] Axios, What Secret Service and FBI told Congress about attempted Trump assassination, July 18, 2024 Politico, Secret Service struggles to quash congressional fury over Trump assassination attempt, July 17, 2024
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-15): A squad of secret service snipers succeeded in killing the shooter who shot presidential candidate Donald Trump during his campaign for the American presidential election in Pennsylvania yesterday Saturday. But surprisingly, a widely circulated post claims that the poster was the sniper who tried to save Donald Trump's life but was prevented by his superior, He said in his post: "My name is Jonathan Willis, I'm the officer in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump's rally. I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp. 100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump." And he added "I didn't follow the orders though, as soon as the shooter opened on Trump I returned fire despite strict orders to not engage. I had eyes on the shooter for three minutes watching him fiddle with his rifle and adjust the scope, it was obvious he was a shooter yet I wasn't allowed to engage. After I killed the shooter I was arrested, questioned by the FBI, and just released an hour ago. Already lost my job for not following orders, but I'm glad I took the shots anyway."
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2023-05-17): — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2019 [...] PolitiFact Staff Writer Loreben Tuquero contributed to this report.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-05-30): PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report. [...] More by Madison Czopek In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-16): BREAKING: Jonathan Willis, the officer in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump’s rally, has informed the public that he had the assassin in his sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the Secret Service refused to give the order to take out the… pic.twitter.com/6xkd5VBgAo — Jeckov Kanani (@JeckovKanani) July 14, 2024 [...] "My name is Jonathan Willis, I’m the officer in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump’s rally," the post reads. "I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp. 100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump." [...] The post claims "Jonathan Willis" is in the picture that shows two snipers on the roof. The photo was taken by Gene J. Puskar with AP News. The image’s caption does not name the two men, but instead reads, "Police snipers return fire after shots were fired while Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024."
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-23): The claim: Secret Service sniper Jonathan Willis wasn't allowed to shoot would-be Trump assassin [En Español: Servicio Secreto desmiente afirmación de supuesto francotirador 'Jonathan Willis] [...] "BREAKING NEWS: Jonathan Willis, the officer in the famous photo of the 2 snipers on the roof of Trump's rally, has reported that he had the killer in his sights for 3 minutes," reads text within the post in Spanish. "But the head of the Secret Service refused to give the green light to neutralize him." [...] No one named Jonathan Willis works for the Secret Service
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-29): Posts from the anonymous online forum 4Chan have been spreading the false claim that Secret Service officials prevented an agent named "Jonathan Willis" from shooting former President Donald Trump’s attempted assassin. The Secret Service has no employee by that name, and the claim is "categorically false," the agency said. Nobody by the name of Jonathan Willis is employed by the U.S. Secret Service, agency spokesman Nate Herring told us via email. [...] It said, "My name is Jonathan Willis, I’m the officer in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump’s rally. I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp. 100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump."
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-16): Did U.S. Secret Service "top brass" refuse to give a sniper named Jonathan Willis permission to shoot the would-be assassin at the July 13, 2024, Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania -- as an anonymous post on 4chan claimed? No, that's not true: A statement from the U.S. Secret Service Communications and Media Relations Office called this claim categorically false. The agency added that there is no U.S. Secret Service employee by that name. [...] My name is Jonathan Willis, I'm the officer in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump's rally. I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp. 100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump. [...] I didn't follow the orders though, as soon as the shooter opened on Trump I returned fire despite strict orders to not engage. I had eyes on the shooter for three minutes watching him fiddle with his rifle and adjust the scope, it was obvious he was a shooter yet I wasn't allowed to engage.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-19): Secret Service agents killed the suspect at the scene, and the FBI later identified him as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. [...] - Posts from the anonymous online forum 4Chan spread the false claim that Secret Service officials prevented an agent named "Jonathan Willis" from shooting Trump’s attempted assassin. The Secret Service has no employee by that name, and the claim is "categorically false," the agency said. [...] See "Posts Use Altered Image of Secret Service Agents Following Trump Shooting" for more.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-16): "My name is Jonathan Willis," the poster wrote. "I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp. 100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump." But there is no agent or officer by the name of Jonathan Willis working for the Secret Service or the Butler police, and no internet records of such an officer could be located. A spokesman for the Secret Service cited by the Associated Press said snipers are trained and instructed to act whenever they see a threat and do not await instructions before taking a shot to neutralize a suspect. He said he couldn’t discuss the specifics of agency communication or the details of the ongoing investigation, but said the post was false.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-26): The person who posted it said their name was U.S. Secret Service agent Jonathan Willis and claimed he had the assassin in his sights for at least three minutes but top brass refused to give the order to take out the perp. [...] So, while there are still many questions about how the assassin was able to get a clear shot at former President Trump, claims of an agent named Jonathan Willis being told to stand down are false. In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned. President Biden has ordered an independent review to assess what happened.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-15): My name is Jonathan Willis, I'm the officer in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump's rally. I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp. 100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump. [...] Further, local police and Pennsylvania State Police listed no one by the name of Jonathan Willis on their websites. We called the police department in Butler, which confirmed no one of that name was part of its team. We also called Pennsylvania State Police to ask the same question. "Jonathan Willis is not an employee of Pennsylvania State Police," the agency responded. 4chan users who commented on the post displayed similar skepticism, and repeatedly asked for proof of identity and sources for the author's claims. "Monitoring this sniper for about 3 mins, then I'm taking the shot on the Xclose tab button," one snarked. "Proofs or f*** off," another retorted.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-07-14): "Explosive revelation: Jonathan Willis, the officer in this photo from Trump’s rally, claims he had the shooter in his sights for 3 minutes but was ordered not to take the shot by top Secret Service brass," one July 14 Instagram post read. "Massive if true, but take comments on the internet with a grain of salt." [...] We traced the social media claims to 4chan, an anonymous online messaging board. At around 2 a.m. July 14, someone with the user ID "z9qiQ4hq" claimed on the site to be "Jonathan Willis," the officer "in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump’s rally. I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least 3 minutes, but the head of the secret service refused to give the order to take out the perp. 100% the top brass prevented me from killing the assassin before he took the shots at president Trump." [...] We rate the claim that someone named "Jonathan Willis" was told by Secret Service higher-ups not to engage the Trump rally shooter False.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2012-01-19): Stand up for the facts! [...] More by Amy Sherman [...] In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2022-08-04): Explored in all kinds of ways, things, and the rest of it. [...] INMAN: In some ways it's almost like the assassination issue all over again. Destroying facilities which can be used to do damage, I'm comfortable with. Going after people inside the facilities but not disturbing the facilities just struck me as the wrong. Again, these are on-the-fly, thoughtful—maybe not even very thoughtful—responses, because I had no direct involvement. [...] ZIERLER: Today, I want to go back to 2001 and start on the topic of rhetoric used by the Bush administration during this extraordinarily difficult period in American history. From a geopolitics, from an intelligence, and from a national security perspective, what was your reaction to the Bush administration's use of phrases like "axis of evil" and "the Global War on Terror"?
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2018-02-02): Stand up for the facts! We need your help. [...] — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2018
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2017-07-27): 79 Jonathan Clemente, email to the author, 26 December 2007; Frank A. Gleason, telephone interview with the author, 26 December 2007; Joseph J. Tully, telephone interview with the author, 29 December 2007. [...] 166 Major [Frederick] Willis to Officers of the Communications Branch, 23 August 1943, subject: raising our sights on equipment and manpower, OSS Records (RG 226), Director’s Office Records, microfilm, 1642, Reel 42, Frames 1330-1332, National Archives II. [...] 187 OSS, War Report of the O.S.S., 136.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2018-08-08): We rate this statement Mostly True. [...] More by Manuela Tobias In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2011-03-20): Wall Street Journal Digital Network, Washington Wire, March 2, 2011, accessed March 24, 2011 [...] More by Peter Lord In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-10-04): click here for more [...] Stock futures rise slightly as Wall Street awaits September jobs report [...] The man charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump is due back in federal court Monday for his arraignment. Authorities said Ryan Routh, 58, lurked near Trump’s West Palm Beach, Fla., golf course armed with a rifle while the former president — who is also the Republican nominee in this year’s election — was playing on Sept. 15. A Secret Service agent on Trump’s security detail opened fire after saying they saw Routh in the bushes and then saw a rifle. Routh is not accused of firing any shots during the incident, and he allegedly fled and was arrested soon after on Interstate 95. Routh faces one count of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, which carries a potential sentence of life in prison. He also faces three federal firearms charges and a count of assaulting a federal officer.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2013-07-19): We rate his claim Mostly True. [...] More by Janel Davis In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2013-04-22): Check out these lists also...
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2024-08-26): Instagram posts stated on July 14, 2024 in Instagram posts: The shooter who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump was "Maxwell Yearick."
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2015-11-12): Service and the FBI. After the Secret Service obtained a graphic film of the assassination taken by an amateur photographer named Abraham Zapruder, [...] James Rowley, the chief of the Secret Service, and Kermit [...] Chief of the Secret Service, after which Mr. Rowley would be required to 'fall into line' or otherwise become a casu- alty." McCone recommended Michael J. Murphy, Commis- sioner of the New York City Police Department, to either replace Rowley or assume a new White House position supervising the service.' (U)
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2010-02-20): More by Bill Adair In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2022-12-31): But he engaged in a kind of feud with Weird Al Yankovic, who parodied "Gangsta's Paradise" with his hit, "Amish Paradise" ("As I walk through the valley where I harvest my grain, I take a look at my wife and realize she's very plain"). Though Coolio voiced his upset at the time, it was later attributed to a "misunderstanding." [...] Last year, Williams said that being the last living Medal of Honor recipient from World War II added to his feeling of responsibility, with the hope that "maybe I'm making somebody else's life a little better, a little more meaningful." [...] The crowd called out for more
Claim: A Secret Service agent named Jonathan Willis said he “had the assassin in his sights for 3 minutes, but he was told not to engage by the head of the (Secret Service) unit.” (Instagram posts, 2024-07-14)
Evidence (2015-08-26): We rate the claim Mostly True. [...] More by Will Cabaniss In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.