An image is going viral on social media platforms showing Rep. Brian Mast wearing an Israeli military uniform. The viral image has drawn a massive reaction on the Internet. Users on social media platforms are fiercely sharing this image and questioning why a US Congressman is wearing an Israeli military uniform.

Jackson Hinkle, the well-known fake news peddler, posted this image on X(Twitter) and wrote: ” Why is a US Congressman wearing an ISRAELI military uniform?”

The archive version can be seen here.

The image has garnered more than 2 million views on X(Twitter).

Furthermore, we found that several users shared this image on X(Twitter) and asked similar questions.

Fact-Check

To verify the authenticity of the above viral image, the DFRAC team reverse-searched it on Google. Meanwhile, we found some images that were similar to the viral image on the official X handle of Rep. Brian Mast with the caption: ” As the only member to serve with both the US Army and the Israel Defense Forces, I will always stand with Israel”. The images were posted on Oct 13, 2023.

Moreover, we also found a media report from October 13, 2023, published by The Hill stating that Rep. Brian Mast arrived Friday on Capitol Hill wearing his military uniform from his service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a display of unity with the country following the Palestinian militant group Hamas’s surprise attack last weekend. 

In addition to that, another media report by The Washington Times dated October 13, 2023, also reported similar facts in the context of the above viral image.

Conclusion

It is clear from DFRAC’s Fact-Check that the above viral image of Rep. Brian Mast in IDF uniform dates back to October 2023, which has been misleadingly shared as recent.

DFRAC Analysis: Misleading