“Chris Christie is in ICU and reported to be put on a ventilator.”
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No evidence Chris Christie is on a ventilator in the ICU
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- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie checked into a hospital on Oct. 3 after testing positive for COVID-19.
- There have been no official statements nor news reports suggesting that Christie is on a ventilator.
- A WNYC reporter who covered Christie for more than five years tweeted on Oct. 7 that Christie isn’t on a ventilator and that people who speak with Christie daily say he’s in good spirits.
- A prominent newspaper in New Jersey, the Star-Ledger, has also reported that Christie is not on a ventilator.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced on Oct. 3 that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He tweeted that he was "feeling good" and only had mild symptoms but that due to a history of asthma, he and his doctors decided he should check into a New Jersey hospital as a "precautionary measure."
But while President Donald Trump tweeted from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was receiving treatment for his own case of COVID-19, Christie has gone silent on social media, leaving other users to speculate about his health.
One image that’s being shared on Facebook is a screenshot of an Oct. 7 tweet that claims "Chris Christie is in ICU and reported to be put on a ventilator."
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
We found no official statements nor media coverage to corroborate this claim at the time it was made, and the post offers no evidence.
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Journalists familiar with Christie say it’s not true.
The Star-Ledger reported on Oct. 6 that Tom Moran, a columnist for the newspaper, said that he had spoken to Christie on the phone a day earlier and that Christie joked with Moran, sounding "raspy" but not coughing once during their 10-minute phone call, according to the story.
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Matt Katz, a reporter for WNYC who covered Christie for more than five years, tweeted around 3:30 p.m. New Jersey time on Oct. 7 that Christie is "NOT on a ventilator."
"I’ve spoken to multiple people who’ve been on the phone with the governor daily after he was admitted to Morristown Medical Center for testing Covid+. They say he’s in good spirits & getting good care."
A Star-Ledger report confirmed this, reporting he’s in good spirits and — according to "a source with knowledge of the situation" — not on a ventilator.
Christie’s exact condition remains unknown, according to news reports. But we rate this post False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Oct. 7, 2020
Chris Christie tweet, Oct. 3, 2020
Chris Christie tweet, Oct. 3, 2020
The Star-Ledger, Ex-N.J. Gov. Chris Christie remains hospitalized for COVID-19, Oct. 6, 2020
Matt Katz tweet, Oct. 7, 2020
The Star-Ledger, Ex-N.J. Gov. Chris Christie spends 5th day in hospital for COVID-19. Updates on care and his spirits, Oct. 7, 2020
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No evidence Chris Christie is on a ventilator in the ICU
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