A viral online rumor claiming that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s vineyard received $14 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for “experimental farming” has been thoroughly debunked.
The claim, which surfaced in February, originated from a Facebook page called America’s Last Line of Defense, a known satire and parody network. The post featured an image reading, “Nancy Pelosi’s Vineyard Received $14 million from USAID for ‘experimental farming’. In case you were wondering why she’s so opposed to Congressional audits.”
The caption added, “We checked. She hasn’t experimented with anything. She grows three kinds of grapes. Nothing else.” Despite the satire label on the post, the claim quickly spread across other social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, where some users took it as factual.
One X user wrote:
“Nancy Pelosi had no business collecting government funding for a personal venture. This is why the Democrats are scared. They know they are in hot water.”
However, fact-checking site Snopes confirmed that there is no evidence that Pelosi’s vineyard in Northern California received any funding from USAID. A Google search of “Pelosi vineyard USAID funding” yields no credible sources or reports verifying the claim.
Additionally, Snopes pointed out that America’s Last Line of Defense explicitly describes itself as a satire and parody network. The page features disclaimers stating:
“Nothing on this page is real.”
Despite this, the post’s misleading nature led to further misinformation, with users calling for Pelosi to be “investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”.
This is not the first time USAID has been falsely linked to high-profile figures. Similar rumors have previously circulated, claiming that celebrities and political figures received millions in government funding articles from Dunning-Kruger-Times.com.
Among the debunked claims were allegations that:
Malia Obama received $2.2 million from USAID.
Chelsea Clinton secured $84 million for her work at the Clinton Foundation.
Hollywood actors Ben Stiller and Angelina Jolie received USAID funding for a trip to Ukraine.
All these claims have been proven false, with no legitimate records supporting them.
While satirical content often intends to entertain, misinformation can easily spread when readers mistake it for reality. As with all online claims, verifying sources remains crucial in separating fact from fiction.