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'Haitian male prostitutes' shutdown claim, 'plenary authority' quote & Vince Gill

'Haitian male prostitutes' shutdown claim, 'plenary authority' quote & Vince Gill

Plus: Real story about chimpanzees domesticating penguins?

Megan Loe
October 11, 2025

SATURDAY EDITION

Snopes Debunker

An older white man wearing circle glasses sifts through papers.

Democrats don't want $3.6M for 'Haitian male prostitutes' to reopen government

After Congress failed to pass a spending bill to keep the government open, some Republican lawmakers claimed Democrats were holding out over $3.6 million in pastry cooking classes and dance focus groups for "male prostitutes in Haiti." The rumor was popularized by Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy.

But where did this number come from? And is there any truth to it? Snopes reporter Rae Deng traced the rumor’s origins, reviewed budget documents and combed through federal aid data to uncover the truth.

A white man is photographed talking. You can see another white man to his left behind him.

RFK Jr. said children circumcised early had 'double' rate of autism linked to Tylenol use

The U.S. secretary of health and human services cited a preprint study to back his claim.

Support Snopes With Our Monthly Membership

Snopes has been busy fact-checking political claims, including those related to the Trump administration. But we investigate claims on every topic, not just politics. For example, one fact check featured later in this newsletter verifies whether researchers really documented chimpanzees in the Congo Basin trying to domesticate penguins. We need your help to keep doing this far-ranging work. By growing our membership, we can continue cutting straight to the facts on any subject our readers are interested in. We appreciate any support you can give.

A group of people stand surrounding a blue car. The front two doors are open, with people standing next to them.

Examining claim video shows ICE detaining Chicago parents in school pick-up line

Online users shared this claim amid escalating immigration enforcement tactics by the Trump administration.

A white man wearing a blue suit stands looking slightly to the left. You can see another person standing slightly behind him.

Did Stephen Miller say Trump has 'plenary authority' on CNN?

"Plenary authority" refers to full or limitless power over a sphere of government, such as the military.

A white man wearing a flannel shirt is pictured next to another white man wearing a black tuxedo. Both men are smiling.

Did Vince Gill storm off Jimmy Kimmel's show after arguing with him on air?

According to IMDB, Gill has appeared on Kimmel's show only once — in 2011.

Staff Pick

Screenshot of image from Facebook post of a couple of chimpanzees carrying penguins along a path in a green jungle while three other penguins walk alongside them. There's an inset image of chimpanzees carrying penguins on a sandy beach

Real story about chimpanzees domesticating penguins?

People on social media went wild over a claim that researchers documented chimpanzees in the Congo Basin trying to domesticate penguins. The posts featured two blurry, low-resolution images that appeared to show chimps carrying penguins through a jungle path and onto a sandy beach.

But is there any truth to the story? Snopes reporter Emery Winter investigated.