Viral clip shows a US lawmaker condemning genocide in Gaza

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a keyword search and a reverse image search to trace the original video.

Multiple social media users, including pro-Türkiye and pro-Iran accounts, were sharing a clip on X since May 19, 2026, claiming it shows US Congressman Michael Joseph Bost expressing anger and frustration over genocide in Gaza in the legislative assembly. However, the clip is old and shows Illinois State Representative Mike Bost reacting to a pension reform bill.

More than six months after the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains severe. Ahead of the Board of Peace’s May 21 briefing to the United Nations Security Council on its six-month progress report, Human Rights Watch said Israeli authorities continued to undermine aid operations. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli attacks have killed at least 856 Palestinians and wounded 2,463 others since the ceasefire.

HOW IT STARTED

On May 19, 2026, an X user, who appears to be pro-Türkiye based on past posts, shared a video showing an American politician shouting in frustration on what looked like the legislative assembly floor.

The caption reads: “US Representative Mike Bost rebelled against Israeli genocide in Gaza: Islam has nothing to do with this issue. Being human is enough to support Palestine.”

The post gained 143,000 views.

On the same day, another X user shared the same video with the caption: “US Congressman Mike Bost gets angry and throws papers in Parliament. This war is not our war, and Israel is the one who dragged us into this war, and now we are bearing its consequences, and the people are paying the price.”

The post received 179,000 views.

The same video was shared by other social media users too, as seen here, here, and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the situation in Gaza.

A keyword search was conducted to determine whether any mainstream international or local media outlets had reported the alleged incident referenced in the viral video. However, the search yielded no relevant results.

A reverse image search was conducted to trace the source of the clip, which yielded a YouTube video shared by American News outlet CBS News on May 30, 2012, with the following title: “Ill. lawmaker goes on tirade over pension bill.”

The transcription of the video reads: “These damn bills that come out here all the damn time come out here at the last second, and I’ve got to try to figure out how to vote for my people? You should be ashamed of yourselves! I’m sick of it! Every year, we give power to one person.”

In the YouTube clip, Illinois State Representative Mike Bost can be seen reacting to a proposed pension reform bill that would require employees to choose between reduced pension benefits and the loss of healthcare coverage.

A further keyword search led to a CNN report titled “Illinois lawmaker explains angry outburst,” published on June 1, 2012, which reported the same.

FACT-CHECK STATUS

The claim that a viral clip shows a US lawmaker condemning genocide in Gaza is false.

The video is from 2012 and shows Illinois state Rep. Mike Bost reacting to a pension reform bill.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES

May 30, 2012, CBS News, YouTube report:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz-T47DCc9k

June 1, 2012, CNN, video report:
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2012/05/31/erin-bost-explains-outburst.cnn