The US election served as a breeding ground for fake news, which reportedly sometimes outperformed real news on Facebook.
Using data from Buzzsumo, we ranked 11 of the most ridiculous fake stories based on “Facebook engagements” – a combination of shares, likes, and comments. Some of them were seen by more than 2.2 million people.
We also found out where these fabricated stories originated from, using snopes.com, a fact-checking website.
11. Sarah Palin banned Muslims from “entering” her daughter
Facebook engagements: 90,300
News site: nationalreport.net
What actually happened: These claims about Republican politician Sarah Palin are entirely made up in response to Trump's statement that the US should ban Muslims from entering the US.
The news site nationalreport.net "rather subtly attempted satire," thatsfake.com reported.
10. The Clinton Foundation paid Khizr Khan's law firm $375,000 (£300,500)
Facebook engagements: 268,600
News site: govt.slaves.info
What actually happened: This fake news story is based on a forged bank letter from Wells Fargo, which the article said was: "notifying the Kazoo Khan law firm that The Clinton Foundation is depositing $375,000 into its bank account."
The article surfaced after the owner of the law firm - Khizr Khan - spoke at this year's Democratic National Convention where he criticized Republican nominee Donald Trump for his lack of empathy for immigrants, Snopes reports.
Khizr Khan is father of US army captain Humayun Khan who was killed during the Iraq War.
9. Donald Trump mistook famous drag queen RuPaul for a woman and groped him at a party in 1995
Facebook engagements: 301,000
News site: worldnewsdailyreport.com
What actually happened: This was completely false - there's a disclaimer on World News Daily Report's website that the content is fictional in nature, Snopes reports.
The article said RuPaul made the comments in an interview with the Hollywood Inquirer, and even quoted the drag queen: "He started grabbing my ass and pulled my dress up to grab my genitals. He suddenly became very angry. He started yelling and cursing, and he left the party."
8. Mike Pence said Michelle Obama is the most vulgar First Lady ever
Facebook engagements: 352,600
News site: usanewsflash.com
What actually happened: This headline doesn't even appear in the article on usanewsflash.com.
After then-Indiana governor Mike Pence responded to Michelle Obama's speech which condemned Trump's "locker room banter," fake websites published an exaggerated account of his remarks, Snopes explains.
7. Trump won the popular vote
Facebook engagements: 481,100
News site: 70news.wordpress.com
What actually happened Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by a margin of more than 1 million.
As Snopes.com reports, there were calls and petitions for the Electoral College delegates to cast their ballots for the winner of the popular vote - Hillary Clinton, leading to false claims that Trump won the popular vote. The Federal Voting Assistance Program has addressed and refuted these claims.
6. Hillary Clinton suggested Trump should run for President
Facebook engagements: 507,200
News site: conservativestate.com
What actually happened: This was one of several fake quotes reported in an article originally posted by the hybrid site of news and satire, therightists.com. The fake quotes were falsely reported to have come from a 2013 speech Clinton delivered to Goldman Sachs that was made public by Wikileaks, Snopes said.
5. Hillary Clinton sold weapons to ISIS and it was confirmed by WikiLeaks
Facebook engagements: 789,500
News site: thepoliticalinsider.com
What actually happened: This stemmed from a number of social media users who posted that one of the Wikileaks emails from "The Podesta Emails" proved Hillary Clinton had "sold weapons to ISIS," Snopes explains.
The emails were a set of files containing communications sent to and from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta, later published by Wikileaks.
Snopes reports few readers actually look at the content directly when there are reports from WikiLeaks.
4. Ireland is officially accepting Trump refugees from America
Facebook engagements: 817,900
News site: winningdemocrats.com
What actually happened: This is fabrication upon fabrication: the headline is not only entirely false but is also not even mentioned in the article itself.
The article only relates to Inishturk, a tiny island off the coast of Ireland, saying: "Inishturk ... has now joined Canada in officially accepting Americans requesting political asylum from a Donald Trump presidency," thejournal.ie reports.
Firstly, Canada has not done this. Secondly, Inishturk does not have any say on immigration policy - Ireland's Department of Justice does, and it told FactCheck: 'There have been no recent changes to Ireland's immigration system."
3. Pope Francis endorses Trump for President
Facebook engagements: 961,300
News site: endingthefed.com
What actually happened: There was no truth to this story, originally reported on fantasy news website WTOE 5 news, despite the fact that the article said: "News outlets around the world are reporting on the news," Snopes explains. The pope is actually sympathetic to the Muslim refugees whom Trump wants barred.
Endingthefed.com and wtoe5news.com have removed the story.
2. Obama cut $2.6 billion from programs for veterans to support Syrian refugees in the US
Facebook engagements: 1.7 million
News site: endingthefed.com
What actually happened: A total lie based on, but entirely unrelated to, an unexpected budget shortfall of $2.6 billion (£2.1 billion) reported in June 2015 by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Snopes reports.
The same article was published by the Red Flag News site several months earlier.
Ending the fed has taken the article off its site.
1. Obama signs a nationwide order banning The Pledge of Allegiance in Schools
Facebook engagements: 2.2 million
News site: abcnews.com.co
What actually happened: This wasn't even an original fake - it was a recycled hoax, Snopes reported.