Homeland Security spokesman shoots down 'fake news' story with one tweet

Very soon after it was announced today that Reince Priebus was out as White House chief of staff, a report began circulating that appeared to prove the ineptitude and incompetence of the Trump administration. Until one tweet from a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security shot it down.

Shane Harris of the Wall Street Journal tweeted from his social media account on Twitter.

"A DHS spokesman tells me the department has received "no guidance" on who is now the acting secretary of homeland security," he said.

The vacancy at the Department of Homeland Security will come from retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, who had been the secretary at the department, but will become the White House chief of staff, replacing Reince Priebus.

But before the story could grab hold, David Lapan, presumably a different Department of Homeland Security spokesman, corrected Harris from his own Twitter account.

"Untrue that DHS received no guidance on acting secretary," he said. "[Secretary Kelly] remains Secretary - [Deputy Secretary] Duke becomes acting [secretary] on Mon."

Untrue that DHS received no guidance on acting secretary. #SecretaryKelly remains Secretary - DepSec Duke becomes acting sec'y on Mon.

— David Lapan (@SpoxDHS) July 28, 2017

Later the Department of Homeland Security posted a statement clarifying that there was a clear line of succession for the position.

Harris also posted the statement.

The original tweet saying there is no guidance has more than 3,200 retweets, the statement from Homeland Security has only 151 retweets.