NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Washington D.C. July 9, 2025: A viral social media claim that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth “quietly” paid for the funerals of 90 victims of the June 12 Air India Flight 171 crash has been deemed false by fact-checking outlet Snopes.
The claim, which began circulating on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Threads in late June, claimed that Hegseth anonymously transferred funds at 3:17 a.m. to cover the funeral costs of the crash victims. Posts described the act as a “heart-wrenching gesture” that was done without publicity, attributing an unverified quote to Hegseth: “Make sure their families don’t suffer alone.”
Snopes found no credible evidence to support these claims. Neither the Department of Defense nor any reputable media outlet has confirmed Hegseth’s involvement. Multiple versions of the claim appeared on blog-style websites linked to phishing concerns, all using identical text likely generated by artificial intelligence.
The Snopes report said that an online detector rated the initial paragraphs of the articles “100% likely” to be AI-generated. Furthermore, key elements of the story — including a quote attributed to a crash victim’s widow, Pushpa Devi — were not found in Indian media in English or regional languages.
The false reports also claimed that social media users in the U.S. and India had responded with hashtags such as #HegsethHeart, #TrueAmerican, and #NamastePete — yet no substantial evidence of such trends was found on major platforms.
While the viral posts suggested Hegseth collaborated with a “local Indian charity,” no details or confirmations have surfaced. Snopes has reached out to both the Department of Defense and Peter Neenan, an aviation lawyer representing families of the crash victims, for comment and is awaiting replies.
In contrast, Air India officially announced on June 22 that it would provide compensation of £21,500 (approximately $29,000) to the families of the deceased and cover funeral expenses. Tata Group, Air India’s parent company, also pledged an additional £85,000 (approximately $115,000) per family. By July 4, interim payments had reportedly been disbursed to 47 families.
The June 12 crash of Air India Flight 171 was a major aviation tragedy, and efforts to support the affected families continue.
