In February 2025, a rumor spread that former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's vineyard had received $14 million in funding for "experimental farming" from the United States Agency for International Development, the U.S. government's main overseas aid agency.
An image posted to Facebook on Feb. 23 read: "Nancy Pelosi's Vineyard Received $14 million from USAID for 'experimental farming.' In case you were wondering why she's so opposed to Congressional audits." The post featuring the image had the caption: "We checked. She hasn't experimented with anything. She grows three kinds of grapes. Nothing else."
(America's Last Line of Defense)
The rumor then spread to X and Reddit (archived, archived, archived). Snopes readers also wrote in to ask us whether it was true.
There was no evidence that the vineyard Pelosi owns in Northern California received any funding from USAID. A Google
Instead, the claim originated on the Facebook page America's Last Line of Defense, which is part of a network of satirical websites and social media accounts that has a history of fabricating stories for shares and comments.
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In the comments of the post, the owner of the ALLOD account wrote that Pelosi "should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law" and linked to an article on Dunning-Kruger-Times.com. The "About" page described the website as a "subsidiary of the 'America's Last Line of Defense' network of parody, satire and tomfoolery."
The article began:
In what critics are calling a miraculous stroke of government generosity, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's luxurious Napa Valley vineyard has reportedly secured millions in federal grants for what she describes as "experimental farming initiatives aimed at addressing climate change, sustainability, and the urgent need for wine equity."
According to leaked grant documents, Pelosi's vineyard will receive $12.8 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies to conduct groundbreaking research on viticulture practices, including solar-powered wine fermentation, AI-driven grape harvesting, and the effects of playing Beethoven to Cabernet Sauvignon vines.
Speaking at an exclusive wine-tasting event, Pelosi defended the funding. "This is about the future of American agriculture," she said, swirling a $500 glass of Merlot. "If we don't invest in the resilience of luxury vineyards now, who will suffer? The people."
Snopes has addressed similar satirical claims stemming from the ALLOD network in the past, including the assertion that half Los Angeles' fire trucks are electric and have to go back to the firehouse to recharge every eight to 10 hours and a rumor that former U.S. President Joe Biden quietly pardoned Anthony Fauci for "any actions since 2004."
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.