In June 2025, a rumor spread that Rep. Jack Kimble, a Republican from California, did not know the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" he voted for was in fact a real budget bill.
For example, an X user shared a screen capture of an exchange Kimble supposedly had on the platform in which he replied "my bad" to someone telling him he should read the bills he votes for (archived). This post went viral as many Republicans in Congress who voted for the bill admitted to not having read it in full:
(X user @SCHIZO_FREQ)
Indeed, Snopes identified this and many other exchanges Kimble had on X after his post in which he admitted to not knowing that the Big Beautiful Bill would "determine spending levels" (archived):
(X user @RepJackKimble)
Other X users appeared to take the admission at face value. "Turns out, you're supposed to read the bills before you vote on them," one of them said. "Did you, like… READ IT before voting on it?" another asked. Kimble replied to many of these comments. "Yeah, my bad," he repeatedly responded.
However, Kimble is a fictional, satirical character. Indeed, the supposed congressman's bio on X linked to an Amazon page for a book he wrote. The page included details about the author, which read (emphasis ours):
Jack Kimble is the Congressman from California's faux 54th District. In reality he is the brainchild of a Chicago school teacher. Kimble began making a name for himself on both Twitter and the blogosphere in 2009 with his unique brand of political satire. By 2010 he had gained acclaim for duping both The Huffington Post and the Washington Post within a single month. Admirers of Jack Kimble include members of Congress, comedians, liberals, and even discerning conservatives, who appreciate Jack's humor that often takes right wing talking points to a hilarious conclusion.
Other clues in Kimble's X bio indicated the account was satirical. For example, it said Kimble was the "co-sponsor of Poe's Law." Poe's Law, according to TV Tropes, can be understood as follows:
The core idea of Poe's Law is that a parody of something extreme can be mistaken for the real thing, and if a real thing sounds extreme enough, it can be mistaken for a parody (all because parodies are intrinsically extreme, in case you haven't noticed it).
Snopes has addressed similar satirical claims in the past, including a rumor that hundreds of bears had blocked the entrance to Yellowstone.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical. Further, here is a guide to identifying satirical content online.