- The claim that a poll worker in Rogers, Minnesota, was photographed dressed in a novelty T-shirt intended to mock the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is unproven.
- The rumor stemmed from social media posts sharing a photo on Election Day 2026 of a woman wearing a white tee imprinted with the phrase “Problem Solved” against a blood-spattered background.
- The photograph was authentic, meaning we found no evidence it was digitally manipulated or created using artificial intelligence, but neither was there evidence the poll worker wore it intentionally to mock Kirk’s death. City and county officials said the worker claimed she wore the T-shirt as Halloween attire, with no political message intended, and city officials noted she was a Republican election judge.
- The “Problem Solved” T-shirt design has been available for purchase on Amazon since at least 2024, a year before Kirk was killed.
- Snopes will update this report if additional information surfaces.
The allegation that an authentic snapshot of a Minnesota poll worker depicted her wearing a T-shirt that some observers interpreted as an offensive reference to the Sept. 10, 2025, murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk circulated on Election Day 2026.
People on social media shared what was alleged to be a candid photo of a woman working at an early polling station on Halloween in Rogers, Minnesota, wearing a novelty T-shirt imprinted with the phrase “Problem Solved” against a blood-spattered background.
(X user @lizcollin)
The photo was allegedly taken in the community room inside the Rogers Fire Department in Hennepin County, which was on Minnesota’s list of early polling places. The image was authentic, but according to city officials, the poll worker intend for it to be taken not as a political statement but as a Halloween fashion statement.
The image itself showed no obvious signs of digital editing or use of generative artificial intelligence. Snopes put the image through Pangram, an AI-detection platform, which showed a high probability that it was not made with AI (it’s worth noting that such platforms are not always reliable and ought not be used as the sole determinant of an image’s authenticity).
(Pangram)
City officials posted a statement to Facebook on Nov. 3 that said:
The City has been made aware of attire worn by an election judge/volunteer on Halloween that some have taken as a political statement. We have spoken with the judge/volunteer in question who has assured us that there was absolutely no political message or intent behind the shirt, that it was worn as Halloween attire, and that they would never be supportive of the apparent message that others have tied to it. The election judge in question has given the City permission to note that they are a Republican judge pursuant to the requirement to maintain party balance per Minnesota Statute.
While the shirt in question did not meet the statutory definition regarding prohibitions against political party or campaign messaging at polling places per Minnesota Statute 211B.11, the City of Rogers takes the responsibility of maintaining a safe and inviting polling location very seriously. Had the perceived political connection of this shirt been known at the time, the election worker would have been asked to remove or cover up.
We reached out to Hennepin County’s public relations office, Hennepin County election officials and the Rogers Fire Department for further comment.
The public relations office pointed Snopes to the city’s statement and said the complaint had been forwarded to the city clerk for review and cited it as a possible violation of Minnesota Statutes 211B.11, which states:
A person must not:
(1) ask, solicit, or in any manner try to induce or persuade a voter to vote for or refrain from voting for a candidate or ballot question; or
(2) wear, exhibit, or distribute any item that displays:
(i) the name, likeness, logo, or slogan of a candidate who appears on the ballot;
(ii) the number, title, subject, slogan, or logo of a ballot question that appears on the ballot; or
(iii) the name, logo, or slogan of a political party represented by a candidate on the ballot.
According to the state, violating the statute is considered a petty misdemeanor, but as noted in the city’s statement, that did not apply to this particular case.
The county told Snopes that “most workers at polling places in Hennepin County are election judges hired by the municipality” and stated “Hennepin County expects polling places to be welcoming and free from intimidation, harassment, or disruption for voters and election workers alike. Anyone with concerns about conduct at a polling place should bring them to the attention of the head election judge or city clerk’s office.”
The claim that the poll worker intentionally wore the shirt to mock Kirk’s death remains unproven.
A similar claim was made in 2025 against teachers in an Arizona school who wore the same shirt and were accused of mocking Kirk, despite evidence the teachers had also worn the shirts the year prior, before Kirk was assassinated.
While it could be argued that the intention of the wearers in both cases was to mock Kirk, the T-shirt design in question predates the death of Charlie Kirk, and was not conceived as a reference to him or the manner of his death.
In fact, versions of the shirt have been available for purchase on Amazon since at least July 14, 2024, according to its product page, with reviews of the product dating as far back as Aug. 12, 2024, more than a year before Kirk’s death.
A search for “problem solved bloody t-shirt” on Amazon returned a variety of results for sale. A look at the Amazon reviews for the shirt show some negative comments prior to Sept. 10, 2025, primarily related to the shirt’s quality. It’s only after that date that some reviews object to it as offensive.
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