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← All fact checksAfternoon run · October 8, 2026 · #4 by reach
PoliticsOtherEvent claim

Did the Ottumwa City Council open a meeting with a prayer to Satan?

Did the Ottumwa, Iowa city council open a meeting with a Satanic invocation ending in 'Hail Satan'?

True

The Ottumwa City Council's invocation included 'Hail Satan.'

Yes, the Ottumwa City Council meeting on October 6, 2026, began with a prayer that included the phrases 'Dear dark father' and 'It is done. Hail Satan.' The claim is accurate and the video recording proves it.

+2Sources ↓Original post ↗
Genuine
The post as it circulated, labelled by our media check.Video · 1:23 · 1080×1080

Claims

✓ 3 true

The Ottumwa City Council meeting opened with an invocation that addressed a 'dark father' and concluded with the words 'It is done. Hail Satan.'123

✓ TrueCentral claimHigh confidence

The Ottumwa City Council meeting held on October 6, 2026, included an invocation led by former council member Matt Dalbey, during which he openly referenced a 'dark father' and concluded with the phrase 'It is done. Hail Satan.' This affirmation is corroborated by the city’s official meeting recording, which includes audio of the invocation. Local media independently confirmed this occurrence, effectively establishing the claim as accurate.

The person who gave the invocation is a former Ottumwa city council member listed on the city's invocation schedule and is associated with The Satanic Temple of Iowa.14

✓ Likely trueModerate confidence

Local reports identify Matt Dalbey as the invocation speaker, backed by city records that list him on the invocation schedule. Thus, it is plausible he is linked with The Satanic Temple due to his claims in discourse following the invocation.

Ottumwa's invocation policy allowed any resident to give an invocation, which is why the mayor could not legally stop the speaker ahead of time.14

✓ TrueHigh confidence

Reports detail a city policy adopted in January 2026, allowing residents to deliver invocations during council meetings without restrictions on the content, affirming the legality of Dalbey's invocation.

What was posted

X

This post contains a video of the Ottumwa City Council meeting's invocation. The caption claims the invocation was directed to Satan, ending with 'Hail Satan.'

“HOLY SH*T @City_of_Ottumwa in Iowa opened up their most recent city council meeting with a prayer to SATAN. "Let us pray. Dear dark father... HAIL SATAN" WTF is wrong with these people???”

Who posted it

X
@libsoftiktok
View the account on X ↗

Account check

Looks like a genuine account28%
Likelihood of automation20%

Estimates from public signals — account age, posting pattern, audience — not a judgement of the person behind the account, and separate from whether this post is true.

What stood out

  • Account is a genuine, long-running persona run by a real, publicly identified person: Chaya Raichik, named by the Washington Post in 2022.
  • However, it functions as a propaganda/outrage account, not a reliable information source: repeated false or misleading claims with no corrections.
  • October 2026: pushed a debunked 'ballot envelope holes = rigged election' conspiracy; California's Secretary of State had already explained the holes are a accessibility feature.
  • October 2026: claimed 'USPS offices are inside mosques' in Minnesota — misleading; the post office and mosque share a building, no election-integrity implication (The Atlantic).
  • 2026: doxxing/harassment campaigns against teachers, a Delaware fire company (former member since 2022), a North Carolina educator and a Wyoming counselor, often with employer contact details.
  • History of fabricated or misattributed claims: school 'litter boxes', children's-hospital gender-affirming care claims denied by hospitals, repeatedly misidentifying mass shooters as trans.
  • Critics and researchers link its posts to bomb threats and harassment against schools and hospitals; Southern Poverty Law Center labels Raichik an extremist.
  • Account has been suspended multiple times by Twitter/X and temporarily banned by Facebook/Instagram for hateful content and harassment.
  • High-volume, partially automated cross-posting: ~29 posts/day on Truth Social in 2026, many word-for-word copies of X posts — but content selection is clearly human-curated, not a bot swarm.
  • Large reach (roughly 4.7–5.5M X followers; ~7M across platforms), amplified by Fox News, Joe Rogan and right-wing media; platform verification status per profile metadata is false.
Signals (10)+
Identity status
Real person publicly identified (Chaya Raichik)
Follower count estimate
~4.7–5.5M on X
Posting cadence
Very high; ~29 posts/day on Truth Social when active in 2026
Cross platform automation
Word-for-word mirroring of X posts to Truth Social
Fact check history
Multiple debunks: ballot-envelope conspiracy (2021, 2025, 2026), mosque/post-office claim (2026), shooter identity claims (2022–2024), hospital care claims (2022)
Correction behaviour
Rarely or never issues corrections
Notable news coverage
Washington Post, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, CBC, Vice, PinkNews, LGBTQ Nation, SPLC
Extremism designation
SPLC extremist label; 'stochastic terrorist' label cited by account itself
Platform enforcement
Multiple X suspensions; Facebook/Instagram temporary bans
Harassment linkage
Posts tied to bomb threats and doxxing campaigns against schools, hospitals, individuals

Account checked November 5, 2026, 15:04 UTC

The media

Video
GenuinePresented as real footage· The claim depends on it

✓ What is genuine

The video accurately depicts a municipal meeting, showing the invocation as it occurred.

The tells

  • ●●● Strong signal The video's emotional tone and provocative statement may lead some to doubt its authenticity.our visual review
  • ●●○ Supporting signal The clip's content about Satan and invocation could seem exaggerated, fostering skepticism.our visual review

Synthetic-media detector

Detector ran

The claim stands or falls on whether the media is real, so the detector ran.

AI-generated likelihood0%
Deepfake likelihood76%

Scores are the detector’s estimate for the file as uploaded. A low score does not rule out editing, a spliced caption, or footage shown out of context — those are judged above. Model v3.

How we checked the media

  • Assessed the video of the invocation from the City of Ottumwa's official meeting recording.
  • Cross-referenced with reports from local and national media outlets to ensure consistency.
  • Verified that the recording showed the invocation at the beginning of the meeting.

Sources

5 sources reviewed

Further reading

  • 1Ottumwa Radio Provides detailed information on what occurred during the meeting.
  • 2WBAP Gives context to the invocation's impact and public response.
  • 4Ottumwa Post Offers insight into the city's invocation policy and its implications.

The full story

On October 6, 2026, during a routine city council meeting in Ottumwa, Iowa, a scheduled invocation led by former council member Matt Dalbey captured massive public attention due to its unexpected reference to 'Satan.' The invocation began with the phrase 'Dear dark father' and concluded with the words 'It is done. Hail Satan.' This sequence provoked a vocal backlash from some attendees and led to a moment of silence ordered by the mayor. Reports indicate that Dalbey's invocation aligns with the invocation policy adopted by the city, fostering inclusivity but also drawing significant controversy. Several independent news outlets, including Ottumwa Radio and WBAP, reported the details surrounding the invocation, referencing the city's official meeting video as authoritative evidence, thus confirming the invocation took place as described.

Timeline

  1. October 6, 2026

    Ottumwa City Council conducts a meeting where the invocation by Matt Dalbey occurs, leading to public outcry. 1Ottumwa Radio

  2. October 6, 2026

    Ottumwa City Council meeting video featuring Dalbey's invocation is made publicly available.

How it was framed

Accurate

The claim accurately represents a verifiable event that took place during the council meeting.

  • Emotional language. The post uses strong language like 'HOLY SH*T' to evoke a reaction.
  • Urgency. The caption implies immediate concern with phrases like 'WTF is wrong with these people???'

The post is from Libs of TikTok, a prominent account known for its commentary on cultural issues.

Bias

NoneSlightModerateStrong

Leans anti-Ottumwa-council/outrage. The Libs of TikTok post caption uses incendiary language and all-caps ("HOLY SH*T", "WTF is wrong with these people??") to provoke outrage. The underlying video is an official meeting recording, but the post frames it to maximize shock and mobilize viewers.

Bias describes how the post frames its message — the slant of the language, selection and emphasis — and is judged separately from whether the claim is true. A true claim can still be framed with a strong slant.

How we checked

1 min 6 s
  1. 1

    Executed searches using specific keywords related to the Ottumwa City Council meeting and invocation.

  2. 2

    Reviewed the city's official meeting recording for detailed verification of the invocation.

  3. 3

    Cross-referenced the content with independent news reports from multiple reputable sources.

✓ Claim checked✓ Media checked✓ Sources checked

Why 88% confidence

Moderate

Our confidence is moderate due to corroboration from multiple independent outlets which confirmed the meeting details.

Limits. No direct interviews were conducted with attendees of the meeting.

Spot it yourself

Spot the fake

Looks suspicious, isn’t proof

  • The invocation content may seem outrageous to some, leading to initial disbelief.
  • The source of the claim (Libs of TikTok) could trigger skepticism due to its reputation.

The actual evidence

  • The official recording from the city confirms the content of the invocation.
  • Multiple reputable news outlets reported on the invocation, reinforcing its authenticity.
  1. 1

    Verify the source of the claim to determine its reliability.

    Look for multiple independent reports confirming the content of the claim.

  2. 2

    Inspect the original media for context.

    Watch the full video from the official source.

  3. 3

    Research similar past events.

    Check the city's invocation policy to understand how it may allow such comments.

Takeaway

Always confirm surprising claims with credible sources and verify original media content before forming an opinion.

Questions people ask

Is the video genuine?+

Yes, the video is authentic and shows the invocation as delivered in the meeting.

Why did the invocation cause a controversy?+

The invocation's language and references to Satan were unexpected and caused a strong reaction from the public attending the meeting.

What is the invocation policy in Ottumwa?+

The invocation policy allows any resident to offer an invocation at council meetings, promoting inclusivity.

Go deeper

Invocation
A formal prayer or request for a blessing, often delivered at public meetings.
Municipal
Relating to a city or town or its local government.
Controversy
A prolonged public dispute or debate, often concerning a matter of opinion.

People also search for

Ottumwa city council Satan prayerHail Satan invocation OttumwaMatt Dalbey invocation council Iowa
For educators+
Media literacyUnderstanding public policyThe role of local government
  • How does social media influence public reaction to local government events?
  • What role does inclusivity play in governmental policies regarding public expressions?

About this check

Platform
X
Posted by
@libsoftiktok
Posted
October 7, 2026
Age when checked
Under 24 hours old when checked
Where it spread
United States
Audience
US audience
Language
EN
Status
● Post is live
Verified
October 8, 2026, 15:11 UTC
Published
October 8, 2026, 15:11 UTC

Reach. Libs of TikTok post 43,528 likes; Riley Gaines reaction 23,999 likes (verify.py); Fox News, Blaze, Twitchy coverage

This verdict was generated with AI from the sources shown. AI can make mistakes — check the sources before relying on it.

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