Listen to “Grifters Use Saturday Night Attempt to Deceive and Profit” on Spreaker.
Saturday evening brought another instance of political violence. It is clear the man sought to kill. Perhaps the assailant is mentally unwell. Perhaps he is simply evil.
Was the level of security appropriate? A Washington Post article Sunday raises astonishing questions about why a full “National Security Special Event” may not have been in place. It suggests America may have come uncomfortably close to a Chuck Grassley presidency.
Questions have also been raised about Congress’ inability to fully fund DHS — the United States Secret Service is part of that department. Did that play a role?
All of these questions deserve urgent answers. Thankfully, no one was hurt. The president and other leaders remained unharmed after the incident.
Here is something just as disturbing.
The number of complete fabrications circulating across social media platforms is disappointing, damaging, and downright trickery. There is no need to reward such behavior with its lifeblood: clicks. No links will be posted here.
The idea the event was staged? Please. Stop.
Some – seeking to demonstrate justification – claim the president did not seem fazed by the sound of gunshots. Maybe he did not hear them. Maybe he believed the sounds were something else. Maybe he is simply calm under pressure. Again, stop.
The president did not orchestrate a security breach as a distraction from Iran or to boost poll numbers. Ludicrous. Yet what is verified is the surge of the word “staged” on X. According to The New York Times, more than 300,000 posts used the keyword as conspiracy theories spread about the platform claiming the attack was not genuine.
The conspiracy theories did not stop there. Some claimed Israel was somehow involved, despite zero evidence. Others manufactured their own “proof” using artificial intelligence-generated imagery to prop up false narratives.
Much of the misinformation came from top social media influencers. Who cares whether it is true, so long as it drives traffic, money, and attention?
Social media has allowed some of the worst among us to become, unbelievably, trusted purveyors of information. Why? Because the public likes the platform. Per a 2021 study from Pew Research:
- Almost half of Americans (48%) get their news from social media “often” or “sometimes”
- Almost one-third of Americans (31%) get their news from Facebook
- Twitter is used by 23% of American adults and 55% of those users get their news on the platform.
But can’t the public tell the difference… misinformation from genuine news? The aftermath of incidents like this — and the claim the president staged it — should be a wake-up call to anyone following these modern-day confidence men spewing such vile lies.
Drop them today. No follows. No likes or whatever emoji is your bent. Drop them like a bad habit — run from them.
Instead, follow credible journalists. Weijia Jiang, a Buckhannon native and senior White House correspondent for CBS News, is one example. Jiang is currently president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and was on the dais last night alongside the president, while also reporting on the event in a responsible manner.
Until we sideline these grifters — people who profit by taking the public for a ride — we will continue to see this kind of lunacy anytime the nation faces crisis. It is time to stop blaming social media alone and start blaming those who abuse it. It’s just a tool after all; agnostic of its use. It seems we sometimes seek to blame it, rather than those who use it nefariously.
Take a look today at who you follow, and consider dropping those who perpetuate misinformation. While you’re at it, add a credible journalist, commentator or trusted voice to your feed.