The assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband in June, allegedly by an anti-abortion extremist, epitomizes escalating political violence in the US. This event sparked a rapid dissemination of right-wing disinformation, with prominent influencers making unfounded allegations linking her death to recent political actions. Noteworthy figures like Collin Rugg and Mike Cernovich quickly contributed to spreading conspiracy theories, while Elon Musk also facilitated the spread of misinformation. This alarming trend raises concerns about civil society's resilience against politically motivated hate and misinformation.
Just hours after Minnesotans learned that Democratic House leader Melissa Hortman had been assassinated, right-wing influencer Collin Rugg, who has 1.8 million followers on X, posted a 'report' that hinted that she'd been killed because of a recent vote on ending undocumented adults' ability to enroll in MinnesotaCare, a subsidized health insurance for the working poor.
Disinformation prevents the true information from really rising to the top.
Mike Cernovich... took Rugg's post and amped it up, but in the 'just asking questions' style of many conspiracy theories: 'Did Tim Walz have her executed to send a message?'
This is what happens When Marxists don't get their way,' Mr. Lee wrote on Sunday on his personal X account, a message accompanie.
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