"More than 300,000 posts containing the word staged were shared on X before midday on Sunday, according to an analysis cited by The New York Times. Some of those were probably saying that, actually, the event was not staged, but still: People with substantial social-media followings were raising questions."
"The conspiracy theorists also latched on to a video pulled from Fox News' live broadcast in which the reporter Aishah Hasnie, calling from inside the Hilton hotel that hosted the event, told the anchor that she had been speaking with Trump right before the shooting started."
"Hasnie clarified in a post on X that cell service had been spotty in the ballroom, but her explanation, delivered at 1:30 in the morning, was not as widely viewed as posts suggesting that Fox had cut her feed before she could reveal what Trump had gone on to say."
Following the gunfire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, misinformation surged, particularly claims that the event was staged. Over 300,000 posts on social media echoed this narrative. Influential figures amplified doubts, referencing a clip of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and a video of reporter Aishah Hasnie, who reported on Trump's serious demeanor before the shooting. Despite Hasnie's clarification about technical issues, conspiracy theories gained traction, overshadowing factual explanations and leading to widespread speculation about the event's authenticity.
Read at The Atlantic
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