I'll be watching the #impeachmenthearing again today. Looking at how online conspiracy theories shape the proceedings.
Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch is testifying.
I would prepare for A LOT of misinformation from Republicans today.
buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanha…
Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch is testifying.
I would prepare for A LOT of misinformation from Republicans today.
buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanha…
Nunes calling the Democrats a "basement cult" in his opening statement is uhhhh an interesting choice!
Nunes is reading out and adding this Trump-version of the Zelenskyy transcript into the record.
Nunes opening statement was LITTERED with right-wing internet speak this morning.
• called Democrats a "basement cult"
• mentioned the nude Trump photos again 😩
• multiple references to 2016 Ukrainian collusion
• Alexandra Chalupa name drop
• called Democrats a "basement cult"
• mentioned the nude Trump photos again 😩
• multiple references to 2016 Ukrainian collusion
• Alexandra Chalupa name drop
For people living outside of Trump internet, the nude photos thing has been kicking around since this Atlantic piece by Julia Ioffe in 2018.
theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
It was aggregated by right-wing publishers and has traveled around conservative Facebook ever since.
theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
It was aggregated by right-wing publishers and has traveled around conservative Facebook ever since.
In case you're curious, according to BuzzSumo, the top story on Facebook this week featuring the word "impeachment" — by a HUGE margin — is from the Christian satire site Babylon Bee.
And the top public post featuring the word "impeachment" is from Reverend Franklin Graham.
And the top public post featuring the word "impeachment" is from Reverend Franklin Graham.
Once again, John Solomon's articles from The Hill are featured prominently.
Solomon, perhaps more than any other one journalist, has shaped so much of how Trump and his allies built their Ukrainegate conspiracy theory over the last year.
Solomon, perhaps more than any other one journalist, has shaped so much of how Trump and his allies built their Ukrainegate conspiracy theory over the last year.
Extremely 2019 thing happening right now.
Schiff giving Yovanovitch a chance to respond to Trump's tweets this morning about her.
Schiff giving Yovanovitch a chance to respond to Trump's tweets this morning about her.
Yovanovitch now being asked about the CrowdStrike section of the phone call.
Just some extremely normal and uncoordinated and totally authentic Twitter behavior twitter.com/search?f=tweet…
Can confirm that the phrase "I hired Donald Trump to fire people like Yovanovitch" currently being spread by bots on Twitter DID NOT first appear on 4chan.
The phrase was first posted to 4chan at 10:58am EST. By that point it had already been tweeted hundreds of times already.
The phrase was first posted to 4chan at 10:58am EST. By that point it had already been tweeted hundreds of times already.
4chan users are, however, trying to pass it off as a legitimate trend.
A Twitter spokesperson told me that Trump possibly obstructing justice or intimidating a witness via tweet would be protected by their world leader policy.
blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/c…
blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/c…
Twitter Has Suspended Several Accounts Responsible For Spreading “I Hired Donald Trump To Fire People Like Yovanovitch"
buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanha…
buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanha…
BuzzFeed News analyzed 7,320 tweets (including RTs) posted in the first 45 min. We found:
• 83 accounts tweeted or retweeted the phrase over 10 times each
• The biggest amplifiers tweeted the phrase every 4 to 33 seconds
• Twitter has already begun suspending early seeders
• 83 accounts tweeted or retweeted the phrase over 10 times each
• The biggest amplifiers tweeted the phrase every 4 to 33 seconds
• Twitter has already begun suspending early seeders
Yes, far-right influencers like Jack Posobiec and their followers are definitely organically engaging with “I Hired Donald Trump To Fire People Like Yovanovitch."
But a Twitter spox told me they are currently looking into whether it is being amplified by inauthentic activity.
But a Twitter spox told me they are currently looking into whether it is being amplified by inauthentic activity.
TL;DR pro-Trump Twitter users cannot seem to tell when they are being amplified by bots or sock puppets, nor do they seem to care.
