Thread by @JuddLegum

1. @WeAreSinclair is flooding a vast network of local news websites with misleading articles suggesting Biden is mentally unfit

At least 3 articles published this month falsely suggest BIDEN POOPED HIMSELF during an event

The thinly disguised political attacks are given the imprimatur of mainstream media brands, including NBC, ABC, & CBS

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2. The articles attacking Biden's mental fitness are based on specious social media posts by @RNCResearch, which are then repackaged to resemble news reports

popular.info/p/sinclair-flo…

@RNCResearch 3. For example, on June 10, Biden attended an event celebrating Juneteenth. The event included a musical performance, and Biden listened with a broad smile but did not dance. @RNCResearch team posted a clip of Biden on X with the caption, "Why isn't Biden moving?"

@RNCResearch 4. Hours later, the RNC's post was embedded into an article published by Sinclair's National Desk, with the headline, "Biden appears to freeze, slur words during White House Juneteenth event."

5. The @WeAreSinclair article claims, without evidence, that Biden was "dazed" and only "snapped out of his stupor" when the man next to him put his arm around his shoulder. It also quotes the Trump campaign's social media response to the same RNC video: "Lights are on but no one’s home." The incident was described as one of "multiple senior moments" for Biden during the event.

6. The other "senior moment" highlighted in Sinclair's article is based on a clip posted on X by @seanhannity. Hannity posted a low-quality clip of Biden's speech at the event with the caption, "Biden sparks concern as he slurs his words during Juneteenth speech." Biden, who has been open about overcoming a stutter that he has had since childhood, slightly swallows the word "history." But the full video of his speech shows that he spoke clearly.

7. The article concludes by promoting an absurd rumor, based on a deceptively edited clip, that Biden soiled himself on stage while attending a D-Day celebration in Europe a few days earlier. "Biden’s strange stooping motion caused several terms to trend on X, including 'diaper,' 'pooping' and 'pooped,'" Sinclair's National Desk reported.

@RNCResearch @WeAreSinclair @seanhannity 8. On June 6, Sinclair also devoted an entire article to amplifying the right-wing fabrication that Biden soiled himself on stage. The URL for the article even includes the word "pooping."

popular.info/p/sinclair-flo…

@RNCResearch @WeAreSinclair @seanhannity 9. Another article referencing "pooping" was published by Sinclair and syndicated to its affiliates on June 7.

Each of these crass political smears masquerading as journalism was syndicated to at least 86 local news websites owned by Sinclair

@RNCResearch @WeAreSinclair @seanhannity 10. Pausing here to say if you like the info in this thread you'll LOVE the Popular Information newsletter

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11. Articles produced by @WeAreSinclair's National Desk are published at the exact same time on every local website. The June 10 article, for example, was published on each website at exactly 9:24 AM Eastern. This suggests these articles are automatically syndicated, and local journalists at affiliates are not able to exercise editorial discretion. When these articles are syndicated, they appear alongside identically formatted articles on local government, weather, and sports.

12. @WeAreSinclair did not respond to a detailed list of questions about these articles and their editorial practices. Instead, it sent the following statement:

@WeAreSinclair 13. All four Sinclair articles attacking Biden's age this month were written by @_jlwalker_, a member of Sinclair's "Rapid Response Team." Walker was hired by Sinclair less than two months after graduating from the U of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2023

popular.info/p/sinclair-flo…

14. Walker spent his college years writing for The College Fix, a national right-wing student publication.

The College Fix was founded in 2011 by John J. Miller, the director of journalism at Hillsdale College. Its purpose, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, is "to groom young conservatives for careers in the news media by placing college students in internships with right-leaning publications."

@WeAreSinclair @_jlwalker_ 15. On X, Walker frequently highlights when his stories are circulated by Libs of TikTok, an anti-LGBTQ activist. Walker retweeted a post by Libs of TikTok that highlighted one of his articles and described the LGBTQ community as a "child mutilation cult."