#TrumpIsDead is the most obvious example, something easily proven or disproven through myriad sources. The truly nefarious misinformation is the little lies, the things that seem just close enough to reality to reel you in. Those are the conspiracy theories that turn nonbelievers into zealots and mess with the gut instincts of even the most tried and true skeptics.
Perhaps even more unnerving than the fact that Musk shared the article was the text he posted next to it, in a reply to Hillary Clinton: “there is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye.” This is an old trick. Sow enough doubt and people will start to question the color of their own hair.
about the online quest to politically label Paul Pelosi’s alleged attacker, David DePape. In the days after the incident, internet detectives had been searching his online history for clues to his affiliations. Some claimed he was right-wing, others said he was “on the left.” Kang, though, had a different take, noting that the connections made between political rhetoric or mental health and violent acts often have little bearing on what really happened.