Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Misinformation and Rightwing Conspiracies Pop Up After Francis Scott Key Bridge Incident
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is still being investigated. However, not long after the incident, right-wing media outlets and conspiracy theorists started spreading misinformation, including conspiracy theories and Alex Jones claiming that this was the start of World War III.
Much of the disinformation also came from X (formerly Twitter) thanks to "verified" accounts with huge followings. These claims are described to be baseless as "verified" users who pay for a premium subscription that boosts their posts claimed that the Dali, the cargo ship that rammed the bridge and caused it to collapse, had been the victim of a cyber-attack. Other conspiracy theories claimed that the ship intentionally rammed the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Axios noted that, in reality, it was not a cyber attack, but it happened thanks to the Singapore-flagged Dali experiencing a power issue. It issued a mayday call before hitting the bridge. Authorities acted quickly and closed the bridge before the ship even hit. However, six workers were presumed to have died in the incident.
Several right-wing accounts on X have claimed that the collision was a result of corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives, a claim that they also made with the current aircraft safety issues at Boeing.
There were other conspiracy theories that claimed that this was a terrorist attack that stemmed from the border crisis, while there were also antisemitic accounts with blue check marks that claimed that Israel was behind the attack.
Some of these posts have been flagged by community notes as baseless and misleading. However, this was already after they went viral.
Right-Wing Media Also Spreading Conspiracy Theories About the Baltimore Bridge Collapse
While much of the misinformation online was quickly hit by community notes that fact-checked them, there were also om-air conspiracy theories that happened from some of the most well-known right-wing media personalities.
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According to NBC News, one example is Fox Business's Maria Bartiromo. falsely suggested the "wide-open border" could have something to do with the collision. Fox News did not respond to any inquiries on the false information that was reported on one of their channels.
Michael Flynn, Donald Trump's former national security adviser, suggested that the incident was not an accident. Meanwhile, on Newsmax, Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, claimed without evidence that the "Francis Scott Key Bridge's infrastructure and transportation services were weakened by Covid lockdowns." He also stated that drugs could be behind the collision.
Alex Jones Spreading Conspiracy Theories About Baltimore Bridge Collapse as Expected
The most infamous conspiracy theorist of them all, Alex Jones, also weighed in on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. He claimed that this signaled the start of World War III, according to NDTV World.
"Looks deliberate to me," the conspiracy theorist who was found liable in multiple defamation lawsuits for claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting was a hoax said in his program, Info Wars. "A cyber-attack is probable. WW3 has already started."
Like many others, he made the claim with zero evidence.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: GOP Uses Baltimore Bridge Collapse To Push DELUSIONAL Theories - Rebel HQ
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