In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Mondays our Tech Reporter Mikael Thalen debunks the most wild conspiracy theories swirling around the web in his “One Dumb Conspiracy” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
Most successful conspiracy theories, misinformation campaigns, and even satirical jokes contain a grain of truth to make them plausible. But I can assure you, President Joe Biden did not recently point a handgun at his wife.
Just last week, an image went viral across social media that purported to show the president aiming a pistol at his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, as the pair prepared to board Marine One in Washington, D.C.
One post featuring the image on X, which included the caption, “joe no!!!!,” has been viewed more than 4.7 million times already.
Fake viral image shows Biden pointing a gun at Jill Biden
In this case, the vast majority of those who replied appeared to be in on the joke. Because, obviously, Biden wouldn’t be walking around with a firearm, let alone aiming one at his wife.
Nevertheless, the image, which appears to have been photoshopped, caught many off guard.
“threw me for a sec ngl,” one user said, admitting that he initially believed the image to be real.
Others appeared confused and didn’t quite reveal whether they had fallen for the image.
“Wtf,” another simply replied.
Many also pointed out that the post had not been hit with a Community Note, used by X to fact-check information on the platform.
Thankfully, most had fun with the image and realized that Biden wasn’t actually carrying a pistol while strolling to his helicopter.
“why does this look so real,” one X user asked.
“It’s an official act, it’s his right as president,” another jokingly said while referencing the Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding presidential immunity.
So where did the image come from? The original image was actually published in 2021 by a press photographer with Agence France-Presse. The image’s date is given away by the fact that both Jill and the president are wearing masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s also shown in the photo that Biden is attempting to hand his wife a dandelion, not pointing a gun. Although the claim that Biden pointed a gun at his wife in front of press cameras is clearly untrue, you never know who will end up believing what.
Why it matters
Some jokes and conspiracies are so over the top that obviously no one would believe them. But then again, crazier conspiracies have gone viral and received widespread acceptance in recent years.
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