A fake story about tall black fences going up around the Supreme Court swept through conservative social media on Monday night, leaving a trail of deleted tweets and half-cocked speculation.
“A fence is being installed at the U.S. Supreme Court,” posted @dom_lucre, an X user with a history of spreading dubious narratives, above footage of the fence. “The last time this happened was prior to the Roe v Wade decision.”
“Fencing around the Supreme Court,” posted Benny Johnson, a conservative commentator with millions of followers and a focus on viral content.
The video Lucre posted, though, wasn’t like “the last time,” as he speculated, but matches one taken and posted to X by Mitchell Miller, a reporter for WTOP in Washington D.C. back in May 2022.
“Fencing now surrounds the U.S. Supreme Court following protests and the leak of the draft decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade,” posted Mitchell at the time.
Given the previous time fences went up, the posts prompted speculation that the Supreme Court was about to issue a massive decision. It is expected to rule this month on whether former President Donald Trump can assert presidential immunity over charges against him for subverting the 2020 election.
“Anyone want to take bets on the Trump immunity Supreme Court ruling??” posted @gecffmn on Tuesday. “I’m going to say no immunity, hence the fence around the Supreme Court! The[re] is no justice in this country!”
“Be ready for a July surprise,” posted TPUSA president Charlie Kirk on Monday. “Very possible they pull Biden and sentence Trump to prison on July 11. The entire race could be just about to change.”
“Fences are going up around the Supreme Court, so I guess anything could happen next,” replied @AZJohnnyC.
Others, though, thought it meant the Court would find Trump immune, freeing him from federal prosecution but prompting backlash and protest from the left.
“Are they afraid that the left is not going to like the ruling?” asked one, a post was reportedly responded to by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–Ga.)
But Daniel Barnes, an NBC News producer, posted a photo of the Supreme Court, sans black fences, in reaction to Johnson’s post.
“No there’s not,” he wrote, swiftly bringing the drama to a close.
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