Fake video states Tim Walz sexually assaulted a gay student
A fake video emerged last week on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming that Governor Tim Walz sexually assaulted a former gay student. The video, which has since been removed from the platform, was posted on X by a user who is emerged in the QAnon conspiracy theory. Before it was deleted, the video gained more than 4.3 million views and was shared by pro-Trump accounts with large followings.
In the video, a man who claims to be former student of Walz Matthew Metro, alleges that vice presidential nominee “groped and kissed” him during his senior year of high school at Mankato West High School. The video contained many inconsistencies including that the alleged assault happened in 1997, even though Metro graduated from high school in 1996.
Metro, who is gay, says he is not the man in the video and the alleged assault never occurred.
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) October 21, 2024
“It disgusts me. It makes me feel very, very awful about the fact that people are trying to manipulate our elections and using innocent people to do it with,” says Metro, now 45. “It’s an invasion of my privacy and my personal life.”
With the presidential election less than two weeks away, fake news is more dangerous now than ever. According to U.S. intelligence officials, Russian influence actors orchestrated the video in an attempt to interfere with the upcoming election. The move is part of a broader phenomenon of foreign actors attempting to undermine the Democratic presidential ticket for their own political gain.
The video was originally thought to be an AI-generated deepfake. However, the video is actually a manually created “cheap fake.” Russian hackers found Metro’s name and photo in a high school yearbook and used a man who vaguely resembled him to falsely accuse Walz of sexually assault in the video.
At least four separate false sexual assault claims targeting the Minnesota Governor have spread online since early October. Walz has become a favorite target of the far right due to his unequivocal support for the LGBTQ+ community. Back in the 90s at Mankato West High School, Walz helped launch the first gay/straight alliance. He has been an outspoken ally to the LGBTQ+ community ever since.
The Harris-Walz campaign declined to comment, stating that they do not comment on misinformation.
Photo courtesy of social media
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