Table of Contents
A dubious affidavit shared by a Twitter/X account sparked a wave of reactions from several right-wing figures on Sunday, despite questions surrounding the document’s authenticity. The document claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris was sent debate questions ahead of time by ABC News, and it was sourced from a website that fact-checkers had deemed untrustworthy.
The document first appeared on a questionable website called “County Local News,” described by Newsguard as an “AI-generated content farm” spreading misinformation. It was shared by an account called "Black Insurrectionist – I FOLLOW BACK TRUE PATRIOTS," and claimed to be written by a whistleblower from ABC News. The whistleblower accused ABC of agreeing not to ask Harris any questions about President Joe Biden’s health before the Sept. 10 debate.
The Whistleblower’s Allegations
The declaration included a number of astounding assertions, including the assertion that ABC News granted the Harris campaign’s request to steer clear of inquiries regarding Biden’s health. The paper was dated September 9, 2024, one day before to the discussion, and was rife with mistakes and lacked credibility. According to the purported whistleblower, they used FedEx and U.S. mail to send copies of the affidavit to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and to themselves.
Nevertheless, important information was obscured, such as the identity of the whistleblower, their signatures, and the notary public's data. Nothing on the paper could independently corroborate the charges, and there were no obvious identifiers. Some questioned the legitimacy of the concealed material, claiming it could have been easily created with a computer and printer.
Ted Cruz’s Reaction
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a Harvard Law graduate, was one of the first prominent figures to react to the affidavit. Cruz called for “multiple senior people” at ABC News to be fired over the allegations. Cruz did not hesitate to discuss the paper in public, even if it seemed dubious. Despite the poor authenticity of the affidavit, even prominent politicians were eager to comment on the subject, as seen by the senator’s request for dismissals inside ABC News.
Elon Musk Joins the Fray
Elon Musk, the owner of X and Tesla, also amplified the controversy by sharing the affidavit and adding weight to the narrative. His participation aided in the story’s rapid social media dissemination, even in the face of growing evidence that the document was a fake. When contacted by media outlets for comment, Musk remained silent. His involvement in the matter demonstrated how powerful people may magnify unsubstantiated accusations, which in turn accelerates the dissemination of false information on the internet.
Bill Ackman Demands Answers
Billionaire Bill Ackman also weighed in on the matter. Ackman made a formal request that David Muir, the co-moderator of the ABC News debate show and anchor, respond to the accusations. In addition, he asked Disney CEO Bob Iger to address the charges. The narrative gained more credence in right-wing circles because of Ackman’s participation, even though the document’s provenance was still unclear.
.@RobertIger Dear Bob, I assume that you have been made aware of this affidavit which was made public earlier today in which a whistleblower states that @ABC worked closely with the @KamalaHarris campaign in sharing the substance of the questions, avoiding certain topics,… https://t.co/Y95zdQ5Vk3
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) September 16, 2024
A spokesman for Ackman declined to provide more details when contacted. His insistence that Muir and Iger provide a public statement demonstrated how seriously some powerful people viewed the accusations—even in the absence of supporting data.
ABC News Denies Allegations
ABC News swiftly denied the claims that Harris received the debate questions in advance. A spokesperson from ABC News confirmed that “Harris was not given any questions before the debate,” dismissing the accusations as baseless.
The discussion itself centered on well-known subjects including immigration, abortion, and the state of the economy. The idea that Harris knew the questions beforehand is further refuted by the fact that many of the questions were follow-ups to remarks made during the debate. In order to refute the assertion that only Trump was fact-checked, the moderators were also shown asking Harris and Trump to address each other's statements.
Conspiracy Theories Emerge
Following the affidavit’s publication, other conspiracy ideas started to circulate on social media. According to some reports, the whistleblower died in a “fiery car accident” subsequent to writing the declaration. Later, this report was dropped after other sources denied it; even the right-wing conspiracy website Gateway Pundit called it “a complete hoax.”
Right-wing personalities, such as Cruz, Musk, and Ackman, persisted in endorsing the affidavit in spite of these developments, demanding inquiries and firings from ABC News. The allegations were seized upon by social media users, including prominent accounts like Chaya Raichik’s @LibsofTikTok, who amplified the story without verification.
Fact-Checkers Debunk the Claims
After carefully examining all of the statements made during the debate, CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale discovered that, in contrast to Harris, Trump had made at least 33 misleading assertions. According to Dale’s study, Trump’s performance was rife with dishonesty, which accounted for the increased fact-checking of his remarks.
This disproved the affidavit's assertions that Harris was shielded from fact-checking during the discussion. As CNN anchor Abby Phillip remarked, “when there is asymmetrical lying, there will be asymmetrical fact-checking.”