An out-of-context video clip made it appear as though Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene chose not to applaud for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he spoke via videoconference to Congress. But that’s not true. Let’s take a look at the facts.
NewsLit takeaway
Controversial figures are frequent targets of misleading and false claims that resonate strongly among critics and partisan groups. The more polarizing the person at the center of the rumor is, the more inclined people who oppose them may be to uncritically accept and spread damaging falsehoods. When a misleading visual —especially a video, which may seem conclusive — is involved, it can touch off a wave of viral outrage. Remember: Our rational thinking is easily bypassed when we’re highly emotional. It’s always best to pause before you share or amplify information, and this is especially true when the content provokes a strong emotional response.
Here is a full copy of the video:
- “No, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Didn’t Refuse To Applaud Zelenskyy” (Dan Evon, Snopes).
- “Viral tweets saying Marjorie Taylor Greene refused to applaud Zelensky are ‘false.’” (Twitter thread, Daniel Dale, CNN).
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