Article Summary –
A false social media post claiming that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter had died on July 23, 2024 has been debunked. The claim was circulated widely and even temporarily picked up by major outlets such as the New York Post and U.S Senator Mike Lee. However, a spokesman for Carter confirmed the statement was fake, and the user who first posted it admitted it was an experiment to test people’s susceptibility to sensational headlines.
False Claims of Former US President Jimmy Carter’s Death Spread Online
Assertions of former US President Jimmy Carter’s death on July 23, 2024, circulated widely on social media, with a US senator and the New York Post among those involved. These claims were based on a supposed letter from Carter’s office that went viral, proven later to be false. The initial poster identified the post as a test of the public’s gullibility towards sensationalist headlines.
Spreading of Disinformation
Far-right activist Laura Loomer, known for spreading disinformation, posted the falsified news on a social platform, which was later deleted. Similar posts proliferated on other platforms, causing “Jimmy Carter” to trend online. Republican US Senator Mike Lee briefly shared the news, offering condolences before removing his post. The New York Post also momentarily ran a headline stating Carter’s death.
Health Status of Jimmy Carter
Carter, at 99 years old, is the longest-living US president and has been in hospice care for over a year. However, the assertions of his death on July 23, 2024, are baseless. Matthew De Galan, press liaison for the Carter family and vice president of communications at the nonprofit Carter Center, confirmed there has been no change in Carter’s health status and branded the viral letter as a fake.
Dissecting the False Claims
The fake statement was rife with typos and fabricated quotes. References to questionable foreign policy achievements and crude sexual comments about former first ladies, among other indications, pointed to the letter’s fraudulent nature. The original post was traced back to a user named “Boccaccio,” who admitted in subsequent posts to creating the graphic, stating it was an experiment.
Aftermath of the Hoax
In the aftermath, Loomer and others who originally shared the false information issued corrections. Boccaccio thanked those who fell for his ploy, highlighting that people often only read headlines. These recent events underline the need for rigorous fact-checking in an era rampant with political misinformation.
Read More US News
This article may have been created with the assistance of AI.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
