4 Dec 2016 8:01 pm
Not the first time that our new National Security Adviser has spread a crazy conspiracy theory.Armed Man Targets D.C. Restaurant That Faced Violent Threats Because Of Fake News
A jarring incident at a restaurant that has faced violent threats because of an unfounded and preposterous conspiracy theory raises concerns about the real-world consequences of spreading fake news stories.
Washington, D.C., police on Sunday afternoon detained a man armed with an assault rifle at Comet Ping Pong, a popular pizza restaurant in a busy neighborhood of the city.
According to police, the man entered the restaurant with an assault rifle; there were conflicting reports of gunshots. Police locked down the surrounding block, which includes other restaurants and shops, including a popular bookstore, Politics and Prose.
While no one was injured, and it is unclear what the suspect’s motive was, the incident is alarming because the restaurant has been the subject of death threats originating from a false right-wing conspiracy theory alleging that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and campaign chairman John Podesta ran a child sex trafficking ring in the back of the restaurant.
There is no evidence of the disturbing claim, but it quickly spread through fake news stories on right-wing websites and circulated on social media.
Among those tweeting a spurious story alleging Clinton’s “sex crimes” to his more than 100,000 followers, was Gen. Mike Flynn, President-elect Donald Trump’s appointee for national security adviser.