Trump’s Social Media Director Tweets a Fake Irma Video, Is Fact-Checked by Miami Airport
Fake images and videos of Hurricane Irma that are making the rounds on social media can fool anyone, including, apparently people who are actually working at tracking the storm. The White House’s own director of social media, Dan Scavino Jr., sent out a tweet that he thought showed massive flooding at the Miami International Airport as a way to demonstrate how President Donald Trump’s administration was keeping track of Irma’s devastation. The problem? The video was not actually of the Miami airport.
Miami International Airport: 1
Trump's Director of Social Media: 0 pic.twitter.com/sZMyLjPZU3— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) September 10, 2017
Miami International Airport quickly replied to Scavino’s tweet to inform him that the video did not depict the situation at the airport. Scavino thanked the Miami Airport for the information and said he would delete the video. Scavino deleted the tweet about 30 minutes after he posted it without ever publicly admitting that he tweeted out a fake piece of news.
WH social media aide shares fake post. Did he also share w/ POTUS? https://t.co/Qb6i5FNYkj pic.twitter.com/4le5SNHnc0
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) September 10, 2017
Several people on Twitter were quick to point out that the video Scavino claimed showed flooding at Miami airport was actually footage of flooding at Mexico City’s airport from several weeks ago.
Don't be fooled by "flooding" at Miami airport. It's footage from Mexico City https://t.co/zIXVpRXfM5
— Gene Park 3DS XL (@GenePark) September 10, 2017
[Slate]