Twitter has suspended conservative operative Jack Burkman over a series of tweets featuring misinformation about the coronavirus outbreak. Claiming to have spoken to officials within the Trump administration, Burkman reported that major retailers like Target would be shuttering.
Burkman is known for a string of hoaxes with Jacob Wohl that include a sexual assault smear against former Special Counsel Robert Mueller and Elizabeth Warren's secret affair with a younger man. Many of these fake investigations were amplified on social media sites like Twitter. The now-deleted tweets featured Burkman claiming to have the inside scoop on upcoming food shortages.
"Just got off the phone with Kellyanne Conway," tweeted Burkman. "The President is nobly trying to keep open Safeway and Target stores but alas his efforts are in vain. Both will close all stores on Friday."
"On the same call, I learned that the White House is making plans for food shortages in at least 32 states within two weeks. FEMA, along with national guard units, will distribute MREs."
The anti-bigotry campaign Sleeping Giants napped a screenshot of the tweets and reported them to Twitter.
Hey
twittersafety</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">
twitter @jack, just yesterday you instituted new rules around disinformation about the Coronavirus.
How do these tweets not clearly break these rules? Instigating panic for food doesn’t count?? pic.twitter.com/QNW1Aej5gW— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) March 19, 2020
According to the Daily Dot, "Burkman’s account had indeed been suspended for repeatedly violating its rules, including its guidelines on false and deceptive claims related to COVID-19."
H/T The Daily Dot
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