THE AMERICAN DEBUNK | SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
In today’s media landscape, it’s easier than ever for falsehoods and hoaxes to spread like wildfire. And since Donald Trump began his first presidential run, hoaxes have been created and weaponized against you. When it comes to Trump hoaxes, a variety of hoax methods are utilized to create a distorted image of Trump and fuel the false narrative. This is a direct attack on you, the American people.
Our mission is to not only debunk these hoaxes, but for you to see the methods they used to craft them. From selective video editing to credibility laundering, these techniques are designed to deceive you. They don’t want you to see the truth, and hiding the truth from the American people is the only way they can win.
Below you’ll find detailed descriptions of the most used hoax methods, along with real-world examples that show how they’re used to fool the public. By understanding these tactics, you’ll see through the manipulation and find truth.
The more you learn these methods, the more you will start to see them everywhere.
The Hoax Methods
I. Selective Video Editing (Rupar Video)
A form of selective video editing where context is removed, making it appear as though someone said or did something entirely different from the original event. Removing context or information can reverse the meaning of the video.
The Bloodbath Hoax
The Find Votes Hoax
The Fine People Hoax
The Drinking Bleach Hoax
II. Selective Photo Framing/Editing
This method involves cropping or editing photos to misrepresent an event or individual. A carefully chosen frame can exclude important context, altering the viewer’s perception of the situation and allowing the media to assign new meaning to the photo that otherwise wouldn’t have existed.
The J6 Insurrection Hoax
The Trump Overfed Koi Fish Hoax
The Trump Mocked A Disabled Person Hoax
The Border Patrol Agents Whipped Migrants Hoax
III. Strategic Ambiguity
This technique involves intentionally using vague or unclear language so that a statement can be interpreted in multiple ways. This encourages the subject to fill in the gaps with their own assumptions, often aligning with their pre-existing beliefs or biases. By leaving key details unsaid or open to interpretation, the speaker can avoid making definitive claims while still guiding the audience toward a particular conclusion. This allows the propagator to influence perceptions subtly, without taking responsibility for any specific interpretation that arises from the ambiguity.
The Steal Your Democracy Hoax
The January 6 Protesters Killed Police Hoax
The Border Patrol Agents Whipped Migrants Hoax
IV. Selective Reporting
Where media outlets or individuals choose to report only certain facts or details of a story, often omitting important counterpoints or context that would challenge the narrative. By doing so, they create a skewed version of reality that serves their agenda.
The Bloodbath Hoax
The Find Votes Hoax
The Fine People Hoax
The J6 Insurrection Hoax
The Drinking Bleach Hoax
The Presidential Immunity Hoax
The Trump Overfed Koi Fish Hoax
The January 6 Protesters Killed Police Hoax
The Trump Implemented A Muslim Ban Hoax
The Border Patrol Agents Whipped Migrants Hoax
V. Anonymous Sources
By relying on unnamed sources, stories can present allegations or claims without providing verifiable evidence. This shields the source from scrutiny and makes it harder to verify or challenge the authenticity of the claims.
The Suckers and Losers Hoax
The Trump Grabbed the Steering Wheel of the Beast Hoax
VI. Story Relying on Inconsistent Witness Testimony
This method involves building a story based on witness accounts that are unreliable, or contradict other reporting. Even if the witnesses’ testimonies are not credible, they can be used to fuel speculation and create a misleading narrative.
The Hunter’s Laptop is Russian Misinformation Hoax
The Trump Grabbed the Steering Wheel of the Beast Hoax
VII. Out-of-Context- Quote
Taking a quote out of context can change its meaning entirely. By isolating certain words or phrases, the hoax creator can make it seem as though the speaker said something very different from their intended message.
The Find Votes Hoax
The Bloodbath Hoax
The Fine People Hoax
The Drinking Bleach Hoax
The Dictator for a Day Hoax
VIII. Pretending Hyperbole is Real
In this technique, a figure’s exaggerated or humorous statement is taken literally and presented as their actual belief or intention, distorting the truth and misrepresenting their viewpoint.
The Trump Vowed To Be A Dictator Hoax
Hoax Amplification Methods
The following methods are similar to the previous category–you might not be able to tell the difference right away. How are these different? Instead of serving to originate hoaxes, these methods amplify hoaxes. When you see the media–or politicians–doing these, you know their intent is to add credibility or get more people to see their hoax.
IX. Appeal to Authority
This involves citing an expert or influential figure to support a claim, regardless of whether that authority has relevant expertise on the topic. The goal is to leverage the figure’s reputation to lend credibility to an otherwise weak or false argument.
The J6 Insurrection Hoax
The Suckers and Losers Hoax
The January 6 Protesters Killed Police Hoax
The Hunter’s Laptop is Russian Misinformation Hoax
The Trump Grabbed The Steering Wheel of the Beast Hoax
X. Credibility Laundering (a) and Echo Chamber Effect (b)
Also known as: Seeding the Story; Amplification by Mid-tier Outlets; Mainstream Pickup
(a) This refers to the practice of feeding false or misleading stories to less reputable outlets or blogs, which are then picked up and reported by larger, more credible sources. By the time the story reaches the mainstream, it appears legitimate, even though it originated from a weaker, less reputable, source.
(b) When different news sources report on each other–despite having only one or few weak original sources–creating an illusion where it feels like the majority of news outlets are independently reporting on the same thing, where the reality is that the evidence was not rigorously checked by a single source. There are many variations on this theme.
The Bloodbath Hoax
The Fine People Hoax
The J6 Insurrection Hoax
The Drinking Bleach Hoax
The Dictator for a Day Hoax
The Suckers and Losers Hoax
The Steal Your Democracy Hoax
The Presidential Immunity Hoax
The Project 2025 is Trump’s Plan Hoax
XII. Circular Reporting
In circular reporting, a story with questionable or unverified information is initially published by one outlet (often relying on anonymous sources), and then other media outlets cite the original report as though it were a verified fact. Over time, the repeated citation of the same unverified claim gives the appearance of credibility, despite no independent confirmation of the story. This technique can amplify false information, making it seem legitimate when it’s merely being echoed across different platforms.
The Suckers and Losers Hoax
The January 6 Protesters Killed Police Hoax
The Hunter’s Laptop is Russian Misinformation Hoax
Last Updated on November 5, 2024 by Real KBrett