A video shared by President Trump showing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) tearing apart the State of the Union address has amassed over 18 million views on social media despite her allies efforts to convince platforms to remove it.
The video, posted by the president last week, shows Pelosi tearing up the State of the Union address and highlights memorable moments of the speech, such as Trump honoring 100-year-old Tuskegee Airman Gen. Charles McGee. It has now surpassed 11 million views on Twitter, 3.1 million views on Facebook, and 4.1 million views on Instagram:
pic.twitter.com/QhTWvcY4Ke
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2020
It would be soooooo terrible if this video hits 10,000,000 views, as Nancy doesnt want Americans to see how disgraceful she really is! pic.twitter.com/OWfTEiadpr
Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸 (@Scavino45) February 10, 2020
The video, titled Powerful American Stories Ripped To Shreds By Nancy Pelosi, has drawn criticism from Democrats, who claim it is misleading:
Hey @Twitter, this video is clearly edited in a way thats intended to mislead viewers. You should take it down. https://t.co/agXJlvRirf
David Cicilline (@davidcicilline) February 7, 2020
This video is doctored. It has been up, and pinned to the President's page, for nearly a day.
Trump posted it to deceive Americans about @SpeakerPelosi's actions and record.
If I posted a doctored video it would be a clear violation House Rules.@Twitter should take this down. https://t.co/zTc2OHntQ5
Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) February 7, 2020
Researchers say the Pelosi video is an example of a cheapfake video, one that has been altered but not with sophisticated AI like in a deepfake, the Associated Press reported.
Pelosis deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill asserted that the video was deliberately designed to mislead and lie to the American people and blasted social media platforms for failing to remove it.
The American people know that the President has no qualms about lying to them but it is a shame to see Twitter and Facebook, sources of news for millions, do the same, Hammill wrote, adding that the refusal to remove the video is another reminder that they care more about their shareholders interests than the publics interests:
The latest fake video of Speaker Pelosi is deliberately designed to mislead and lie to the American people, and every day that these platforms refuse to take it down is another reminder that they care more about their shareholders interests than the publics interests.
Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) February 7, 2020
Sorry, are you suggesting the President didnt make those remarks and the Speaker didnt rip the speech? Facebook spokesman Andy Stone asked Hammill on Twitter, reiterating that the things featured in this video actually happened and therefore did not violate the platforms policy:
Sorry, are you suggesting the President didn't make those remarks and the Speaker didn't rip the speech?
Andy Stone (@andymstone) February 7, 2020
The reason I was making the point about the fact that the things featured in this video actually happened is because that's a key element of our policy on content like this. https://t.co/CAtmBPczlG
Andy Stone (@andymstone) February 7, 2020
Hammill replied, what planet are you living on? this is deceptively altered and again ordered the platform to take it down:
what planet are you living on? this is deceptively altered. take it down.
Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) February 7, 2020
A Facebook spokesperson also told Fox Business that the platform only removes media that have been edited or synthesized beyond adjustments for clarity or quality in ways that arent apparent to an average person and would likely mislead someone into thinking that a subject of the video said words that they did not actually say.
Twitter also did not remove the video, but a spokesman for the social media giant said that the company will begin providing warning labels reading manipulated media on synthetic and manipulated media beginning March 5.
Defendants of the video, however, say it highlights the powerful stories Pelosi ultimately tore to shreds.
If Nancy Pelosi fears images of her ripping up the speech, perhaps she shouldnt have ripped up the speech, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said over the weekend.
Proponents of the video have repeatedly defended it on social media, pointing to the fact that Pelosi, did, in fact, tear up a speech that honored American patriotism and heroes.
Democrats are demanding Twitter take this video down. They dont want Speaker Pelosi held accountable for publicly ripping up the Presidents address, and the stories of Americans, for cheap political points, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) wrote:
Democrats are demanding Twitter take this video down
They dont want Speaker Pelosi held accountable for publicly ripping up the Presidents address, and the stories of Americans, for cheap political points
Please RT pic.twitter.com/XdhZlDjhjo
Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) February 9, 2020
Nancy Pelosi wants this video taken down. She would be really mad if you retweeted it , Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) wrote:
Nancy Pelosi wants this video taken down. She would be really mad if you retweeted it pic.twitter.com/rEImPMIM9Y
Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) February 8, 2020
Nancy Pelosi and Democrats want this @TPUSA video scrubbed off the internet, Turning Point USAs Charlie Kirk said. If she didnt want people to see her rip up Trumps speech maybe she shouldnt have done it:
Nancy Pelosi and Democrats want this @TPUSA video scrubbed off the internet
If she didnt want people to see her rip up Trumps speech maybe she shouldnt have done it
Pelosi is trying to shut this down
It would be a shame if it went even more viral
RT!pic.twitter.com/YcEI2xO7r6
Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 9, 2020
The Democrats only support free speech they approve, Marc Lotter, Director of Strategic Communications for Trumps reelection campaign, said.
If Nancy Pelosi doesnt like the video of her ripping up @realDonaldTrumps State of the Union, she should have thought about that before she did it, he added:
The Democrats only support free speech they approve. If Nancy Pelosi doesn't like the video of her ripping up @realDonaldTrump's State of the Union, she should have thought about that before she did it. pic.twitter.com/ojZO7UnmAB
Marc Lotter Text TRUMP to 88022 (@marc_lotter) February 10, 2020
Pelosi engaged in damage control after her behavior at the State of the Union went viral, tweeting a note about her gratitude for Tuskegee Airmen:
The Tuskegee Airmen bravely fought enemies abroad & racism at home. Our nation is forever grateful for their heroism, fighting for the values of America: equality, justice & opportunity. #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/PofLDGiF2i pic.twitter.com/GO9ne7EMsy
Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 6, 2020
The video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8NMAjDhDTj/
Poster Comment:
Pelosi ripped up a speech. Demtards will have their hearts ripped out come this November. It cant come fast enough. The sheer joy and glee will be stupendous
#1: Vicomte13 To: IbJensen (#0)
Two New Yorkers with unlimited funds.
Gonna be tough.
Vicomte13 posted on 2020-02-11 08:27:44 Reply Private Reply
#2: IbJensen To: Vicomte13 (#1)
I don't think so. Trump is effective and likeable (at least by me) and Bloomboig is an asshole.
IbJensen posted on 2020-02-11 10:25:01 Reply Private Reply
#3: Mudboy Slim To: IbJensen (#2)
Mudboy Slim posted on 2020-02-11 20:56:12 Reply Private Reply
#4: Deckard To: Mudboy Slim (#3)
He also has a net worth of 61.5 billion dollars - he will just try to buy the presidency.
He's already running a crap ton of ads here already.
Deckard posted on 2020-02-11 21:24:41 Reply Private Reply
#5: IbJensen To: Mudboy Slim (#3)
IbJensen posted on 2020-02-12 06:18:00 Reply Private Reply
#6: Mudboy Slim To: Deckard (#4)
Mudboy Slim posted on 2020-02-12 16:40:01 Reply Private Reply
#7: Mudboy Slim To: IbJensen (#5)
Mudboy Slim posted on 2020-02-12 16:43:14 Reply Private Reply
#8: WWG1WWA To: Vicomte13 (#1)
WWG1WWA posted on 2020-02-13 04:55:33 Reply Private Reply
#9: Mudboy Slim To: IbJensen (#5)
Famous, yes, but a second Trump term (with an accompanying GOP-controlled House and Senate) could be historically consequential. A genuine start to process of draining the infamous DeeCeeSwamp and the exposure of the DeepStaters will be just two of the potential benefits a second Trump term could yield...MUD
Mudboy Slim posted on 2020-02-15 10:58:11 Reply Private Reply
#10: IbJensen To: Mudboy Slim (#9)
yes indeedy!
IbJensen posted on 2020-02-16 18:05:37 Reply Private Reply
#11: Vicomte13 To: WWG1WWA (#8)
Vicomte13 posted on 2020-02-21 12:29:09 Reply Private Reply