At least one diehard Donald Trump supporter says that the nation’s 45th president remains in the White House.

How can that be when Joe Biden was sworn in as president on Wednesday after winning the November election?

The claim made by an anonymous 4chan poster: Biden was arrested, then a deal was made with Team Trump in which the men agreed to exchange faces via experimental surgery.

“So when you watch ‘Biden’s inauguration’ you will really be watching Trump being sworn in for a second term. And when you are watching the ‘Trump trials’ that is really Biden paying for his crimes,” the conspiracy theorist said.

pic.twitter.com/9h272B7OeI

— Parlertakes🇺🇸 (@parlertakes) January 17, 2021

The 4chan poster goes on to say that when you see Biden stammer that’s actually Trump trying to learn Biden’s speech patterns.

Echoes of ‘Face/Off’

What are the odds he or she has seen the popular 1997 John Travolta-Nicholas Cage movie “Face/Off”?

For those who don’t recall the plot, FBI agent Travolta has a facial transplant and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind Cage, who murdered his only son. The intrigue thickens when Cage’s character unexpectedly awakens from his coma and discovers his face missing.

An argument can be made that the media shouldn’t provide megaphones for people to spout stupid stuff like this. But ignoring the unfounded claims of extremists would be a mistake. Especially when these extremists gather momentum and do real harm — to their communities, the nation, and themselves.

Who would have thought that QAnon’s baseless conspiracy theories would be accepted as gospel by hundreds of thousands of people? Or that people would believe that Trump is waging a spiritual war against child-eating Satanists who secretly rule the world? Or QAnon’s ranks would include members of Congress?

By the way, 4chan is an extremist forum popular with people who claim — despite voluminous evidence otherwise — that Trump won the election in a landslide.

False Claim Made About Swearing-in of VP Harris

The number of false claims, unfounded conspiracy theories, and doctored images circulating on social media isn’t abating now that Trump is out of the White House.

On Wednesday, numerous people said that Vice  President Kamala Harris placed a black clutch purse on top of the Bible so she wouldn’t have to touch the holy book when she was sworn in.

An Associated Press fact check shot down the lie. Photos of the swearing-in ceremony from a different angle show that Harris rested her hand on a Bible, not a purse. In fact, the vice president used two Bibles for her oath, one owned by a close family friend and one that belonged to the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, AP reported.

What is with Harris having her clutch purse laying between her hand and the official Bible???? Just sayin’ – do some research, I did?

— Judy Gaddis (@TheTruthHurtsMD) January 21, 2021

Be a Responsible Social Media Consumer

The Institute for Media and Public Trust at Fresno State wants to help people responsibly use social media. In its latest offering, the institute advises people on the difference between “misinformation” and “disinformation.” And it reveals how “bots” drive false news on social media.

You can read the story at this link.