The messages – the last in a long series of manipulated screenshots purporting to show articles from The Atlantic – raising debunked claims That widespread voter fraud affected Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump. Some conservatives rallied around the “stop the steal” slogan, which featured prominently in the election the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
However, the supposed headline is made up
“No no such article was ever published by The Atlantic,” Anna Bross, senior vice president for communications, said in an Oct. 15, 2024, email.
The fake distorts an authentic Atlantic article published on October 6, 2021 with the headline: “Kamala Harris may have to stop the stealing.” The oldest archived version available on the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine does not show the shared made-up headline online.
The magazine said in a press release dated October 15, 2024 that “images are fabricated Atlantic Ocean The headlines are increasingly circulating on social media frequency” (archived here).
“Many of these images are crudely simulated, with grainy resolution, and some use hateful language,” the statement said. “They misinform and manipulate people they encounter. Many of these posts have been widely shared by individuals with large followings, including elected officials.”
The October 2021 article, published well before Harris became a presidential candidate, focused on her role as vice president — the presiding officer in the Senate, who certifies election results submitted by states. The article says that, in January of that year, Then-Vice President Mike Pence has rejected pressure to overturn the vote and that Harris may face a complicated task in dealing with fake electors from states that will reject the results if Trump loses. in 2024.
“What will she do – what can she do – if Republicans with a majority in Congress refuse to accept the certification of a Democratic victory in one or more key states?” journalist Russell Berman wrote.
“How would she handle a statement from a Republican governor or secretary of state that seemed to undermine the popular vote in that state? What if, in other words, it was up to her to stop the stealing?’
A keyword search of The Atlantic’s archives found no other headlines similar to those of Loomer and others.
More AFP reporting on 2024 election disinformation is available here.
