AsMelania Trumpremains completely unseen in public for 21 days and counting, her disappearance has sparked a wide range of conspiracy theories — including that the first lady didnotwrite Wednesday’s tweet that stated she’s “here at the @WhiteHouse w my family.”
Although some of the theories abouther disappearing actseempretty outlandish— including one in which the first lady is allegedly holed up with the Obamas to write an exposé about her husband — even the person who has dedicated his career to squashing wild rumors can see why they are bubbling up.
“You can’t blame people. She was suddenly in the hospital for something that hadn’t been announced in advance and she hasn’t been seen since,” Snopes founder and CEO David Mikkelson tells PEOPLE. “It could be perfectly innocuous, but it also could be a cover story for something else.”
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Mikkelson — who runs the independent, nonpartisan website researching urban legends and other rumors — also admits the mystery of Mrs. Trump’s disappearance is “very intriguing.”
“I don’t have any insight into what the reality is, she could have just had surgery and she is recovering quietly,” he says. “People wondering about it doesn’t take a great conspiratorial mind. It seems unusual that she was in the hospital and she hasn’t been seen. When that happens to someone prominent like a first lady, the lack of information is very intriguing.”
Paul Joyner
But don’t think this means Mikkelson has suddenly started wearing a tinfoil hat.
Consider the Source
“As we point out, if it’s something of significance and importance, you’d be reading about it in multiple places, not one obscure blog or site. If the Russians were about to launch a missile attack tonight, that would probably be headline news,” he says.
RELATED VIDEO:Melania Trumpto Remain Hospitalized for the Week After Undergoing ‘Successful’ Kidney Procedure
Check for Verified Social Media Accounts
We all know social media can be a bit like the Wild West, but Mikkelson says there are ways to wade through the muck. “For social media, one of the keys is that the accounts are verified. People set up imposter accounts for Donald Trump or other famous people. You do want to look for the check mark, and unfortunately even with a verified account you can’t know for sure the owner is tweeting or posting. Sometimes celebrities are used as paid influencers to retweet material pushed through their account.”
But Remember That Even People with Verified Accounts (Like Roseanne and Donald Trump) Can Perpetuate Conspiracy Theories
“Roseanne was tweeting out things that were debunked on our site for years, the cautious person could have found that out first,” he says.
source: people.com
