Rappler talks to Kate Starbird, disinformation expert and professor at the University of Washington, about the riots at the US Capitol on Wednesday, January 6.
Starbird describes the riot as a coming together for various groups – QAnon believers, pro-Trump activists, right-wing militias, white nationalists – under the banner of US President Donald Trump, who for the past 4 years and beyond that has proven to be the expert at exploiting people’s grievances.
“There has been a constant push for misinformation and disinformation, sometimes from the President himself,” Starbird says. She adds, what happened at the Capitol was not planned overnight – instead, it has been brewing for months.
Starbird talks to Rappler CEO Maria Ressa about the online ecosystems that played a role in bringing the siege to fruition. Watch the interview on Rappler. – Rappler.com
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