Twitter flagged a video Monday posted by White House social media director Dan Scavino, labeling it "manipulated media" and removing it because of a copyright complaint. Hours later, Twitter slapped the manipulation label on another video from President Trump's campaign "war room" account. The Trump War Room video simply takes a quote from Democratic nominee Joe Biden out of context to make it sound like he is saying people won't be safe "in Joe Biden's America." The one Scavino posted on his personal account involved doctoring a 2011 Harry Belafonte interview with KBAK in Bakersfield, California.
Before Twitter flagged and removed Scavino's tweet, KBAK anchor John Dabkovich pointed out that Belafonte had been replaced by Biden and a snore track.
Belafonte slammed the Trump campaign, saying "they keep stooping lower and lower" and begging "every sane American: please vote them out. I knew many who gave their life for the right to vote. Never has it been so vital to exercise that right."
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House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) faced blowback Sunday for posting a video that edited a Biden interview with ALS activist Ady Barkan to make it sound like Biden agreed to "defund" the police. Why post such obvious fakes? Well, Scavino's post was viewed 2.4 million times before it was removed.
No videos or tweets from the Biden campaign have been flagged by Twitter, Forbes reports, but if you want some pointers on how to spot fake or deceptively edited videos during what's sure to be an ugly election season, The Washington Post has some advice for not getting suckered. Peter Weber
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