There's a conspiracy theory spreading on social media that former Vice President Joe Biden may be planning to use an electronic ear piece so his campaign can feed him lines during the first presidential debate Tuesday night. President Trump's re-election campaign is playing it up, having requested both candidates receive an ear inspection before they take the stage, although Biden's camp declined after reportedly agreeing to it.
The unfounded claims are apparently based on a single tweet from an anonymous source and were quickly denied by the Biden campaign, but they've made the rounds anyway, eliciting eye rolls and criticism of Facebook for allowing the spread of disinformation.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Succession planning as the Dalai Lama turns 90In the Spotlight China 'determined to shape the narrative' around choice of Tibet's next spiritual leader
-
AI is creating a luxury housing renaissance in San FranciscoUnder the Radar Luxury homes in the city can range from $7 million to above $20 million
-
How carbon credits could help and hurt the climateThe explainer The credits could be allowing polluters to continue polluting
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggestsSpeed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefireSpeed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefsSpeed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program
-
Israel deports Thunberg after seizing Gaza aid boatspeed read The Swedish activist was delivering food and medical aid to Palestine, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis there
-
Colombian senator shot on streets of Bogotáspeed read Miguel Uribe Turbay, who has announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election, was shot at a rally
-
Trump says Putin vowed retaliation for Kyiv strikespeed read The Russian president intends to respond to Ukraine's weekend drone strikes on Moscow's warplanes
