Did Obama Really Have A ‘Goodwill Cookout’ At A Mosque On The Fourth Of July?
President Obama spent his Fourth of July at Muslim mosque where he enjoyed a goodwill cookout… so says the rumor mill:
Victoria Jackson writes:
“Obama will visit a mosque and host Muslim leaders at the White House on the 4th of July. Obama continues to slap America in the face and spit on her. I am outraged. If you’re not, you are uninformed. Releasing 5 top Muslim terrorists from Gitmo?!!!”
Four days later, the report remains on VictoriaJackson.com. Sure enough, some of the public are outraged that Obama reportedly planned to visit a mosque on the United States’ Independence Day.
OBAMA IS ENJOYING A PATRIOTIC MORNING VISITING A MOSQUE. I DONT REMEMBER THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD MARCHING WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON
— GLENN (@GCGATOR24) July 4, 2014
IS THIS ENOUGH YET? INSULTING AMERICA ON ITS BDAY LIKE THIS??>Obama to Visit Mosque, Host Muslim Leaders on July 4th http://t.co/38HqVTj90i — Gary #Boycott Mexico (@OrangeCoSurf) July 4, 2014
Jackson got her news from The National Report:
“White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced today that President Obama will be visiting a Washington D.C. area Mosque on the morning of July 4th as a goodwill gesture to Muslim Americans. The name and location of the Mosque are currently being withheld for security reasons.”
The National Report‘s report, though, was not real. It was a hoax. It was a hoax deliberately set up to make people make fools out of themselves, and Victoria Jackson fell for it when she proclaimed her outrage over President Obama’s cook-out with Muslims at a mosque. Last year, according to News Works, The National Report let the public in on a little secret:
“We have been targeting tea party types recently, (because) they are the most gullible, and are willing to spread misinformation across the Internet with little/no research…they are to blame for their own stupidity.”
In a time when the truth is just a few clicks away, far too many social media users fell for the Obama/Fourth of July hoax right along with Victoria Jackson. One reader with the username RLJR1 was furious that Obama visited a mosque on the Fourth of July and wrote, “OBAMA= COMMIE MUSLUM TERRORIST TRAITOR SCUMBAG.”
Jackson’s article stayed on her website even after 185 of her readers commented, many of them informing her of her error.
VictoriaJackson.com reader Dave hilariously writes:
“Get the story right, please: he carpooled to the mosque with Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.”
David Cox writes to Jackson:
“I am so glad to have read your message. I not only get that the link is a Satire website, I also am glad that the United States Bill of Rights makes all of this possible. Oh, yes, I am a card carrying member of the ACLU, and glad that we are the country we are, not the country you want.”
Of course, once the readers sorted out fact from hoax, the arguments over Obama commenced. Arguments quickly got off track as they often do when it comes to the POTUS.
The nation is still fighting over Obama’s plans for immigration reform. Arguments continue over various presidential executive orders. President Obama’s approval ratings continued to drop before anyone believed the Muslim mosque cookout hoax. We’ve yet to stop arguing about what Obama should do for our imprisoned marine in Mexico.
As entertaining as it was, The National Report probably didn’t even need to create a fake story about Obama having a Fourth of July cook-out at a mosque to create viral presidential bickering; they could have just typed his name into a headline and the fighting would ensue.
[Photo via The White House]
