A rumor that Howard professors mentioned U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris was “the worst student ever” circulated on-line in the course of the 2024 presidential race. For instance, Facebook web page SpaceX Fanclub posted it Sept. 10, 2024, hours earlier than the controversy between Harris and former President Donald Trump:
(Facebook/SpaceX Fanclub)
The picture meme learn: “Howard University Professors Confirm ‘Kamala Harris Was the Worst Student Ever.'”
The put up had gained greater than 50,000 reactions, 28,000 shares and 13,000 feedback as of this writing. Some readers appeared to interpret rumor as a factual recounting of real-life occasions. “Probably the reason she failed her first ‘Bar Exam,'” one commenter wrote.
The pinned remark below the put up linked to an article on Esspots.com that started:
Howard University Professors Confirm: “Kamala Was the Worst Student Ever”
In an sudden revelation that is positive to ship shockwaves by means of the political world, a bunch of retired professors from Howard University have come ahead to share what can solely be described as a really weird chapter within the historical past of the varsity: Vice President Kamala Harris, they declare, was their “worst student ever.”
However, there was no evidence of Howard University professors talking about Harris in these phrases.
Rather, the rumor about Harris being a poor pupil originated with a web site that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature. Esspots.com's disclaimer states:
Welcome to Esspots.com, a web site that makes a speciality of satire, parody, and humor. Before you proceed to learn our content material, we wish to emphasize that nothing on this web site is actual. All of the articles, tales, and commentary discovered on Esspots.com are completely fictitious and created for the aim of leisure solely.
The fictional story unfold as Harris gained ground in polls towards Trump following the Sept. 10 debate.
Esspots.com has a historical past of creating up tales for shares and feedback, typically counting on artificial-intelligence writing software program to do its storytelling.
Snopes has addressed comparable satirical claims coming from Esspots.com prior to now, together with the assertion that Kid Rock refused to share the stage with singer Taylor Swift and a rumor that Swift needed to cancel dates on her Eras tour after her endorsement of Harris.
For background, right here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that decision their output humorous or satirical.
