A liberal blogger got steamrolled on Twitter after attempting to dunk on Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with a dishonest social media post.
The brouhaha erupted Sunday when Tom Watson — who writes an obscure Substack blog called “The Liberal” — posted a photo of DeSantis sitting next to President Joe Biden with the caption “DeSantis bends the knee.”
The implication was that DeSantis was groveling for help from Biden following the devastation caused last week by Hurricane Ian, which killed at least 100 people in Florida.
DeSantis bends the knee. pic.twitter.com/WuUG10ZfyB
— Tom Watson (@tomwatson) October 2, 2022
However, as numerous Twitter users pointed out, the photo Watson posted in a desperate attempt to “own” DeSantis had nothing to do with Hurricane Ian.
Instead, it was from a July 2021 meeting following the condo collapse in Surfside, Florida, that killed 98 people.
That’s from July of last year. ? pic.twitter.com/36HbEHCUSW
— ??Sheri?? (@SheriCarter18) October 2, 2022
Many commenters were disgusted at Watson’s tone-deaf politicization of a deadly hurricane to mock DeSantis.
The very worst Twitter right here. This verified account takes a photo from 2021 following an apartment collapse that killed 98 people and purposely repurposes it to apply to Hurricane Ian. Twitter allows this, of course, while Tom Watson keeps it up for cheap likes. Pathetic. https://t.co/xKhYA7Gxyd
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) October 3, 2022
Location: New York
Focus on your own state if you’re not interested in helping the people of Florida.
You are using a photo from a disaster in Miami-Dade County that killed 98 people in 2021.
To politicize a deadly hurricane in SWFL.
My only question is WHY?
— Christina Pushaw ? ?? (@ChristinaPushaw) October 2, 2022
By “bends the knee,” do you mean “looks sad while discussing a tragedy in his state with another adult leader…a year ago?”
— Wilfred Reilly (@wil_da_beast630) October 3, 2022
Brendon Leslie, the editor-in-chief of Florida’s Voice, tweeted: “This is from surfside tragedy in 2021. Real men put politics aside in tragedies. That’s what Ron DeSantis is doing. We Southwest Florida residents have no interest in your political garbage.”
This is from surfside tragedy in 2021
Real men put politics aside in tragedies. That’s what Ron DeSantis is doing.
We Southwest Florida residents have no interest in your political garbage
— Brendon Leslie (@BrendonLeslie) October 2, 2022
Watson’s lame attempt to ridicule DeSantis while passing off an old photo as current was so egregious that the liberal social media platform Twitter added a context banner under his tweet.
— Damin Toell (@damintoell) October 2, 2022
The fact check was part of a Twitter pilot program visible only to some users, but its significance was not lost on many commenters.
Attorney Jenna Ellis, who previously worked for former President Donald Trump, remarked, “Congrats Tom, first time a lib tweet was SO BAD a Twitter ‘context’ banner was added.”
Congrats Tom, first time a lib tweet was SO BAD a Twitter “context” banner was added.
Three ??? awarded.
— Jenna Ellis ?? (@JennaEllisEsq) October 3, 2022
Other Twitter users were appalled that Watson had not deleted his misleading tweet even after it was fact-checked by countless people.
This picture is from last year after the Surfside apartment collapse but this hack knows this and he still hasn’t taken it down after being called out. We have a MSM China would be proud of. 24/7 propaganda. They are a disgrace! https://t.co/WMfk7nYD5M
— Brian Topping (@BrianTopping15) October 3, 2022
Disinformation. @tomwatson If you have to lie to cover your terrible policies then you have no business having a check. @Twitter You issue checks for credibility yet you allow check accounts to lie with impunity. Why is that? https://t.co/0dB9g4A7gF
— ?? Ultra American November is Coming ??? (@melissamiller33) October 3, 2022
Another commenter simply quipped, “This tweet is not going the way you thought it would, Tom.”
This tweet is not going the way you thought it would, Tom.
— Cary Poarch (@OnThePoarch) October 2, 2022
As of Tuesday morning, Twitter had not forced Watson to delete his sham tweet, and the liberal media fact-checkers hadn’t addressed his bogus claim.
This contrasts sharply with the countless dubious “fact checks” they do whenever a conservative politician, journalist or other public figure says or writes the most benign thing.
For example, Snopes has repeatedly “fact-checked” humorous articles published on the satirical website The Babylon Bee.
Curses! Foiled again! https://t.co/Aqt4vdKDGg
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) May 8, 2020
But such is the dismal state of the establishment media today: dishonest, biased, humorless and corrupt.
