Far-right Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene was convinced she was the target of an assassination plot when her smart TV at home turned on by itself through a laptop that was trying to connect to it.
In a tweet posted on Saturday, MTG informed her MAGA followers:
"Last night in my DC residence, the television turned on by itself and the screen showed someone’s laptop trying to connect to the TV.
Playing by the conspiracy theorist handbook, she touted her clean bill of health to avoid arousing suspicions about her mental health that could lead to suicide or accidental death.
“Just for the record: I’m very happy. I’m also very healthy and eat well and exercise a lot. I don’t smoke and never have."
"I don’t take any medications. I am not vaccinated."
"So I’m not concerned about blood clots, heart conditions, strokes, or anything else.”
She said she didn't have "anything to hide," adding:
"I just love my country and the people and know how much they’ve been screwed over by the corrupt people in our government and I’m not willing to be quiet about it, or willing to go along with it."
MTG–who was previously banned from Twitter for 12 hours after falsely stating that COVID-19 was not a high risk for those under 65 and were not obese–updated her tweet with a popular meme of former Democratic President Barack Obama peaking through shrubbery with a binocular and wearing headphones.
The meme first surfaced when former Republican President Donald Trump, who announced he was running in 2024, alleged Obama was spying on him when Trump won the Presidency in 2016.
She followed up her tweet with a link to a news report about the FBI warning people that they're being spied on by their smart TVs, reminiscent of how the Thought Police in a totalitarian state used government surveillance to spy on citizens in the dystopian novel 1984 written by George Orwell.
According to the CBS News article she shared, the FBI warned that the devices:
"equipped with cameras, microphones and, in some cases, facial recognition technology—are often poorly secured by their manufacturers compared to computers or smartphones."
In 2019, FBI Portland said on its website that:
"built-in internet connection can allow manufacturers, streaming services, and even hackers an open door into your home."
The agency continued warning consumers:
"Beyond the risk that your TV manufacturer and app developers may be listening and watching you, that television can also be a gateway for hackers to come into your home
Twitter users were shaking their heads at MTG jumping to conclusions with her outlandish claim.
Twitter mocked her with suggestions to exacerbate her anxiety.
People continued ridiculing her with sarcasm for her failed attempt at fearmongering.
Some people made light of her concern by suggesting that the train has already left the station.
Political analyst Craig Agranoff shed some light on what may have happened to MTG's rogue-powered TV by tellingNewsweek:
"Marjorie Taylor Greene's tweet about her TV turning on by itself certainly seems bizarre, and it's hard to say for sure what she meant by it."
"However, it does seem to play into her previous conspiracy theories about the government spying on her."
"It's also worth noting that Greene has sort of a history of making outlandish claims that have been debunked, so it's possible that this is just another example of that."
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