With the Iowa Caucuses only hours away, Democratic presidential candidates are doing a last minute push to convince caucus-goers that they're the best choice to defeat President Donald Trump this November.
Naturally, Trump's allies are trying to introduce the same disinformation that helped the President's 2016 campaign carry a victory.
Though no official ballots are cast in the Iowa caucuses, Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch—a pro-Trump platform often endorsed by the President on Twitter—posted a claim that eight Iowa counties had more voters registered than there were eligible voters in each county.
That claim—like much of those made by Judicial Watch—was false and quickly rebuked by Iowa's own Secretary of State: Republican Paul Pate.
Pate initially replied to Fitton's claim directly.
But Fitton continued to double down.
Secretary Pate responded in an official statement.
Pate's statement read in part:
"It's unfortunate this organization continues to put out inaccurate data regarding voter registration, and it's especially disconcerting they chose the day of the Iowa Caucus to do this. My office has told this organization, and others who have made similar claims, that their data regarding Iowa is deeply flawed and their false claims erode voter confidence in elections. They should stop this misinformation campaign immediately and quit trying to disenfranchise Iowa voters."
People called out Judicial Watch for its strategic spreading of false information.
The Iowa Caucuses are just the beginning of the long process to find who will face off against Trump in 2020. The disinformation is just beginning.
To arm yourself against disinformation, check out Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare, available here.
