Rudy Giuliani recently gave a story to The New York Post which has spawned several half-baked conspiracy theories related to Joe Biden and Ukraine.
The story was rejected by several news outlets, including Fox News, due to doubts about its credibility.
But when it was published by the Post, many far-right conservatives on Twitter used it as evidence of a massive conspiracy involving the Democratic Presidential candidate.
This is pretty damning. Bannon & Giuliani met with NY Post editors to drop their Hunter Biden story. Veteran report… https://t.co/CgXpPytklj— Don Moynihan (@Don Moynihan) 1603058049.0
Just days later, however, Giuliani explained his decision to give the story to the Post in a New York Times interview, saying. The report revealed:
"Mr. Giuliani said he chose The Post because 'either nobody else would take it, or if they took it, they would spend all the time they could to try to contradict it before they put it out.'"
Pondering which paragraph is more incredible. The lead, where we learn why the reporter who wrote the NY Post story… https://t.co/Kb4PcCyGxM— Steve Inskeep (@Steve Inskeep) 1603059536.0
Essentially, Giuliani says he took the story to The New York Post because he knew they wouldn't check the accuracy of its facts before publishing it.
@NPRinskeep I’d like to thank all the journalists and newsrooms who recognized that the real story is how a politic… https://t.co/3SbJwxp1Cg— Hoke (@Hoke) 1603123478.0
@NPRinskeep If a media company wants to identify themselves as a news outlet, they should be subject to an audit th… https://t.co/PsqTClMolX— D. M. Patrimonio (@D. M. Patrimonio) 1603107654.0
Considering some of the things Giuliani has attempted to pass off as "facts" in the past, this revelation shouldn't be especially surprising.
@NPRinskeep In light of this, I suppose social media giants that restricted access to the story were acting responsibly.— Michaleen (@Michaleen) 1603060059.0
Giuliani was also recently exposed as a useful but unwitting part of Russia's attempts to spread misinformation in the United States.
👀 TRUMP was told by national security adviser O’BRIEN that Rudy Giuliani’s anti-Biden info should be considered con… https://t.co/8J8QItNrqV— Kyle Cheney (@Kyle Cheney) 1602804364.0
Even if one were to accept to the accuracy of Giuliani's story, analysis of the "leaked" emails therein reveal no corrupt behavior on the part of Joe Biden.
On the New York Post's Hunter Biden coverage, @michelleinbklyn writes: "If there’s an important story here, it’s al… https://t.co/DwyookB9eH— New York Times Opinion (@New York Times Opinion) 1603174745.0
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe on Monday said that Hunter Biden’s laptop “is not part of some Rus… https://t.co/AMyQjoZQey— Rudy W. Giuliani (@Rudy W. Giuliani) 1603116600.0
PROTIP: If Rudy Giuliani is your source for a story on Hunter Biden, it's probably Russian propaganda.— Mieke Eoyang (@Mieke Eoyang) 1603124090.0
Fortunately, it seems many voters have learned their lesson over the past four years. Just because Rudy Giuliani claims something, that doesn't make it true.