Trump supporters pray for victory, Bolsonaro berates Biden and North Dakota elects a dead man
Welcome to the Infodemic. We are still tracking how disinformation is shaping the global pandemic response, but, like many of you, we are very distracted by the US election right now. As America counts the ballots, coronavirus news has taken a back seat, but it has continued to feed the narratives — both real and fake — that have grabbed our attention and deserve yours.
Steve Bannon has called on President Donald Trump to behead infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci. Trump’s former chief strategist went on a long rant against Fauci on his podcast. First, Bannon suggested that Trump fire him, then he said “I’d actually go a step further, I’d like to go back to Tudor England, I’d put their heads on pikes outside the White House,” also referring to FBI Director Christopher Wray. The podcast caused a media storm, and its associated account was banned by Twitter, Banon’s spokeswoman said he was only speaking metaphorically. Bannon is currently free on a $5 million release bond in a federal criminal case, accused of defrauding donors to a nonprofit group that was supposedly dedicated to building a wall between the United States and Mexico.
While some sat glued to their screens, waiting for the results to roll in, others prayed — and no one prayed quite like Paula White, Donald Trump’s evangelical advisor. This year has produced a wealth of bizarre images, but nothing quite like this video. In it, White bounces up and down repeating the words “I can hear the sound of victory” and “Angels are being dispatched from Africa.” She also speaks in tongues, before shouting, “Let the conspiracy be broken, let it be shattered, shattered, shattered.”
Background: White is a prosperity gospel pastor. She believes that wealth is a sign of virtue. In 2019 Trump officially appointed her as “spiritual advisor” and gave her a formal role in the Office of Public Liaison, advising members of the president’s Faith and Opportunity Initiative. In July, when Florida was announced the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic, White reopened her vast City of Destiny Church in the state, albeit with precautions in place.