The disinformation age is real, man. It’s everywhere—pervasive in every type of digital media we digest. And don’t get it twisted, there’s plenty of right wing ridiculousness out there stoking the flames of dissent. But our attention right now focuses squarely on the so-called social media fact checkers and the outright lies they perpetuate concerning the Second Amendment.

Social Media Fact Checkers Paint False Picture of Biden’s Gun Control Plans

One particular example of fact checking a Joe Biden incident perfectly illustrates the rampant disregard for truth in reporting all things guns. In March, way back before the COVID-19 lockdown, riots and election recount insanity, Biden’s campaign made a stop in Detroit.

Auto worker Jerry Wayne famously confronted Biden and his stance on the Second Amendment. The exchange quickly turned fiery. Wayne pointed out Biden’s well-known stance on guns. Backed into a corner, in front of a large crowd of blue collar workers, Biden snapped.

It happened. Biden cursed at Wayne, saying he was “full of shit,” and a “horse’s ass.” The whole world saw it, as the video went viral. Yet now social media fact checkers cover it up with a stunning collection of half-truths and outright lies. And we’re gonna prove it.

Biden vs. Auto Worker

CBS News posted part of the entire exchange as a transcript. It published the following on March 10:

“You are actively trying to end our Second Amendment right and take away our guns,” the worker told Biden.

Biden replied: “You’re full of sh**.”

“I support the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment — just like right now, if you yelled ‘fire,’ that’s not free speech,” Biden continued. “And from the very beginning — I have a shotgun, I have a 20-gauge, a 12-gauge. My sons hunt. Guess what? You’re not allowed to own any weapon. I’m not taking your gun away at all.”

The man repeated his accusation that Biden was “trying to take our guns,” and Biden pushed back. “I did not say that. I did not say that.” 

After the worker told him that he had made the remark in “a viral video,” the former vice president replied that “it’s a viral video like the other ones they’re putting out that are simply a lie.”

The Real Fake News Machine

Except it wasn’t a lie. Joe Biden said those things when confronted with truth. It happened. And even CBS reported it.

But now, many months later, fact checkers attempt to re-write that history. Several memes and re-posts take Biden’s quotes from that day, re-purposed to keep his anti-gun stance and his treatment of that worker in the public consciousness.

But Lead Stories, USA Today and PoltiFact all ran “fact-checked” articles. Their “corrections” pop up under “Related Articles,” the meme or image tagged with “Missing Context” or “False Information.” But the only thing false here is in the fact checking itself.

Each story addresses, in some version, the question of Wayne’s claim that Biden is “actively trying to end our Second Amendment right and take away our guns.”

PolitFact says “the worker falsely accused Biden of wanting to take away people’s guns.” The fact checkers rate it a half truth or missing context, alluding to Biden’s truthfulness in the exchange.

Biden’s Anti-Gun Agenda

Herein lies the rub. We have diligently reported, at length, Biden indeed wants to take away our guns. He wants an assault weapon ban, mandatory buybacks of re-classified guns, taxation and a ban on so-called high-capacity magazines. The ban on magazines alone would wipe out entire categories of lever-action and rimfire sporters, many marketed for hunting—firearm types Biden falsely purports to support.

Wayne, our favorite auto worker, owns the rifles Biden intends to take. Millions of law-abiding Americans own similar rifles, AR pistols, SB Tactical arm braces, and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Wayne called Biden out on exactly that. And Biden lied, on camera.

The man’s own published platform outlines, in great detail, the most anti-gun presidential platform in American history. Yet over and over again, the Facebooks and Twitters and fact checkers and traditional mainstream news lie about what is about to transpire.

Turning Public Opinion

And of course we, the 2A community, know what’s up. Conversely, the hardline anti-gun crowd will never cross the line, regardless of the reporting. But the tens of millions of folks in the middle, the ones that may not have much skin in this particular game either way, well they’re being swayed. Every tag of “Missing Contest” or “False Information,” even though it isn’t, paints the 2A community with a negative brush. It makes this anti-gun agenda seem OK to the uninformed.

Most people simply never take the extra steps to investigate or read further. The digital disinformation age is real. It is upon us. And it’s turning the tide in the war on guns.