Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden did not wear a wire during Tuesday night’s presidential debate, despite claims by some conspiracy theorists that he did, Forbes writer Jack Brewster reported in a fact-checking article debunking the claim. He claimed that the low-resolution footage, seen through the lens of a camera phone recording something broadcast on TV, created an optical illusion that made it look like Biden was wearing a wire. In fact, it was nothing more than a crease in his shirt.
Further, high-definition footage of the scene in question, which can be seen in the YouTube video below, makes it clear that Biden’s garment was merely ruffled, the writer claimed.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , on Wednesday actor James Woods posted a video that purportedly revealed the wire Biden was supposedly wearing during the debate. Specifically, the zoomed-in footage showed the former vice president reaching under his jacket and, for a few seconds, perhaps scratching himself or fiddling with something. As his hand emerged, a small distortion could be seen. Woods claimed that it was proof Biden was wearing a wire.
And there it is. #JoeWired pic.twitter.com/bk1dkZ9gQo
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 30, 2020
Woods, who is known for sharing conspiracy theories with his online followers, was not the only Twitter user to take notice. According to Forbes , the presence of the supposed wire was picked up on by the group QAnon, far-right groups, and other individuals.
The claim had traction hours before the debate even started as a baseless theory spread on Facebook that claimed that Biden was planning to wear an earpiece in order to tilt the contest in his favor.
“The Biden earpiece conspiracy theory (which originated in a tweet from a single anonymous source to a NYPost reporter, and was instantly denied by the campaign) is everywhere on Facebook. Absolutely everywhere,” tweeted NBC News reporter Ben Collins.
According to a tweet from Fox News reporter Madeleine Rivera, Biden’s campaign has denied using any electronic assistance.
“Biden Deputy Campaign Manager @KBeds responded to this during a debate preview call today: ‘It is completely absurd. Of course, he is not wearing an earpiece,’” she wrote.
Brewster also noted that Twitter had pledged earlier this week to “[monitor] Twitter Trends to add informative context for voters,” but as of early Wednesday afternoon, had not yet added any warning labels or other context to tweets referencing the alleged wire.
A company spokesperson, responding to a request for comment from the magazine, said “we’re looking into it.”
