2 weeks Ago By Snopes
A video documents that CNN reported Israel targeted Hezbollah with exploding goats. A rumor circulating online in September 2024 claimed a video showed CNN anchor Jake Tapper reporting that Israel targeted Hezbollah — with exploding goats. For example, the X user Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) ( ), "BREAKING NEWS: Mass Hezbollah Casualties Reported After Goats Rectums Explode.
" The clip showed Tapper speaking above the headline, "Israel Targets Hezbollah with Exploding Goats." BREAKING NEWS: Mass Hezbollah Casualties Reported After Goats Rectums Explode. 🔊 — Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) We also noted the claim about Israel deploying exploding goats was genuine.
However, the video clip was fake. CNN never ran any such report. , actor and writer Danny Polishchuk created the video as a gag.
He also played the role of the field reporter opposite Tapper. Polishchuk engineered Tapper's mouth movements and vocal sounds with deepfake video technology and artificial-intelligence tools. The spread of the "exploding goats" rumor online went beyond instances of the fake CNN video, however.
The claim also spread without the video's help. For example, on former U.S.
President Donald Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, a user posted, " A different user ( ) on X, "BREAKING NEWS: Mass Hezbollah Casualties Reported After Goats Exploding! Watch out for the GOATS!" Lastly, Polishchuk created another Tapper deepfake ( ) poking fun at both CNN and any users who may have taken the original clip seriously. CNN'S Jake Tapper Issues Statement on Viral Exploding Goats Story — Danny Polishchuk (@Dannyjokes) The follow-up video featured an AI-generated Tapper voice saying, in part: While humorous, here at CNN, we are very concerned with the proliferation of any fake news that we didn't create ourselves. Disinformation is a very serious threat to our country and the world when it isn't us here at CNN creating it.
We acknowledge the average person on the internet is too stupid to tell the difference between parody and reality. And if it was up to us, none of those people would be ever allowed to vote. Sources: Frankel, Julia, and Bassem Mroue.
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