CNN was recently duped by a parody account on X, formerly Twitter, after mistakenly airing a fake Republican congressman's fabricated account of a phone call with Sen. Mitch McConnell.
During an episode of "CNN This Morning," anchor Audie Cornish introduced statements from Republicans who claimed to have spoken with McConnell, who has been hospitalized since mid-June. Accompanying legitimate comments were remarks attributed to the X account @RepJackKimble.
However, "Rep. Jack Kimble" does not exist. The account is a long-running political parody that purports to represent California's fictional 54th congressional district. The account's biography identifies its owner as the "co-sponsor of Poe's Law," a reference to the internet adage regarding the potential for satire to be mistaken for genuine statements.
The fake congressman's post, which was displayed on CNN, initially resembled genuine messages from Republican lawmakers before introducing satirical elements. The post claimed that McConnell "beat me" in a staring contest.
This parody account has a history of fooling media outlets. According to the author's Amazon biography, the fictional congressman is the creation of a Chicago school teacher who launched the character in 2009. The account has previously misled outlets such as The Huffington Post and The Washington Post.
Following the incident, the Jack Kimble account mocked CNN on X, calling the network's mistake an exposure of its "extreme leftwing bias."
A CNN spokesperson acknowledged the error during Thursday's broadcast. "Yesterday on the show, we displayed quotes from a Republican about Senator Mitch McConnell’s stay in the hospital," Cornish said. "One of them was mistakenly taken from a parody account on Twitter. Now obviously we should not have done that and we regret the error."
The incident occurred while questions continue to surround McConnell's health. The retiring Kentucky Republican has been out of public view for weeks while recovering in the hospital. His office has stated that he "continues to improve" and is working on Senate and Kentucky matters with staff. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, has urged McConnell to provide a more comprehensive update on his condition, citing the ongoing speculation as unfair to both the senator and the residents of Kentucky.
