The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Faked Pelosi videos, slowed to make her appear drunk, spread across social media

May 24, 2019 at 4:41 p.m. EDT
Altered videos of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), slowed down to make her sound sluggish and slurred, are spreading across social media. (Video: The Washington Post)

Distorted videos of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), altered to make her sound as if she’s drunkenly slurring her words, are spreading rapidly across social media, highlighting how political disinformation that clouds public understanding can now grow at the speed of the Web.

The video of Pelosi’s onstage speech Wednesday at a Center for American Progress event, in which she said President Trump’s refusal to cooperate with congressional investigations was tantamount to a “coverup," was subtly edited to make her voice sound garbled and warped. It was then circulated widely across Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.