After France, the fake news according to which Brigitte Macron was “born a man” reached the United States, with the American far right in turn appropriating this incredible rumor with sexist and transphobic overtones, in the middle of the presidential campaign.
A scoop revealed by French journalists
“Crazy: this is the biggest scandal in the history of humanity.” Facing the camera, the American blogger Candace Owens assures in her column of March 11 that she is “putting her reputation on the line” to echo a “scoop” that “French journalists” allegedly revealed.
In a video viewed more than a million and a half times on YouTube before its deletion, the American violently attacks Brigitte Macron – née Trogneux – assuring, with supporting documents and photos, that she would in reality be a transgender woman born under the first name Jean-Michel. Two hashtags accompany the video – #JeanMichelTrogneux and #BrigitteGate – subsequently mentioned in tens of thousands of messages on X, according to the social network analysis tool Visibrain.
This rumor was already circulating in France, exploding at the end of 2021 a few weeks before the presidential election, with Internet users assuring that a vast conspiracy would hide this “secret”. And to take the opportunity to relay accusations of child abuse against the First Lady.
Far-right and conspiracy theorists
Allegations, widely relayed in France by movements combining conspiracies, covid-sceptics or the extreme right, which had pushed Brigitte Macron to take legal action. As a “Source,” Candace Owens cites “Facts and Documents,” a “confidential information letter.” Founded in 1996 by a figure of the far right, Emmanuel Ratier, and today written by Xavier Poussard, the publication had in 2021 relayed the “research” carried out by Natacha Rey, presenting herself as an “independent journalist”.
“Facts and Documents” has since continued to release files on Brigitte Macron. But what is new is that Xavier Poussard began translating his argument at the end of 2023 under the advice of (former advertising executive, Editor’s note) Aurélien Poirson, known on sent in English to Donald Trump’s entourage”, explains to AFP Emmanuelle Anizon, a senior reporter at Obs who met the two men and published “L’Affaire Madame” on March 22, on the genesis of this fake news .
Relayed by Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens
An effective tactic: first broadcast on confidential networks like the 4Chan forum, the info explodes “when influencers (…) like the former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson or Candace Owens, who have a very large audience, give it visibility,” recalls Sophie Chauvet, doctoral student in information sciences. Ultra-conservative personalities known for relaying conspiracy and racist theories, and close to Donald Trump, candidate for the November presidential election.
“The narrative of a ‘secretly trans’ person is a long-standing feature of online gender-based violence”, it is based on the “principle that transgender identities, especially ‘hidden’ ones, are so abhorrent that once the truth is revealed , these women will lose all credibility and all power,” analyzed the American research institute Wilson Center in a report in 2021.
Perverted elites
“The bottom line is to say that the elites are perverted, sick, and have bizarre sexuality, with the aim of demonizing a political opponent (via) themes favored by the ‘alt-right’ ( American far right, Editor’s note) on transidentity, homophobia and pedophilia,” notes Sebastian Dieguez. Faced with this, “strong men must restore order and morality, like Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin”, according to this reading grid.
Especially since in the United States, “the pedosatanist imagination is particularly developed, since the evangelists in the 1970s then with the movement (far-right conspiracy, Editor’s note) QAnon, and accepted, relayed by leading figures plan like Trump,” raises Julien Giry, researcher in information and communication sciences.
(afp)
