Donald Trump’s latest unsubstantiated allegation against Hillary Clinton is that her use of a private email server as secretary of state resulted in the death of an Iranian scientist who provided intel to the U.S. As Twitter users were quick to point out, the tweeted accusation came couched in one of the GOP nominee’s favorite phrases: “Many people are saying.”
Many people are saying that the Iranians killed the scientist who helped the U.S. because of Hillary Clinton’s hacked emails.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2016
Trump frequently relies on this vague construction both to promote his own products and to air far-fetched conspiracies while distancing himself from the source. He claimed in 2013 that “many people have claimed” his cologne “Success” was “the best scent,” and in early 2015 that “so many people” have told him he should replace Chuck Todd as the host of NBC’s “Meet the Press.” In May, he used the wording to suggest that there was something “very fishy” about the suicide of former Clinton administration counsel Vince Foster.
Like his other frequently-used phrase “There’s something going on,” it suggests an ominous association between two subjects but isn’t clearly sourced enough to be discounted for lack of evidence.
By Monday night, the hashtag #ManyPeopleAreSaying was trending on Twitter. Here are some of the best responses to Trump’s latest claim.
#ManyPeopleAreSaying
these hands cannot even hold a whole piece of chicken no i am serious many people pic.twitter.com/VW5NqEliax— darth™ (@darth) August 9, 2016
what “many people” have previously said pic.twitter.com/io33Qa1qVV
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) August 9, 2016
Many people are saying our next album will heal the sick and end all war. It’s just what many people are saying.
— SPOON (@spoontheband) August 9, 2016
Many people are saying I deserve a raise.
— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) August 8, 2016
Many people are saying Trump’s campaign chairman lobbied for a Pro-Apartheid warlord who burned whole families as witches. Because it’s true
— Zeddonymous (@ZeddRebel) August 8, 2016
#ManyPeopleAreSaying Trump was the hand model for this pic.twitter.com/KsyeVvP3QQ
— jacqui (@heyjdey) August 8, 2016
#ManyPeopleAreSaying @realDonaldTrump is a secret Muslim. Not me. But many people do say that. pic.twitter.com/Jv4hUG8xlm
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) August 9, 2016
