Author of 'clearly fake' story shared by Greg Abbott calls TX gov 'one of the dumbest people in the country'

17 July 2023

In 2016, the Pew Research Center released a study finding that, despite the fact that 64 percent of Americans believed "fabricated news stories cause a great deal of confusion," about 39 percent have "confidence in their own ability to detect" it.

According to a July 17, 2023 report from The Guardian, that same year, Christopher Blair, who calls himself a "professional liberal troll," launched his satirical website, Dunning-Kruger-Times, hoping to "expose the 'gullibility of rightwing extremists.'"

So far, he has met his goal.

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott, The Guardian reports, shared one of Blair's "fake" stories about country singer Garth Brooks "being jeered by 'patriots' over his calls for tolerance at the 123rd annual Texas Country Jamboree in the city of Hambriston" last month.

The satirical article mentioned Brooks was "booed off a stage over his support of Bud Light," according to the report, which has received a slew of right-wing criticism after its partnership with a transgender influencer earlier this year.

"As soon as I wrote the headline, I said to myself that it might be a little bit much," Blair told the news outlet. "But it wasn't."

Abbott shared the article via Twitter, writing, "Go Woke. Go Broke," adding, "Garth called his conservative fans assholes. Good job, Texas."

Noting the city of Hambriston does not exist — nor does the jamboree, The Guardian reports, Blair — who disguises himself under the name, "Flagg Eagleton" — said conservatives tend to "get so riled up over nothing."

He added the right-wingers are typically provoked by "anything to take away from what's happening to Trump. Anything to take away from what the Republican party is doing in general. Anything to take away from the corruption in the Supreme Court."

And "right now," he emphasized, "they're at war with Garth Brooks. He doesn't care."

Blair told The Guardian he finds it "disappointing" that "public officials share articles that are clearly fake."

"I shake my head," he said. "To see it shared by people who matter, I shake my head and I chuckle. It's really disappointing to see so many people over the years who have just been dumb enough. Greg Abbott, especially"

Referring to Abbott's tweet, he said, "When I saw that, I was besides myself with joy. He's one of the dumbest people in the country."

The Guardian's full report is available at this link.

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