‘Rigged’ Presidential Debate Conspiracies Flooded Social Media Within Hours, Study Shows

A joint study from Montclair State University faculty in the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication in the School of Communication and Media and the Justice Studies Department at Montclair State shows that conversation about a “rigged presidential debate” spiked dramatically after the presidential debate on September 10, 2024, fueled by a conspiracy theory that ABC News coached Vice President Harris on moderator questions.

Highlights from the full study, which can be found here, include:

• 194,044 posts supporting the conspiracy that ABC News coached Vice President Harris on moderator questions prior to the debate in under twelve hours on X
• 48,877,717 impressions generated by debate conspiracy content on the platform
• Support for the conspiracy voiced by key Trump influencers, including former New York Mayor and longtime Trump advisor Rudy Giuliani
• Search activity related to the false idea an ABC whistleblower would “reveal” the conspiracy was over 100X higher in the same period
• The themes, speed, and spread of this content are similar to the “Stop the Steal” messages that were instrumental in inciting the January 6 attack

“These results are chilling as they echo the posts that preceded the attack on the Capitol in 2021. It’s particularly concerning that public figures and major platforms are boosting this,” said Dr. Daniela Peterka-Benton, Associate Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University.

“Particularly concerning is the speed at which the conspiracy spread and the high-level figures who quickly boosted; this suggests a turbulent period is coming with election results, as well,” said Dr. Bond Benton, Professor of Communication in the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University.

The full study was conducted by Dr. Bond Benton from the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication and by Dr. Daniela Peterka-Benton, Dr. Daniela Peterka-Benton, Department of Justice Studies.

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About the School of Communication and Media: The School of Communication and Media offers a range of dynamic programs in communication and media to a talented and diverse student population of more than 2,000. Offering degrees in film and television, social media and public relations, advertising, journalism and digital media, sports communication, communication and media studies, animation and visual effects, and an MA devoted to strategic communication, the School prepares the next generation of communication and media practitioners and leaders. The School houses award-winning student programs that include WMSC Radio, The Montclarion newspaper,  Hawk Communications Agency, the Red Hawk Sports Network, Hawk+ OTT streaming platform, and News Lab, as well as the Center for Cooperative Media, which serves the public by working to grow and strengthen local journalism. Student projects and programs have recently received national recognition from PRSSA’s Bateman Competition, an Edward R Murrow Award, several Marconi Award nominations, and a College Television Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

About the Department of Justice Studies: The Department of Justice Studies focuses on a broad-based interdisciplinary curriculum offering a rigorous course of study that examines the intersection of justice, law, policy and social change.

Media Contact: Keith Green, greenk@montclair.edu