Source: Matt Cardy / Getty
An account on the X platform known as “Black Insurrectionist,” who made a false claim against Governor Tim Walz, was revealed to be a white man.
An individual spreading some of the more virulent conspiracy theories online, who went by the handle of “Black Insurrectionist,” was revealed to be a white man and supporter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. According to reports, the “Black Insurrectionist” account, which went by DocNetyoutube on X, formerly Twitter, belongs to a white man named Jason G. Palmer. Palmer is a resident of upstate New York and had been using the account to peddle these conspiracies about Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The false claims were amplified by Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance.
“Black Insurrectionist,” the anonymous social media persona behind some of the most widely circulated conspiracy theories about the 2024 election, can be traced to a man from upstate New York.
He’s white. https://t.co/vHdrBj9pFQ
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 25, 2024
Palmer’s deception included promoting a false claim that Walz had an inappropriate encounter with a student when Walz was a football coach decades ago. That lie originated as part of a Russian disinformation campaign, according to U.S. security officials. The account also spread a falsehood about ABC News concerning the presidential debate in September, claiming that an employee gave Vice President Harris the questions in advance. This was circulated by the account’s 300,000 followers, and former President Trump would be asked about the account and replied, “I love the person.”
The 51-year-old has a highly checkered past, according to several individuals who were interviewed for the report. He reportedly owes the Internal Revenue Service $6.7 million in unpaid back taxes, has a history of drug addiction, and has been on record as defrauding multiple business partners. His home was also raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation a decade ago. The incident reminded those on X, formerly Twitter, of multiple accounts that engaged in “Blackfishing” during the closing weeks of the 2016 presidential election. Palmer’s identity was confirmed by the Associated Press in conjunction with a specialist from the Human Rights Center at the University of California at Berkeley. The account has been deleted from the X platform.
