Did former President Trump wear his pants backwards over the weekend in North Carolina?
Some key figures in the news media actually made the conspiracy-theory claim, suggesting it could be related to to some sort of dementia.
It was Brandon Friedman, a columnist for the New York Daily News and self-described "Obama guy," who posted a tweet with poor-quality video of Trump's appearance Saturday in Greenville, North Carolina.
"Others are noting this, but it can't be shared enough: Donald Trump gave his big speech today with his pants on backwards. Look close and tell me I'm wrong," he wrote above the clip, which has more than 9.3 million views to date.
Others are noting this, but it can't be shared enough: Donald Trump gave his big speech today with his pants on backwards. Look close and tell me I'm wrong.https://t.co/sRsoJVfyf8
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) June 6, 2021
The theory was echoed by Shelley Ross, a former reporter for ABC, CBS, and NBC News.
"Anyone think he's in a no-fly zone?" Ross quipped.
Ross then discussed the matter online with former Acting Director of United States National Intelligence Richard Grenell, and she proffered the possibility of dementia:
"The zipperless pants are not a joke if it is related to frontal lobe dementia. I think it is more sad than funny," she wrote.
Grenell responded: "This post and the comments on it are proof positive that Trump Derangement Syndrome exists."
"I will forever point to this post as Example #1 showing how grown adults who seemingly seem educated can become deranged partisans."
Breitbart News posted a photo of Trump at the event taken by Melissa Sue Gerrits of Getty Images, clearly showing a zipper.
The columnist for the Daily News later posted a fact-check by Snopes.com, a far-left fact-checker which rated the backwards pants claim as "false."
"Snopes looked through photographs taken at the event and published by the visual media company Getty Images that clearly show the former president on stage wearing pants with a zipper in the front," it said.
C-SPAN has video of the event:
via wnd