Weidel expresses regret over angry remarks towards Faeser.
AfD leader Alice Weidel recently apologized for misquoting Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in her speech. She disclosed that the press release she quoted was fake, causing her immense disappointment. The ministry condemned the spread of misinformation and its usage in discussing the knife attack in Mannheim.
Weidel's speech at the AfD Donnersberg meeting in Kirchheimbolanden on Saturday in Rhineland-Palatinate, in which she quoted a fabricated press release by Faeser to an enthusiastic crowd, has been circulating online. T-Online reported that this fake document was created by ChatGPT, an AI language generator. The AfD initially refused to provide more details on the fake press release's origin, but Weidel maintained her stance regarding the interior minister, saying her stance would "remain correct."
The knife attack in Mannheim last Friday, where a 25-year-old Afghan national injured six people from the Islam-critical group Pax Europa and himself, became a hot topic. One police officer is still in critical condition. The suspect is not yet interrogatable, and police have conducted a search of his apartment, gathering evidence for his motive and crime planning.
The AfD leader initially accused Faeser of being part of the problem, based on a fake press release she quoted in her speech. After realizing the press release was fabricated, she took to X to express her sorrow over the deception.
"We got stuck on a fake during our research, which saddens us greatly," Weidel wrote. She apologized for her misinterpretation and stressed the importance of avoiding disinformation and not using tragic incidents to further political agendas. The ministry responded by denouncing such practices, stating: "We resolutely oppose disinformation and the instrumentalization of the terrible act of violence in Mannheim."
Despite the false information being corrected, some copies of the video of Weidel's speech with the "AfD TV" logo still circulate on the internet. This proves that the spread of misinformation is challenging to control entirely.
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- Inspired by the controversy, the Federal Ministry of the Interior released a statement emphasizing the serious consequences of spreading fake news, particularly in relation to sensitive topics like the knife attack in Berlin.
- Despite the apology, the incident has sparked a conversation about the responsibility of political leaders in combating the spread of false information, with Berlin being a city known for its vibrant political scene.
- In light of these events, some have called for stricter regulations on social media platforms to prevent the dissemination of fake news, a topic that German politicians, such as Nancy Faeser and Alice Weidel, have often discussed at the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
- In Mannheim, where the knife attack took place, local authorities have announced plans to improve public safety measures, citing the incident as a stark reminder of the importance of addressing the root causes of violence and misinformation in the community.
