The leader of the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) is identified. - Weidel expresses regret to Faeser over falsified remarks.
In a discussion about the aftereffects of the Mannheim knife attack, Alice Weidel, the chief of the AfD party, expressed regret for inaccurately quoting Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD). "The press release I cited in a speech did not stem from the #BMI (Federal Interior Ministry)," she published on the forum X. "During research, we inadvertently stumbled onto a phony one, which has greatly disheartened us."
The ministry reacted with anger: "We unequivocally oppose misinformation and the exploitation of the horrible incident in Mannheim," they posted on X. Even after the correction, the false information maintained its circulation.
Alice Weidel repeats bogus press release - audience unnerved
On AfD platforms, a video from Weidel's speech at the "Pfalztreffen" of the AfD Donnersberg in Kirchheimbolanden on Saturday wasn't available on their official channel, but videos with the "AfD TV" logo kept circulating online. In this video, Weidel quoted an evidently fabricated press release by Faeser.
According to the site "T-Online," the hoax was created by ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence-powered language generator. The AfD initially declined to answer questions on the background of this incident. The bogus statement claimed that Faeser requested the withholding of a video of the Mannheim knife attack due to the potential advantages for the AfD. Weidel had repeated portions of this in her speech and described the continued presence of "people like Faeser" in office as "embarrassing" and "filthy." On X, she now stated that her remarks about the interior minister's character remained "on point."
"Imagining in the AfD" escalates in absurdity
Katja Mast, the parliamentary business manager of the SPD parliamentary group, expressed her sentiment on Sunday after Weidel fell for the contrived statement. "I find it heartbreaking and only still disconcerting that Alice Weidel was tricked by a fabricated statement," she proclaimed in a statement.
In the knife attack, a 25-year-old man of Afghan origin injured six people and himself during a demonstration by the Islam-critical organization Pax Europa in Mannheim on Friday. A police officer was near death on Sunday. The perpetrator hadn't yet been interrogated, and police previously searched his residence to collect evidence for the assailant's motives and plans.
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- Following the incident, the SPD called for consequences in response to the falsified press release touted by AfD leader Alice Weidel during her speech in Mannheim.
- On Sunday, the Federal Ministry of the Interior issued a statement expressing concern over the ongoing circulation of the inaccurate press release attributed to Nancy Faeser, despite Weidel's correction.
- The knife attack in Mannheim had a far-reaching impact, as the fake press release, which initially claimed Faeser asked to withhold the video of the attack, continued to circulate among women's groups in Europe, fueling misunderstandings and mistrust.
- After facing criticism for repeating the fabricated press release, Weidel maintained that her character assessment of Faeser remained valid, stating that her remarks were a reflection of her views on the current state of German politics.
- The falsified press release served as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance in the digital age, as the proliferation of misinformation on platforms like X poses significant challenges for political parties and the broader public.
- As the investigation into the knife attack in Mannheim continues, the European Parliament urged Germany to implement stronger measures to combat extremism and promote interfaith dialogue, in an effort to prevent future incidents that could have far-reaching consequences for German-European relations.
