Several days ago, a video went viral on social media, claiming to depict Republican senators from Missouri, Bill Eigel and Nick Schroer, burning history books. The video was posted by many, but the main one was the Twitter account Jonathan Riley (@realJonRiley), which stirred controversy and drew widespread attention. However, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that the video’s narrative does not align with the facts.
Missouri Republicans at a literal book burning. They think flamethrowers should be legal but history books should be destroyed.pic.twitter.com/ayCwt3gtyU
— Jonathan Riley (@realJonRiley) September 17, 2023
No Books, Just Empty Boxes
Contrary to the misleading claims made in the video, there are no history books being burned in the footage by Republican senators in Missouri. Instead, it shows a group of individuals using a flamethrower to set fire to cardboard boxes. These boxes were not repositories of knowledge but were symbolically representative of what some perceive as a “woke,” liberal, or leftist agenda. The incident took place at an event called the St. Charles County Freedom Fest, which had nothing to do with the burning of history books.
Senators Clarify on Social Media
Both the Republican Senators Bill Eigel and Senator Nick Schroer, who attended the event in Missouri, took to their social media accounts to clarify the situation. Senator Nick Schroer shared two Facebook posts, explaining the context of the video. He emphasized that the event aimed to celebrate freedom and did not involve the destruction of books. Senator Schroer also highlighted various policy issues and criticized divisive tactics used in politics.
🚨BREAKING: Eigel responds to accusations of “book burning” with a super awesome flamethrower pic.twitter.com/3CnkHHOvVt
— William Eigel (@BillEigel) September 18, 2023
Senator Bill Eigel addressed the situation on Twitter, stating that the video showed him using a flamethrower to symbolically represent his opposition to certain policies. He clarified that his actions were not related to book burning but rather a stance against what he views as inappropriate content being introduced to Missouri schools.
The Intent & The Conclusion
The misleading video and accompanying claims appear to be part of an effort to target the Republican senators from Missouri. While it is crucial to hold elected officials accountable for their actions and statements, it is equally important to ensure that the information being circulated is accurate.
In conclusion, the viral video alleging the burning of history books by Missouri Republican senators is factually incorrect. It involves the burning of empty cardboard boxes symbolizing a political stance, not the destruction of educational materials. It is essential to verify information before sharing it to prevent the spread of false narratives. Following a precise analysis and fact-checking, our team has reviewed the claim. You can refer to the findings of this inquiry in the Twitter thread below.
1109
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) September 19, 2023
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video that shows a group of people burning cardboard boxes using a flamethrower has been shared claiming that Missouri Republicans burning history books, (1/3) pic.twitter.com/McwvKc40yx
Claim: The video circulating on social media falsely claims that Missouri Republican senators burned history books.
Fact: The video actually depicts the burning of empty cardboard boxes as a symbolic political statement at the St. Charles County Freedom Fest. There were no history books involved in the incident.