Skip to main content
  • Online media
  • Tariffs
  • Epstein
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • Take Action
  • Search
  • Donate

Media Matters for America

  • News & Analysis
  • Research & Studies
  • Audio & Video
  • Archives

Media Matters for America

  • Nav
  • Search
  • News & Analysis
  • Research & Studies
  • Audio & Video
  • Archives
  • Online media
  • Tariffs
  • Epstein
  • Take Action
  • Search
  • Donate
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Trump sitting in front of papers

Ceci Freed / Media Matters

The Hill pushed what it called a debunked conspiracy theory at least 9 times

Written by Zachary Pleat

Published 11/25/19 11:32 AM EST

After Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) falsely suggested that Ukraine was responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election, The Hill repeated it on Twitter at least nine times -- despite already reporting two days earlier that the claim was both false and part of a Russian disinformation effort.

On the November 24 edition of Fox News Sunday, Kennedy was asked, “Who do you believe was responsible for hacking the DNC and Clinton campaign computers, their emails? Was it Russia, or Ukraine?” He responded: “I don’t know, nor do you, nor do any of us.” After anchor Chris Wallace reminded him that “the entire intelligence community says it was Russia,” Kennedy responded, “Right, but it could also be Ukraine.”

Former White House Russia expert Fiona Hill explained in her testimony to the House impeachment inquiry that “this is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves.” After President Donald Trump pushed the lie again in a Friday Fox & Friends interview, an article from The Hill noted that this was a “debunked claim” and a “conspiracy theory,” and included Hill’s statement that Russia’s security services had pushed the lie themselves. The New York Times also reported on Friday that the American intelligence community has briefed senators that “Russia had engaged in a yearslong campaign to essentially frame Ukraine as responsible for Moscow’s own hacking of the 2016 election.”

Despite The Hill’s own acknowledgement of the facts, the outlet published at least nine tweets repeating Kennedy’s claim without explicitly noting it was false or a lie being spread by the Russian government.

Information warfare expert Molly McKew pointed to this tweet from The Hill as a “brief case study in how the Hill amplifies lies and misinformation.” Indeed, The Hill has demonstrated a pattern of uncritically passing on misinformation from Trump.

The Latest

  1. Fox celebrates Trump's seizure of Venezuela's oil as an economic boon after criticizing Biden for expanding access to it

    Research/Study 01/08/26 3:22 PM EST

  2. Ben Shapiro says it's “bad policy” to stop corporations from buying single-family homes

    Video & Audio 01/08/26 1:56 PM EST

  3. Right-wing media hyped Venezuela’s “Cartel de los Soles.” The Trump administration just abandoned the claim that it is an actual organization.

    Narrative/Timeline 01/08/26 12:15 PM EST

  4. Fox News host Will Cain accuses Tim Walz of “seditious language” and “walking the line” of “insurrection,” comparing him to 1960s officials who tried to prevent school integration

    Video & Audio 01/08/26 11:36 AM EST

  5. Newsmax host on ICE shooting: “I don't lose any sleep for this woman because she seemed crazy”

    Video & Audio 01/08/26 9:07 AM EST

Pagination

  • Previous page ‹‹
  • …
  • Current page 51
  • …
  • Next page ››

In This Article

  • The Hill

    thehill_mmfatag
  • Trump impeachment

    Trump Impeachment Inquiry
  • National security

Related

  1. The Hill can’t stop advancing Trump’s lies about the whistleblower

    Article 11/05/19 11:04 AM EST

  2. The Hill 10 times pushed a Trump lie from his press conference on ISIS leader's death

    Article 10/28/19 11:28 AM EDT

  3. Jesse Watters says criticizing boat strikes makes people sound “effeminate”

    Video & Audio 12/08/25 6:42 PM EST

Media Matters for America

Sign Up for Email Updates
  • About
  • Contact
  • Corrections
  • Submissions
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • RSS

© 2026 Media Matters for America

RSS