Former President Donald Trump’s TruthSocial platform recently shared a video promoting the medbed conspiracy theory. The video featured a fabricated segment from Fox News’ show “My View with Lara Trump,” where Lara Trump discussed supposed new medical treatments called medbeds available at hospitals.
In the video, which seemed to use AI-generated voices, Trump mentioned the distribution of “medbed cards” to U.S. citizens for accessing treatments at these alleged new hospitals. However, there is no evidence supporting the existence of hospitals with technology resembling the capabilities of medbeds as claimed by conspiracy theorists.
Despite the calm delivery of the message in the video, a Fox News spokesperson clarified that the video did not air on any Fox News Media platform or Lara Trump’s show. Medbed conspiracy theories suggest the existence of medical beds capable of curing any ailment, including cancer, and have gained traction among fringe groups on platforms like Telegram.
The video’s appearance on Trump’s TruthSocial account raised questions about its origin and whether the account was compromised. After being shared with Trump’s substantial following, the post garnered significant engagement, with over 10,800 likes and 4,140 reposts.
In response to the controversy, Alex Kaplan, a senior researcher at Media Matters for America, pointed out that Trump’s promotion of the “medbed” conspiracy theory aligns with misinformation circulating in far-right circles online. While some viewers speculated about the video’s authenticity or potential hacking, others who believed in the conspiracy theory praised Trump’s dissemination of the content.
This incident adds to a pattern of health-related controversies surrounding Trump and his team. Previously, Trump made unsupported claims about the risks of pregnant women using Tylenol, alleging a connection to autism. Despite Tylenol’s manufacturer, Kenvue, asserting the drug’s safety for pregnant women and denying any link to autism, Trump’s statements drew criticism from medical experts and advocates.
Trump’s actions, including aligning with vaccine-skeptical groups, have faced opposition in the UK, with concerns raised about stigmatizing families with autistic children. Kenvue reiterated its stance on the safety of acetaminophen, emphasizing the importance of relying on credible scientific evidence to dispel misinformation and protect expecting mothers and parents.