The Viral Lie About Somali Americans— Qasim Rashid Breaks It Down

We’re joined by civil rights attorney and writer Qasim Rashid to break down a viral right-wing video that falsely attacks Somali Americans in Minnesota. Qasim walks us through how the video was constructed, why its claims about “fraud” and “crime” completely fall apart under scrutiny, and how racist disinformation is deliberately engineered to spread outrage and fear. We dig into the mechanics of viral propaganda, the political incentives behind targeting immigrant communities, and why these lies persist even after being debunked.

What we cover in this episode:

How a viral right-wing video targeting Somali Americans was created and distributed

Why the claims about fraud and criminality collapse when examined with real data

The role of racism and xenophobia in modern political disinformation

How influencers monetize outrage and fear for clicks, donations, and clout

Why immigrant communities are frequent targets in election cycles

The media ecosystem that allows false narratives to spread unchecked

What responsible journalism and fact-checking should look like in moments like this

How audiences can better spot and resist manipulative viral content

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