A fake Twitter account purportedly belonging to retired Marine Gen. James Mattis is spreading a rumor that the real Mattis will be nominated as the next defense secretary.
The faux Mattis tweeted on Monday: "President-elect phoned me announcing that he appointed me a Defense Secretary. Very honored. Thanks!"
But the actual Mattis told Military Times that the Twitter account is not authentic. Although Mattis has met with President-elect Donald Trump, he has not been nominated as the next defense secretary as of yet.
Based on the word choice of the B.S. tweet, it appears English is not the impostor’s native language.
This is not the first time an impostor has tried to spread fake news on Twitter, which is often a fickle mistress for both information and disinformation. In December 2014, a practical joker pretending to be Ash Carter convinced news outlets that Carter had been named defense secretary — before President Obama actually nominated him.
