On 8 October 2016, WikiLeaks published an archive called "The Podesta Emails," involving communications with Hillary Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta. Not long after that WikiLeaks dump hit the Internet, multiple Twitter users claimed it documented that Clinton had called progressive voters a "bucket of losers" during one paid speech:
What we see on the left is way more disconcerting. The early data suggests that while the minority base is probably still dominated by the Democratic messaging, a coalition of sub altern interests is forming that could, with an extremely weak Republican nominee, create and aperture for either a 3rd party victory or, in essence an election inflection point where an insurgent candidate could actually co-opt — take over — a major party.
This coalition, a collection of generally under-represented, low social capital individuals has become increasingly networked and increasingly motivated.
This group that our analysts are calling the ((Makes air quotes)) bucket of losers could not only be a significant force in the next election but could, on an outside percentile, even win.
But a search of the WikiLeaks archives shows that only two Podesta e-mails referenced Goldman Sachs, and neither included any wording such as "bucket of losers."
In fact, the fake transcript appears to have originated as a spoof of Clinton's infamous "basket of deplorables" comment, published by the political conspiracy-mongering Real. True. News. web site several days prior to WikiLeaks' "Podesta Emails" dump.
Nonetheless, the bogus claim spread quickly and comprehensively online, duping such outlets as InfoWars Gateway Pundit, and Fox News, all of whom reported the hoax story as true:
No joke! Crooked Hillary Clinton called Bernie Sanders supporters "A bucket of Loosers!" #PodestaEmails #Trumptapes pic.twitter.com/xPgGNFpBiQ
— DEPLORABLE TRUMPCAT (@Darren32895836) October 8, 2016
The "bucket of losers" rumor was one of many fabrications built upon genuine WikiLeaks dumps, along with other false claims such as ones holding that Bernie Sanders would have won the Democratic nomination but was threatened to drop out of the race, and that Hillary Clinton sought to assassinate WikiLeaksfounder Julian Assange via a drone strike.