Why bother engage someone in a debate on gun control when you can simply make up a fictional quote, pretend that your opponent said it, and then chastise them? This appears to be the tactic employed by those who posted a fake tweet about gun control purportedly written by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). The fake tweet appeared in the in the wake of a February 2018 school shooting that left 17 people dead:
Two authentic Twitter accounts post tweets linked to the Congresswoman: @RepMaxineWaters (Waters's official Twitter account) and @MaxineWaters (the Campaign Committee to Reelect Congresswoman Maxine Waters). On the other hand, the unverified account @MaxinePWaters, the account that posted the false tweet, has no connection to the California Congresswoman.
Waters's official Twitter account did post a genuine message about the school shooting in Parkland, Florida:
Please read my statement on the horrible shooting at the high school in Parkland, FL pic.twitter.com/0eAJetSEp6
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) February 15, 2018
This isn't the first time trolls have targeted Waters with a fake tweet. In June 2017, another impostor account posing as Waters posted questionable remarks about climate change and terrorism.