Knocking down a flood of doctored photos and video appearing online over the weekend purportedly showing the disaster, the Pentagon issued a statement assuring the American public that the the US Navy aircraft carrier The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower did not sink in the Red Sea, CBS News reports.
Chinese and Russian bot accounts have amplified the lie on various social media platforms, with anonymous accounts on Signal feeding C-list conservative propagandists doctored photos to support their claims. The claims accelerated after the Houthis announced they had fired missiles at the nuclear aircraft carrier.
“The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) remains in the U.S. Central Command region. The sailors and the ship are ready and postured to respond to any contingency at a moment’s notice,” a Navy spokesperson said on Tuesday. “We are committed to protecting freedom of navigation and commerce in the region alongside our partners and allies.”