Podcast by “virulent antisemitic” organisation pulled for fake interview

A video by an group described as “antisemitic” was pulled by YouTube after it was revealed that the podcast had allegedly faked an interview with Texas Republican State Senator Bob Hall.

The “Barnes Review History Hour Podcast” goes out under the imprimatur of The Barnes Review, which the Southern Poverty Law Centre, describes as “one of the most virulent antisemitic organisations around”.

Liberal watchdog group Media Matters for America (MMA) initially published a story critical of Senator Hall and the podcast, noting that he had “complained about critical race theory” on the “programme of a white nationalist, pro-Hitler outlet that denies the Holocaust.”

An MMA spokesperson said that after publication, they were made aware that the interview was fake, falsely claiming to have interviewed Senator Hall and splicing in comments from previous interviews. MMA then issued a retraction.

A representative for the senator confirmed that the interview was “fake” and had been “pawned off as original content.”

The YouTube link now notes that the video has been removed for “violating YouTube’s Terms of Service.” A YouTube spokesperson stated: “Our policies don’t allow content that has been manipulated in a way that misleads users.”

The ‘interview’ was also pulled from The Barnes Review website where a man who identified himself as Senior Editor Paul Angel said that he was not aware that the interview had been faked and would not have allowed it to be published if he had been. He also objected to the organisation being accused of Holocaust-denial, insisting that TBR was a “neutral observer” that “presents scientific stuff” on the issue.

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