Evidence-free conspiracy theories about the Obamas' chef get a boost on X, formerly known as Twitter

The social media platform X, newly renamed from Twitter, is hosting wild conspiracy theories without evidence claiming that there was foul play in the death of the Obamas’ personal chef on a Martha’s Vineyard pond.

The platform has pulled back many of the rules it once had around misinformation under owner Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter last year while vowing to make speech as free as possible. 

The Massachusetts State Police called the death of Tafari Campbell, 45, an accident after divers recovered his body Monday from Edgartown Great Pond, about 100 feet from shore. Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, who own a house there, were not home, police said in a statement. 

Right-wing figures cast doubt without evidence on the police statement and found a home for their views on the website X, the new name for Twitter after Musk rebranded it Sunday. A post in which Ian Miles Cheong, an online pundit, asked followers what they thought “really happened” got 5.6 million views on X. 

A post from the X account @libsoftiktok noted that the pond is 8 feet deep where Campbell was found and that he had posted swimming videos on Instagram — facts other people said in replies indicated he was killed. That post had more than 14.5 million views. 

The influential right-wing account @catturd2, with 1.8 million followers on X, said he did not believe anything the government or the media said about the death. 

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