Distorted video of Nancy Pelosi edited to sound drunk spreading across social media

Washington: An altered video of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, slowed down to the point that some social media users think she seems drunk, is spreading online.

A three-minute video from Pelosi's Wednesday remarks at the Centre for American Progress Ideas Conference, where she accused President Donald Trump of a cover-up and indicated that it may be an impeachable offence, was manipulated so her words sounded slurred and garbled. The video, which has 2.1 million views on Facebook and has been shared 45,000 times on that platform,was posted by a group called Politics WatchDog. The video has also made its way onto Twitter and was on Youtube, but has since been removed from that site.

The video has been slowed to about 75 per cent of its original speed, according to the Washington Post, which first reported on the distorted video. The pitch has also been altered after it was slowed down to make it sound more like Pelosi's actual voice.

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Hany Farid, a computer-science professor and digital-forensics expert at University of California, Berkeley, told the Post that there was "no question" the video had been altered and that "it's striking that such a simple manipulation can be so effective and believable to some."

Pelosi and Trump have traded barbs over the past several days after infrastructure funding talks fell apart once the president conditioned further negotiations with Congress on the ending all congressional probes into him, his administration and his finances.

The House speaker has accused the president of being engaged in a "cover-up," adding that he threw a "temper tantrum" at the infrastructure meeting. She has since expressed concern for Trump's and nation's "well-being", Trump on Thursday, US time, called Pelosi a "mess". The President also derided her as "crazy" and said she is "disintegrating."

Trump late Thursday, US time, also tweeted a separate video of a Pelosi press conference that splices together the times she stuttered or stumbled over words.

"PELOSI STAMMERS THROUGH NEWS CONFERENCE," the President tweeted along with the video clip.

The video was featured on Fox Business' Lou Dobbs show, where political analyst Ed Rollins said he thought the House speaker was getting "worn down."

USA Today

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