CHICAGO (AP) — News Friday that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 sparked an explosion of rumors, misinformation and conspiracy theories that in a matter of hours littered the social media feeds of many Americans.

Tweets shared thousands of times claimed Democrats might have somehow intentionally infected the president with the coronavirus during the debates. Others speculated in Facebook posts that maybe the president was faking his illness. >And the news also ignited constant conjecture amongQAnonfollowers, who peddle a baseless belief that Trump is a warrior against a secret network of government officials and celebrities that they falsely claim is running a child trafficking ring.

https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-conspiracy-theories-melania-trump-50bfad6b0d2fef7ba65f54b7b8ea2a98