WASHINGTON, June 2, 2022 (AFP) — A new film promoting widely discredited conspiracy theories that reinforces allegations of election fraud by former US President Donald Trump has become a box office hit.
Despite warnings from experts, “2000 Mules”, directed by Dinesh D’Souza, has raked in over $1.2 million at the box office since its late May debut.
D’Souza was also convicted by justice of violating electoral financing laws, but benefited from a pardon granted by the then Republican president.
A group of elderly movie lovers gather in front of a Virginia movie theater for a morning session, accompanied by large bags of popcorn. Leaving aside titles such as “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, or “Sonic 2: The Movie”, they choose D’Souza’s documentary, which promises to expose “the widespread and coordinated fraud of the 2020 election, which will change enough for.” overall result”.
– ‘The Soul of Democracy’ – The film opens with anonymous voters, excitedly, casting their ballots in urns bearing the American flag, while D’Souza tells the audience that “elections are the soul of our democracy”. Screens go dark, as the filmmaker claims the 2020 election “disturbs the American mind”.
Like millions of Americans, including Trump, D’Souza promoted the discredited theory that Democrats rigged the results of the latest presidential race, which relied on widespread use of mail-in voting amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We can’t move forward until we know the truth,” the director continues in his “off” voice.
In an attempt to prove this “theory”, which had been rejected by all relevant US officials on the matter, D’Souza Films called for itself to arrange a meeting with the Texas-based group True the Vote, which it says will “Supports the integrity of elections”.
In a hangar of sorts equipped with computer servers, two members of the above group claim to be evidence of the existence of a planned operation by a group, “like a cartel”, hiring “mules” to fill electoral boxes. took. Multiple state-keys. His goal: to secure the victory of Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.
To validate their hypothesis, they say they rely on large amounts of anonymized location data from smartphone apps. According to True the Vote, these records show the movement of these “mules” between the headquarters and polling stations of various NGOs.
It is a “robbery” and a “crime”, says D’Souza angrily.
Many propaganda experts have seriously questioned the theories promoted in the film. Among other points, they claim that a delivery person, a taxi driver, or a postman can be considered part of a network of “mulles” who made these trips.
However, for Trump and his followers, it is definite proof of the fraud they have been condemning for a year and a half.
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