Laura Coates: ‘Shocked for a Lot of Reasons’ at Young Americans Praising bin Laden

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Being here ░░░░░░░░ I want to just ░░░░░░░░ hearing about this for ░░░░░░░░ first time this evening ░░░░░░░░ shocked for a lot ░░░░░░░░ reasons One of the ░░░░░░░░ posted on TikTok a ░░░░░░░░ York based lifestyle influencer ░░░░░░░░ this about bin laden ░░░░░░░░ letter Quote if you ░░░░░░░░ read it let me ░░░░░░░░ if you are also ░░░░░░░░ through an existential crisis ░░░░░░░░ this very moment because ░░░░░░░░ the last 20 minutes ░░░░░░░░ entire viewpoint on the ░░░░░░░░ life I have believed ░░░░░░░░ have lived has changed ░░░░░░░░ I ask is it ░░░░░░░░ that 22 years after ░░░░░░░░ 11 a letter written ░░░░░░░░ osama bin laden has ░░░░░░░░ only reemerged but so ░░░░░░░░ Americans seem to be ░░░░░░░░ at least on that ░░░░░░░░ persuasive We yes You ░░░░░░░░ this letter went fairly ░░░░░░░░ on TikTok The guardian ░░░░░░░░ posted it years ago ░░░░░░░░ got hundreds of thousands ░░░░░░░░ used to their website ░░░░░░░░ in the defense of ░░░░░░░░ people this was not ░░░░░░░░ young people I would ░░░░░░░░ it was a diverse ░░░░░░░░ of who for who ░░░░░░░░ was all new and ░░░░░░░░ just totally interested in ░░░░░░░░ by it It was ░░░░░░░░ an enormous phenomenon and ░░░░░░░░ fact we do live ░░░░░░░░ this moment when really ░░░░░░░░ strange theories or spilling ░░░░░░░░ into the public in ░░░░░░░░ they did not used ░░░░░░░░ and I think America ░░░░░░░░ always had these very ░░░░░░░░ occurrence and now they ░░░░░░░░ much more visible I ░░░░░░░░ we should also be ░░░░░░░░ little careful about amplifying ░░░░░░░░ In fact I think ░░░░░░░░ lot of the attention ░░░░░░░░ these totally nuts videos ░░░░░░░░ actually after from journalist ░░░░░░░░ us seeing them and ░░░░░░░░ what is this Well ░░░░░░░░ know the guardian you ░░░░░░░░ actually had a Link ░░░░░░░░ the letter and then ░░░░░░░░ an article that provided ░░░░░░░░ to analyze it more ░░░░░░░░ They then pulled it ░░░░░░░░ and that fueled some ░░░░░░░░ about wait they are ░░░░░░░░ to shield people from ░░░░░░░░ information So it became ░░░░░░░░ cyclical prophesy going on ░░░░░░░░ that very issue When ░░░░░░░░ talk about being careful ░░░░░░░░ it fearful is not ░░░░░░░░ synonymous with TikTok for ░░░░░░░░ as it would be ░░░░░░░░ maybe a media outlet ░░░░░░░░ new service But according ░░░░░░░░ a new poll Ben ░░░░░░░░ third of Americans between ░░░░░░░░ ages of 18 to ░░░░░░░░ they get their news ░░░░░░░░ TikTok I m wondering ░░░░░░░░ you think about that ░░░░░░░░ and that cross section ░░░░░░░░ there an added danger ░░░░░░░░ the prospect it could ░░░░░░░░ viral It could be ░░░░░░░░ quickly absorbed and consumed ░░░░░░░░ know it is interesting ░░░░░░░░ just lived through this ░░░░░░░░ in media where Facebook ░░░░░░░░ Twitter where the dominant ░░░░░░░░ for information on news ░░░░░░░░ lot of what you ░░░░░░░░ was people who you ░░░░░░░░ were crazy or screaming ░░░░░░░░ you One of the ░░░░░░░░ that has made TikTok ░░░░░░░░ popular is that it ░░░░░░░░ not do that It ░░░░░░░░ you stuff it knows ░░░░░░░░ will like It reinforces ░░░░░░░░ biases it keeps you ░░░░░░░░ your own bubble I ░░░░░░░░ part of the reason ░░░░░░░░ haven t seen as ░░░░░░░░ of this on TikTok ░░░░░░░░ it is happening in ░░░░░░░░ when crazy stuff is ░░░░░░░░ discussed on TikTok it ░░░░░░░░ not always at the ░░░░░░░░ I think in this ░░░░░░░░ it absolutely did I ░░░░░░░░ to if you think ░░░░░░░░ or a lot of ░░░░░░░░ feedback I heard from ░░░░░░░░ who are avid uses ░░░░░░░░ TikTok and hearing about ░░░░░░░░ story they find it ░░░░░░░░ to think there is ░░░░░░░░ snobbery around where they ░░░░░░░░ get their news from ░░░░░░░░ it is up to ░░░░░░░░ to decide whether an ░░░░░░░░ chamber or to be ░░░░░░░░ you think this is ░░░░░░░░ snobbery being imposed on ░░░░░░░░ or legitimately a concern ░░░░░░░░ the type of information ░░░░░░░░ circulating You know I ░░░░░░░░ it is some of ░░░░░░░░ There is old people ░░░░░░░░ us who have always ░░░░░░░░ panicked about whatever 19 ░░░░░░░░ olds were consuming who ░░░░░░░░ you calling Old I ░░░░░░░░ t know who are ░░░░░░░░ talking about I m ░░░░░░░░ old go ahead Thank ░░░░░░░░ But you know at ░░░░░░░░ same time America has ░░░░░░░░ had a deep well ░░░░░░░░ people who believe really ░░░░░░░░ strange and In this ░░░░░░░░ in also surveys that ░░░░░░░░ breaking through to the ░░░░░░░░ you are starting to ░░░░░░░░ it Among the many ░░░░░░░░ of bin laden letter ░░░░░░░░ are objectionable it is ░░░░░░░░ antisemitic It straightforwardly blames ░░░░░░░░ for pretty much everything ░░░░░░░░ think that is part ░░░░░░░░ its appeal to some ░░░░░░░░ these folks.