Following the news that Donald Trump would not win the Iowa caucuses Monday, his supporters created a conspiracy to attempt to explain the billionaire businessman's loss.
The conspiracy, which, according to Mediaite, was started by Breitbart News, basically called into question the method by which Monday's results were reported.
Marco Rubio addresses supporters at an Iowa caucus night party at the Marriott Hotel Monday. (Getty Images/Pete Marovich)
The gist of the conspiracy says that the app used by voting precincts to report their results was fixed so that Rubio would end up with a higher vote count. They explained this by saying that Microsoft, which created the app, supports Rubio, in addition to the fact that Microsoft advocates for an increase of migrant workers into the United States.
Twitter users posted their concerns Monday night using the hashtag #MicrosoftRubioFraud:
#MicrosoftRubioFraud "Free" software made by a company with ties to a certain candidate that has a mysterious out of nowhere "rise".... hmm.— SHAE (@SHAE)1454388849.0
Rubio never one time polled more than 12 percent yet he gets 23 percent out of no where. #MicrosoftRubioFraud— 𝓛𝓲𝓼𝓪 (@𝓛𝓲𝓼𝓪)1454392641.0
#MicrosoftRubioFraud We demand an investigation into the Microsoft app and an immediate halt to its use in any more elections. ENOUGH FRAUD!— LyraSona ✞ (@LyraSona ✞)1454387361.0
Microsoft "Here is some free software to count up the votes, totally free, no agenda in it at all" #MicrosoftRubioFraud— Syrian Girl 🇸🇾 (@Syrian Girl 🇸🇾)1454406664.0
Others, specifically journalists, made jokes of the conspiracy:
The plot thickens: National Review, which is editorially against Trump, uses Microsoft Office exclusively. #MicrosoftRubioFraud— Charles C. W. Cooke (@Charles C. W. Cooke)1454431390.0
Bill Gates and Microsoft might be behind the #ZikaVirus but #MicrosoftRubioFraud ?? Naaaa......— ✭ Wayne Dupree ✭ (@✭ Wayne Dupree ✭)1454431981.0
Best part of #MicrosoftRubioFraud is the idea that Marco Rubio allegedly stole a slightly-higher-position in third place. Sure, makes sense.— Philip Bump (@Philip Bump)1454395280.0
While the crowd claiming "fraud" does correctly state that Microsoft has been supportive of Rubio, they don't present much more evidence than that.
Rubio finished third in Iowa Monday.
(H/T: Mediaite)
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