Twitter immediately launches an investigation into whodunnit after a very audible eruption momentarily took over Chris Matthews interview with Rep. Eric Swalwell.
It was the fart heard round the world, but alas as it was on television it was not so easy to discern who smelt it or who dealt it.
And yet, Twitter was on the case Monday night, catapulting #Fartgate to the top of Twitter's trending topics deep into the night.
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View StoryIt's nice to see the nation come together for the most important political investigation of our time as we try and figure out whether it was MSNBC host Chris Matthews or his guest who let one rip on live television.
#fartgate is the #1 trend in United States. Ladies and gentlemen, America is finally great again. pic.twitter.com/2SweUGKYVI
@DavidBozell
And the memes, oh the memes!
Already, Matthews has come out and tried to put out the fires with a tweet insisting that "It was the #Hardball mug scraping across the desk," but that only added more fuel.
"Total exoneration," Swalwell replied to that tweet, but not so fast Representative! Twitter hasn't made its final ruling yet, and you are in their court now. Swalwell also denied doing the deed to a Buzzfeed reporter, insisting, "It wasn't me." He did add, "It's funny tho [sic]."
TOTAL EXONERATION! https://t.co/JAuTsnCjAC
@RepSwalwell
The already-infamous moment came while Matthews was interviewing Rep. Chris Swalwell, and more specifically while Swalwell was talking. And this wasn't the kind of gaseous emission you had to focus on to hear. This was the kind of sound that might startle your dog into hiding under the table like a thunderstrike or something.
While we may never know who let one fly, as neither men acknowledged the very audible sound during the interview, it is worth nothing that Swalwell was speaking and there was an otherwise very unnatural pause in his cadence when the bonus sound emanated across the airwaves.
Also damning, perhaps, was that he was the only one on-camera when it happened. So if it wasn't him, he's probably none too pleased that it was his face America was looking at when it happened.
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View StoryOh, the two men were talking about the impeachment hearings and how important those are but let's be honest, is anyone going to remember the content of that conversation when they're too busy wondering about the contents in these men's colons battling to come out and have their own television debut?
As you might expect, Twitter had an absolute field day with this one, debating the logistics of who the culprit was and simply loving the fact that a serious news program had one of the loudest farts in the history of television on its airwaves. Seriously, how loud was that suck in the studio? ... or in the field ... or wherever it happened?
Check out some of Twitter's most shocked, delighted and investigative reactions as we go back to the tape ourselves and try to be the first serious news outlet to crack the case of the century!
We always knew Swalwell was full of shit... #fartgate https://t.co/XieSJVlsyv
@DonaldJTrumpJr
It had to be Swalwell and not Mathews. The break in Swalwell's cadence to time the thing is just too perfect to be anyone else. 😆 #fartgatepic.twitter.com/6evQWTXgDg
@edsredboat
You had HOURS and this is what you came up with? A shoe or a leather chair might have been believable, but a mug on a desk? Was the desk made out of someone's ass that was farting? #fartgate https://t.co/HdIPX7bNNT
@derekahunter
There are two types of people in the world—
@Alyssa_Milano
1. People who think farts are funny.
2. People who don't think farts are funny.
It is pretty much all you need to know about a person. Which are you?
(I think they're hilarious.)#fartgate
I get that some of you think Chris Matthews was the farter, but do you really think he has the skill and control to not only drop it perfectly between Swalwell's words, but also choreograph it seamlessly with Swalwell's body movement? #fartgate pic.twitter.com/6qYw8r0fTf
@NumbersMuncher
It's matthews. it's a sitter; you can hear the upholstery. matthews waited for stalwell to start speaking, thinking he'd have an opening bc production usually mutes there. he went for the rip but production was late to the button and voila. https://t.co/v7MMZI9ips
@netw3rk
#fartgate is trending #1 on twitter. What a time to be alive pic.twitter.com/6HrYqVRSTz
@TommyGartz
Who knew all this time that Swalwell was the whistleblower. #fartgate pic.twitter.com/zzLzWb3JbE
@goodlin_nick
Chris Matthews off camera during "The Fart"...#fartgate pic.twitter.com/jetkVWOCOO
@crisdehart
Excuse me ma'am, how did you react to Mr.Salwell farting on worldwide news!? 😝🤣😂🤣 #fartgate pic.twitter.com/m4zNcWSj9F
@UthmanBacquo
I don't buy it. I've worked in broadcasting / sound production, and there's no possible way the fart would sound that way if Swalwell ripped it.
@theneedledrop
The ambient sound on his voice due to the large room he's in isn't on the fart at all. It would echo for at least a second.#fartgate https://t.co/DNjUfORsWC
If someone tries to tell you that America isn't the best country in the world, remind them that on Nov 18, 2019, #FartGate was the number 1 trending topic in the country ✊🏼 pic.twitter.com/M1iFLonX3g
@NWyss79
The results are in.
@Eric_Fartwell
Eric indeed did fart me on live TV. #fartgate pic.twitter.com/FlJLhyamzO
Behind the scenes look at Eric Swalwell during commercial break tying to empty the tank: #fartgate pic.twitter.com/YOEIdrYhn1
@bballpitcher1
Graph of today's Carbon Emission levels.#fartgate pic.twitter.com/gdzdhWnQ53
@JoeySalads
Eric Swalwell
@LiddleSavages
BE PROUD
BE BOLD
FART LOUD#Fartgate
(If Trump tweets about #Fartgate, I swear I'm not going to work tomorrow folks) pic.twitter.com/Qjkd9NFdW5
From this day on @RepSwalwell is known as Fartacus! #FartGate pic.twitter.com/jrGrru4hAb
@MajSmartass
🚨🚨INFRARED EVIDENCE🚨🚨#Fartgate pic.twitter.com/ItmEnC6bsJ
@HeavensFX
Thank you @ericswalwell for uniting this country and all making us 10 year old's again!💨🇺🇸#fartgate
@lindarutter
I knew I joined Twitter for a good reason. Today is that day. #fartgate pic.twitter.com/XxVXr1aPqi
@CatLadyRossi
Matthews and Swalwell accusing each other in #fartgate pic.twitter.com/heuIIx0Utj
@jswilliams1962
#fartgate
@MikeyComictruth
Finally...A reason for me to watch the news... pic.twitter.com/XE7VeaJjrk
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