Social Media Hashtags Hint At Bubba Wallace Noose Conspiracy Theories

An already shocking and potentially ugly story took on a strange twist and a fresh flood of allegations as the Federal Bureau of Investigation concluded the reported noose found in NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace’s racing garage at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama this past weekend was a looped length of rope used to pull open and close a garage door. The FBI statement made it clear the rope was in place long before the race and was not put in place as a threat or hate crime.

This official revelation set off a Twitter firestorm of hashtags, allegations, counter allegations and denials as some social media users accused Wallace of knowing the rope in question was not a noose — essentially making him the racing world’s equivalent of Empire actor and alleged racial hoaxer Jussie Smollett.

The initial story broke Sunday night as multiple reports described a noose (a violent symbol of African American lynching) found in the racing garage stall of Wallace and Richard Petty Motorsports. NASCAR treated the incident as a potential hate crime and reported it to authorities.

NASCAR and the FBI investigated the alleged incident while Wallace’s fellow racers expressed support for him and the official ban on the Confederate Flag at racing events the sport imposed before last weekend’s event.

Yesterday’s FBI report ended the federal investigation and concluded the rope in question served a functional purpose and was not put in place last weekend as a hate crime or as a threat to Wallace’s safety in the wake of the nation’s ongoing racial strife. Images indicate the same rope was in place and serving the same purpose last year.

The FBI makes no allegations and offers no evidence that Wallace or any member of his racing team willfully misidentified or knowingly misrepresented the rope pull as a noose. That hasn’t prevented Twitter users of accusing Wallace of (at best) using the incident to promote his political views, or (at worst) manufacturing a false hate crime to promote himself.

In the hours since the FBI report emerged, multiple hashtags and Twitter streams promoted allegations and conspiracy theories directed at Wallace. The hottest trending terms include #fakenoose, #BubbaSmollett, #BubbaWallaceHoax, #BubbaHoax and #NooseHoax. In general, each hashtag suggests Wallace knew the rope’s true purpose and concocted the possibility of a hate crime to generate notoriety.

None of the ensuing Twitter streams featuring such tags alleging a deliberate hoax offers up firm evidence that Wallace fraudulently promoted the noose concept. Many Twitter users involved in the ensuing debate defend Wallace, insisting he had reason to be on guard in the wake of the George Floyd death, the Black Lives Matter protests and the Confederate Flag ban.