Michael Smoak

This is the false accusation pandemic.

And if somebody goes through that, they pay all of the costs

of being somebody who did the thing without having done the thing.

And if you believe that other people might believe it, or if it seems to you like other people are believing it and you didn't do it, and you don't believe it yourself, that to me feels like a special circle of hell to descend into.

And that's why optics management and looking after the way that your brand is interpreted online

is really important because let's say that that had happened once and then it happened again.

People got a vendetta.

They decided that they were going to pick apart and selectively edit because all of the edits that were done of you got rid of the bit where you said any death is a tragedy and just kept the bit where I said, I'm not your puppet.

Made me look incredibly condescending and arrogant.

Exactly.

Imagine if five of those had happened in a row.

because they'd gone back and they'd been able to edit your videos in that manner.

Well, now there's a narrative.

That Michael guy, he seems like he's behaving in a way, there's a consistent pattern of behavior.

Now, not only can you go back and say, well, no, look, look, that's not what I said.

I mean, even think about it, your indignation at the fact that that's not what I said.

You're pleading to people to say what they say I am is not who I am.

Right.

And I have evidence.

Right.