Forget Ukrainegate — ‘#Fartgate’ was where it was at Monday night

By MixDex Article may include affiliate links

Who cut the “Cheeto”?

• Despite cable news being knee deep in Donald Trump’s impeachment proceedings, for a few hours last night social media was obsessed with a another big controversy — did someone fart during “Hardball with Chris Matthews“?

OMFG SOUND ON pic.twitter.com/StziH3Yh49

— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) November 19, 2019

• The incident took place during a live interview with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Matthews.
• In the middle of an interview, there was a noise that sounded very much like a fart.

* me in an overcoat talking to a journalist in a dark parking garage *

You really think it was Eric Swalwell who farted on Hardball?

* hands over envelope *

Connect the dots pic.twitter.com/WClqbeIiHf

— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) November 19, 2019

• Most viewers appeared to agree that Matthews was the source of the sound, pointing out to an alleged history of Matthews doing the same on past editions of “Hardball.”

NEWS: SWALWELL denies it was him who farted on MSNBC: pic.twitter.com/IYmHwYfuGf

— Addy Baird (@addysue) November 19, 2019

• Swalwell denied he was the source.
• Later, “Hardball,” apparently lacking an in-studio dog, blamed the sound on a mug scraping across the surface of the anchor desk.
• It helpfully provided a link to buy the mug — perhaps as a convenient way to blame your own farts on — in the MSNBC Store.

Sorry to disappoint the conspiracy theorists – it was the #hardball mug scraping across the desk. Get yours today and let’s get back to the news! https://t.co/SG8Owm2IBw

— Hardball (@hardball) November 19, 2019