The Atlantic took the unusual step of actively debunking a fake headline attributed to the magazine that began circulating this week, stating plainly that “no such article has ever been published.” They further rebuked the “increasing frequency” with which the progressive magazine has been the platform for fabricated news items designed to stir outrage.
The supposed headline in question, “To Save Democracy Harris May Need To Steal An Election,” was a distortion of an article published in 2021, the Atlantic said in a Tuesday statement. The actual headline was “Kamala Harris Might Have to Stop the Steal.”
In the days that followed, a screenshot of the doctored headline began circulating widely on social media.