North Carolina Republicans use fake photo to imply Dr. Ford was too ugly to rape

The North Carolina Republican Party followed President Donald Trump's lead in attacking Dr. Christine Blasey Ford for coming forward about an alleged sexual assault.

The News and Observer reported Thursday that Lanny Lancaster, Cabarrus County GOP chairman, shared a photo he said was Dr. Ford, posted by another account named Joseph Mannarino.

“This is the alleged sexual assault victim. Wow," Lancaster said of a young woman in braces and large glasses.

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The photo isn't "the alleged sexual assault victim."

Tuesday, Democratic congressional candidate Frank McNeill used a screen capture of the post in an e-mail noting the GOP attacked a sexual assault survivor.

“Now, Republican attacks on Dr. Blasey-Ford are coming from inside our own 8th District. Cabarrus County Republican Chair, Lanny Lancaster, posted his nastiness on Facebook just last night!” McNeill's email said.

Lancaster doesn't get what the big deal is. In a phone interview with the paper, he claimed nothing was inappropriate.

“I didn’t say anything. I just said this is her picture. Basically, the media is distorting the facts on this lady. Everything she’s said is made up. She has no evidence whatsoever. I support that theory,” Lancaster said.

“The media wants you to think she was a beautiful young lady who was on her way home from the tennis courts ...” Lancaster continued. “I just wanted you to see the real person. I wanted people to see that this is really her.”

"I didn't say anything" isn't actually true. Saying that it was her picture was fake news. It's not Dr. Ford. Instead, it is a 2012 meme that has been circulating the internet for years.

Users of 4chan, a message board known for fake news, said that the photo was Ford. Their lies have now made a mockery of Republicans across the country. An image search reveals the photo has appeared on "bad yearbook photos" as well as "bad 80s hair styles."