'Roseanne' Slammed on Social Media for Conspiracy Tweet

Roseanne Barr is getting rave reviews for her rebooted comedy series, but not for a tweet in which she supported an online conspiracy theory that President Donald Trump has been combating a global child sex trafficking ring.

"President Trump has freed so many children held in bondage to pimps all over this world," Barr tweeted Friday night.  

President Trump has freed so many children held in bondage to pimps all over this world. Hundreds each month. He has broken up trafficking rings in high places everywhere. notice that. I disagree on some things, but give him benefit of doubt-4 now.

— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) March 31, 2018

Barr's tweet was initially met with widespread confusion, with New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman tweeting simply, "What?" reports The Hill.

Journalists quickly noted that Barr's claim appeared to indicate her support for a conspiracy theory nicknamed, "The Storm," which resembles the Pizzagate conspiracy, but larger in scope.

According to New York Magazine, the theory claims there is a large child-trafficking linked to deep-state elements in the government that are tied to both the Democratic Party and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The conspiracy theory has been traced to the online message board 4Chan and to a user identified both as "Q" or "QAnon," a person Barr has mentioned in past tweets.

Members of the media responded quickly, as did Democrats and other public figures, including John Dean, the former White House counsel under late President Richard Nixon, who lambasted ABC for giving the sitcom star a new, Trump-centered platform. 

Barr mirrors Trump’s supporters, b/c she is one. ABC’s going after these folks by reviving her series. Conspiracy theories coming? A complex world over simplified? Watch out Fox, real competition. There’s a race on for the most ignorant viewers! NPR listeners please don’t move! https://t.co/p3p3Z61xkh

— John Dean (@JohnWDean) March 31, 2018

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, meanwhile, demanded to know, "Where is the evidence for this???? As far as I can tell this is completely untrue. Name times and places please."

Barr finally commented that she would not mention it more because she was being bullied.

"I thought today was a good day to talk about freeing kids from sex slavery, since it is Passover," she tweeted. "I didn't realize that so many were not aware of it. Anyway, no more opinions from me on twitter, it invites bullying. Moving on."

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