Fact check: How has the French public reacted to the Brigitte Macron transgender rumors?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal that direct evidence of French public reaction to the Brigitte Macron transgender rumors is notably limited in the available sources. The rumors have been circulating on social media for years and have been primarily pushed by conspiracy theorists, including those in the US ^[1].

The conspiracy theory went viral in France ahead of the 2022 presidential election and was spread by accounts opposed to President Emmanuel Macron, including those on the far-right and anti-vaccine groups ^[2]. This indicates some level of engagement among certain segments of the French population, particularly those with political opposition to Macron.

Emmanuel Macron himself commented on the claims, saying "there are still some crazies out there," implying that the rumors are not widely believed by the mainstream French public ^[3]. The rumors have been officially debunked ^[3], and Brigitte Macron's family has denounced the rumors as "grotesque harassment" ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question assumes there has been a significant public reaction, but the analyses suggest the French public's response is more nuanced and divided. One source indicates that the French public's reaction is divided, with some people believing the conspiracy theories and others dismissing them as false information ^[4].

Key missing context includes:

• The rumors have been circulating since Emmanuel Macron's election in 2017 ^[3], making this a long-standing issue rather than a recent development
• The 24-year age difference between Brigitte Macron and President Emmanuel Macron has contributed to the rumors attracting "much comment" ^[1]
• Legal action has been taken, with two women found guilty of slander over gender claims ^[2]
• The French government has taken a more assertive stance against digital misinformation, particularly when it targets public figures ^[5]

Political actors who benefit from these rumors include far-right groups and anti-vaccine activists who oppose Macron's presidency ^[2]. US-based conspiracy theorists also appear to benefit from spreading these narratives internationally ^{[1] [3]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that there has been a substantial or measurable "French public reaction" to these rumors. However, the analyses suggest that the French public is not a significant factor in the spread of the conspiracy theory, as it is mainly pushed by far-right US commentators and online conspiracy theorists ^[3].

The framing of the question may inadvertently legitimize the rumors by treating them as newsworthy events that warrant public reaction, rather than debunked conspiracy theories ^[3] that constitute "grotesque harassment" ^[4]. The question also fails to acknowledge that these are false claims for which legal action has been successfully pursued ^{[2] [5]}.