The Internet is fond of irrational conspiracy theories and portions of the Internet embraced a particularly irrational one on Wednesday: That Meredith McIver, the longtime Donald Trump employee and ghostwriter who took the fall for the Melania Trump plagiarism scandal, might not be real.
The Independent published a piece subtitled “A ghost writer or a ghost?” that questioned whether McIver was a real person because “no credible news outlet has tracked down Meredith McIver.”
The post was shared more than 1,000 times within a half hour of when the site said it went up and posted on Twitter by such a prominent journalist as former New York Times assistant managing editor Jim Roberts.
Mashable posted a story titled “No one believes Trump speechwriter Meredith McIver is real,” citing skepticism (and/or trolling) by MSNBC’s Joy Reid, author Molly Knight, New Yorker contributor Ben Greenman, and multiple comedians among others.
Though it’s tempting to believe that Trump and his entire campaign apparatus would have the chutzpah to perpetrate such an easily discoverable and debunkable fraud upon the entirety of the United States, that they might do so is also absurd on its face, right?
And it turns out, nobody invented Meredith McIver. Here is the evidence:
First, there is no proof whatsoever that McIver is not a real human being.
Second, McIver has been a ghostwriter of several books with Trump, going back at least to 2004. So this would have to be a very long con.
Third, an Everipedia page lists her age as 65, her birth place as being San Jose, and her current address as being New York, all of which match up with public records for a Meredith McIver.
Fourth, Guardian writer Gaby Wood met McIver during an interview with Trump in 2007:
Time being money, Trump springs up to hand me some propaganda: glossy brochures featuring Trump Towers, Trump Palaces, Trump Plazas, Trump Hotels and Trump Golf Clubs all over North America—correction, the World.
’I’ll get you a biography, too.’
Well, I mutter, I’ve read several of your autobiographies and …
’This’ll be a little easier for you. MEREDITH!’
Trump has what some of his employees refer to as an open-door policy; its main function seems to be that he can shout at them through it.
’Would you get me a biography please!’
Meredith McIver, one of the assistants who doubles as his ghost writer, scuttles in with a few sheets of paper, on which a company bio is printed in bold and written in similar fashion…
Fifth, this is the most ridiculous conspiracy theory since Trump produced his latest ridiculous Obama conspiracy theory on Monday.
In conclusion: Meredith McIver is real, the Internet is silly.
