You probably saw it during the post-election chaos of late 2024. A screenshot that looked suspiciously like a CNN broadcast started tearing through Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). It claimed that over 75,000 people had written in "Hawk Tuah" or "Talk Tuah" on their presidential ballots. Honestly, in a year where an internet meme about spitting on a microphone became a cultural phenomenon, it almost felt believable.
But here is the reality: the hawk tuah votes cnn story was a total fabrication. It was a classic "inspect element" job or a clever Photoshop template designed to look like the network’s iconic breaking news graphics.
If you’re wondering why people were so quick to share it, it's basically because the meme had already transcended the internet. Haliey Welch, the girl from the viral Nashville interview, had gone from a factory worker to a podcast host with Jake Paul’s Betr media company in mere months. When a meme gets that big, people start blending it with real-world events just to see who bites.
The Anatomy of a Fake News Graphic
How did the hawk tuah votes cnn hoax actually work? It used the exact font and red-and-white branding of CNN's election night coverage. The "data" showed a massive chunk of write-in votes specifically for Welch’s catchphrase.
The timing was perfect.
It popped up right when the actual 2024 election results were being scrutinized. Because write-in totals often take longer to tally and are rarely reported in detail by major networks, the hoax filled a vacuum. People love the idea of a "protest vote," and what better way to protest than with a viral sex joke?
- The Source: Most of these images originated on meme accounts, not news sites.
- The Content: Claimed 75,000+ write-in votes for "Hawk Tuah."
- The Platform: Spread mostly via Instagram Reels and X screenshots.
- The Truth: No such data exists in any official state election report.
Why 75,000 Votes Specifically?
The number wasn't random. It was large enough to look impressive—enough to theoretically flip a swing county—but small enough to feel like a "funny internet prank." If the screenshot had claimed a million votes, everyone would have known it was fake immediately. 75,000 was the "sweet spot" for misinformation.
Haliey Welch and the "Zynternet" Factor
To understand why anyone believed the hawk tuah votes cnn graphic, you have to look at the culture surrounding Haliey Welch. Some cultural critics started calling her fan base the "Zynternet"—a demographic of mostly young, disengaged voters who prioritize viral trends over traditional news cycles.
Slate actually wrote a piece about this, suggesting that the "Hawk Tuah" girl represented a segment of the population that both political parties were struggling to reach. When you combine that cultural theory with a fake CNN graphic, you get a story that feels "true" to people’s perceptions, even if the facts are wrong.
Other Viral Hoaxes Following the Meme
The election wasn't the only time Haliey was the target of fake news. Before the hawk tuah votes cnn drama, there was a fake NPR screenshot. That one claimed Donald Trump canceled an appearance on her podcast, Talk Tuah, after an assassination attempt.
None of it was true.
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Welch has had some heavy hitters on her show—Whitney Cummings, Mark Cuban, and Wiz Khalifa—but a presidential sit-down wasn't on the books. It seems like the more she tried to legitimize her brand through her podcast and her "Pookie Tools" app, the more the internet tried to drag her back into the world of chaotic misinformation.
The Real Controversy: The $HAWK Token
While the election votes were fake, the financial drama was very real. In late 2024, Welch launched a meme coin called $HAWK. It briefly hit a $500 million market cap before crashing harder than a lead balloon. This led to serious allegations of a "pump and dump" scheme.
Journalists like Coffeezilla went after her team, accusing them of insider trading. Welch eventually broke her silence in a leaked interview in February 2025, saying she only took a marketing fee and never made a dime from the coin's actual trading. That’s a lot more serious than a fake CNN screenshot.
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How to Spot Fake Election Graphics in the Future
If you see a "breaking news" screenshot that seems too weird to be true, it probably is. Major networks like CNN don't usually report on meme write-ins unless they actually affect the outcome of a race, which "Hawk Tuah" obviously didn't.
- Check the URL: If the "news" is only an image and not a link to cnn.com, be skeptical.
- Look for the font: Hoaxes often use slightly off-center fonts that don't match the network's style guide.
- Cross-reference: Did the AP or Reuters report 75,000 write-ins? If the answer is no, it's a prank.
The hawk tuah votes cnn saga is basically a case study in how fast a joke can turn into "fact" in the digital age. It was a funny moment for a few days, but at the end of the day, those votes were just pixels on a screen.
Moving forward, the best thing you can do is verify viral political claims through official state election boards or non-partisan outlets like Ballotpedia. If you're still seeing that CNN screenshot in your feed, it's safe to hit the "not interested" button. The internet has moved on to the next meme, and so should we.