President Biden's First White House Sign Language Interpreter Has Ties to the Far Right

[dalton99a]

https://time.com/5933592/white-house-sign-language-interpreter/

President Biden's First White House Sign Language Interpreter Has Ties to the Far Right
By Abigail Abrams
Updated: January 27, 2021 12:19 PM EST | Originally published: January 27, 2021 5:00 AM EST

...

Heather Mewshaw, who Psaki introduced on Monday as “today’s interpreter, Heather,” also appears to manage a group of ASL interpreters who provide sign language accompaniments to right-wing videos. Some of these videos have featured vaccine misinformation, conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol, and false claims about Michelle Obama being transgender, according to a review of social media posts by TIME.

“WHAT REALLY HAPPENED On January 6th?” reads the title of a video featuring Mewshaw interpreting Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani posted by the group on the social platform Rumble, an alternative to YouTube popular on the right. A video billed as “DR. EXPLAINS COVID VACCINE” shows Mewshaw interpreting another video by Trump-approved Dr. Stella Immanuel, a controversial physician who has promoted hydroxychloroquine and claims that real medical ailments are caused by demon sperm.

“Joe Biden is literally and legally not the President elect,” read the headline on one Facebook video from December in which another interpreter in Mewshaw’s group interprets comments made by right-wing personality Candace Owens.

Mewshaw’s group, which was originally known as Right Side ASL and had pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and far-right app Parler, changed its name to Hands of Liberty after its previous Facebook page was deleted in November. “Sad News: Our Facebook Page, Right Side ASL Backup, has been flagged for violating community standards and will be taken down at any time. It’s up to Facebook to decide. Not us,” read a post on the Hands of Liberty ASL page on Nov. 17.

The post was titled “Admin Update” and featured a video of Mewshaw signing in ASL. The same post also said the group was closing its Twitter, Instagram and Parler accounts, but encouraged followers to find it on MeWe, a Facebook alternative, and Gab, another app frequently used by right-wing extremists that saw increased interest around the time of the Capitol attack. A comment on the “Admin Update” post was addressed to “Heather” and was responded to by the page’s administrator.

Link to tweet

[TomDaisy]

1. ugh

[MagickMuffin]

2. They should find another ASL interpreter

I'm sure there are plenty looking for a prestigious job within the WH. This person could be a mole, especially since she didn't believe Joe Biden won.

[dalton99a]

3. +1. Heather Mewshaw must go.

[thucythucy]

4. I would hope someone is checking to make sure

she is interpreting accurately.

The job is too important, and the risks of misinformation too serious to take any chances.

[Mr.Bill]

18. There are lots of people who can hear and read ASL.

For starters, all the other interpreters. They would out her quickly if she was misinterpreting anything.

[thucythucy]

21. I hope so.

I know closed captioning can be awful, I've seen programs and movies--and I'm not talking low budget--where the captioning is almost gibberish.

But yeah, I'm sure if she goes off the deep end she will be outed pretty quickly.

[bamagal62]

5. She needs to go.

[Klaralven]

6. Why is ASL used instead of captioning?

[Yeehah]

10. That's a great question

We have the technology.

[Hekate]

12. I've used closed captions for years to keep the tv quiet or silent while others sleep or work...

Nowadays I use the feature because old age has dimmed my hearing and there’s only so loud I want the tv to be. (And I have to grab my glasses because without them I can’t read the cc. Argh.)

So basically, I use it as a handy supplement — and I can tell you straight off that closed captioning is not as accurate as you would think. There are typos, fine, but there are also substitutions and sometimes whole sentences and paragraphs are missing. I know this because I can hear the actual broadcast.

For people who use ASL, it would be different. For news, information, press conferences, lectures and speeches, where the content is really important, those missing bits would change the meaning.

I think the growing use of ASL interpreters for public events and government speeches is great.

[thucythucy]

22. I've noticed the same thing.

I've seen captioning that's simply awful, to the point of being incoherent.

[Politicub]

15. ASL is its own language. And, captions don't convey emotion

and urgency of speakers.

So the answer is, it would deprive deaf speakers of understanding tonality.

Nonverbal communications conveys more than verbal according to a variety of studies.

[Grasswire2]

7. who hired her? nt

[treestar]

8. Could she be a holdover?

I read somewhere this is not to Biden's credit and was established that one would be used while Trump was still in office.

I noticed at the beginning of Covid that the governors had these, but the POTUS did not, so a movement must have started to get it going for federal officers too.

[Yeehah]

9. I reckon her services are no longer required

now that the hire/fire people know about this.

[Politicub]

11. Well that's awkward.

[Hekate]

13. Jen Psaki phrased her intro as "today's interpreter" didn't she? Meaning there are others...

And now the others will get the slot, I should imagine.

[Generic Brad]

14. If she interprets accurately there should not be an issue

And if she does not post bullshit to undermine the government- fine.

But if she professionally crosses the line at any time she deserves the heave ho

[0rganism]

16. I hope her translations thus far have been accurate

Perhaps she has a sense of professionalism that supersedes her devotion to the cult. I can only hope.

[dhill926]

17. get the guy from Georgia Sec. of State...

he's fantastic...

[Marius25]

19. Looks like they may have gotten rid of her.

I've seen two different interpreters the past couple days.

[Mr.Bill]

23. In October I was a juror in a murder trial

where the defendant was deaf. There were also a lot of deaf witnesses, and deaf media coverage. I would have never thought about it but I saw that one interpreter wasn't enough. They tend to work in teams, relieving each other frequently. There were four of them there on some days. Some of that was necessary because with the Covid situation we were not in a courtroom, but spread out in a large room at the fairgrounds..

I would imagine a place like the White House would not just employ one interpreter, but a staff of them.

[msfiddlestix]

20. I don't read sign language, but I do read facial expression. There was a moment

I think it was yesterday's presser when Jen Psaki had answered a question with a complicated answer, to do with passing the Repair bill working with Republicans vs Democrats only. The point she was attempting to clarify quite clearly was about intent, when Psaki had again reiterated Biden's intention to work with Republicans on the bill, but would not do it piece meal.

I was watching the interpreter exaggerate "no" with an expression I found really curious. It caught my attention. I didn't read into it as an interpretation from a conspiracy nutter or right wing pro-trumper. But I did think it was weirdly exaggerated with slightly odd almost sarcastic expression. This is facial expression not her actual signing, which I do not know how to read.

And now I understand why. Odd they didn't vet her.

[LiberalFighter]

24. The article refers to it happening on Monday.

Nothing about the woman doing the signing on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The times I have watched the press conferences I have not seen that woman since.

Seems to be making a story about something that is dead.

[Blue_true]

25. Has anyone in the a White House explained how that interpreter got through screening?

Totally unacceptable to have such a person doing that particular job.