{{Short description|American Twitter user (born 1964)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox social media personality | name = Catturd | birth_name = Phillip Buchanan | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|9|18}} | movement = {{ubl| * Right-wing politics * American Conservatism }} | twitter_handle = catturd2 | twitter_display_name = Catturd ™ | twitter_years_active = 2018–present | twitter_followers = 3.9 million | stats_update = November 28, 2025 }} '''Catturd''' (born September 18, 1964) is the online identity of right-wing<ref name="vice mar-a-lago">{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=David |date=August 10, 2022 |title=Trump Is Peddling a Conspiracy the FBI Planted Evidence at Mar-a-Lago |work=Vice |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/trump-fbi-mar-a-lago-planted-evidence-conspiracy/ |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218064452/https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkgapy/trump-fbi-mar-a-lago-planted-evidence-conspiracy |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Joshi |first=Ketan |date=January 18, 2023 |title=The Dawn of Gas Stove Denialism |magazine=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/170045/gas-stove-asthma-cancer-denialism |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218065955/https://newrepublic.com/article/170045/gas-stove-asthma-cancer-denialism |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tabahriti |first=Sam |date=October 30, 2022 |title=Joe Rogan praises Elon Musk for wanting to bring a 'reasonable exchange of ideas' back to Twitter |work=Business Insider |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-rogan-musk-wants-reasonable-exchange-ideas-back-on-twitter-2022-10 |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218064505/https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-rogan-musk-wants-reasonable-exchange-ideas-back-on-twitter-2022-10 |url-status=live }}</ref> American Internet troll '''Phillip Buchanan'''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Here are the right-wing figures who demanded Elon Musk reinstate a Twitter conspiracy theorist who posted child sexual abuse imagery |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/qanon-conspiracy-theory/here-are-right-wing-figures-who-demanded-elon-musk-reinstate-twitter |website=Media Matters for America |access-date=October 20, 2023 |language=en |date=July 28, 2023}}</ref><ref name="daily dot">{{cite web |last1=Goforth |first1=Claire |title=Twitter icon Catturd, a Trump favorite, revealed |url=https://www.dailydot.com/news/who-is-catturd/ |website=The Daily Dot |access-date=October 20, 2023 |date=July 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725112221/http://www.dailydot.com/news/who-is-catturd/ |archive-date=July 25, 2023 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="vice ukraine">{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=David |date=February 27, 2023 |title=The Far Right Wants You to Think Ukraine's War Is Staged: 'It Is Clearly a Psyop' |work=Vice |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/far-right-conspiracy-theory-wants-you-to-think-ukraine-war-staged/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-date=March 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327102806/https://www.vice.com/en/article/88qwbx/far-right-conspiracy-theory-wants-you-to-think-ukraine-war-staged |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="vice fetterman">{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=David |date=March 27, 2023 |title=QAnon Spent the Weekend Spreading a John Fetterman Body Double Conspiracy Theory |work=Vice |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/qanon-john-fetterman-double-conspiracy/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-date=March 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327151221/https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a3y9q/qanon-john-fetterman-double-conspiracy |url-status=live }}</ref> The account is known for spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation.<ref name="BI"/><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Thakker |first=Prem |date=May 12, 2023 |title=Elon Musk Is the Only One Happy About New Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino |magazine=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/post/172699/linda-yaccarino-reported-twitter-ceo-right-wing-tendencies |access-date=May 23, 2023 |issn=0028-6583}}</ref>
== Online activity == Media Matters for America has accused Buchanan of violating Twitter's platform manipulation policy, attempting to boost hashtags into the trending topics list.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Li |first=E. Rosalie |others=Research contributions from Alex Kaplan |date=December 10, 2021 |title=Twitter has allowed one user to manipulate the platform by coordinating over 40 hashtags, seemingly in violation of policy |work=Media Matters |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/twitter-has-allowed-one-user-manipulate-platform-coordinating-over-40-hashtags-seemingly |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218064455/https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/twitter-has-allowed-one-user-manipulate-platform-coordinating-over-40-hashtags-seemingly |url-status=live }}</ref>
When Elon Musk acquired Twitter, Buchanan was enthusiastic about the purchase; the two had also previously replied to each other on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hounshell |first=Blake |date=November 4, 2022 |title=What Twitter's Shake-Up Could Mean: Midterm Misinformation Run Amok |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/us/politics/twitter-midterms-misinformation.html |access-date=February 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218064452/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/us/politics/twitter-midterms-misinformation.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Hoard |first1=Charis |last2=McCabe |first2=Audrey |last3=Seavey |first3=Ruby |others=Research contributed by Carly Evans and Kayla Gogarty |date=December 15, 2022 |title=Elon Musk continues to cater to far-right Twitter accounts promoting bigotry, extremism, and misinformation |work=Media Matters |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/elon-musk-continues-cater-far-right-twitter-accounts-promoting-bigotry-extremism-and |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218064453/https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/elon-musk-continues-cater-far-right-twitter-accounts-promoting-bigotry-extremism-and |url-status=live }}</ref> Buchanan praised Musk for plans to scale back Twitter's content moderation,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffing |first=Alex |date=March 30, 2023 |title=Elon Musk Confidant 'Catturd' Turns on Twitter Boss |url=https://www.mediaite.com/politics/elon-musk-confidante-catturd-turns-on-twitter-bosss-paid-verification-plan-angered-by-recent-ban/ |access-date=April 22, 2023 |website=Mediaite}}</ref> but said his account remained shadowbanned even after the purchase. Musk reached out personally to provide support.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Binder |first=Matt |date=October 28, 2022 |title='Chief Twit' Elon Musk's first act: Personal customer support for right-wing trolls |work=Mashable |url=https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-right-wing-twitter-cat-turd |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218064452/https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-right-wing-twitter-cat-turd |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tiffany |first=Kaitlyn |date=January 17, 2023 |title=Elon Musk Can't Solve Twitter's 'Shadowbanning' Problem |work=The Atlantic |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/01/twitter-shadow-ban-transparency-algorithm-suppression/672736/ |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218064453/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/01/twitter-shadow-ban-transparency-algorithm-suppression/672736/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later on, Buchanan tweeted that he was "100% wrong about [Elon Musk] changing Twitter."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baragona |first=Justin |date=November 2, 2022 |title=Sorry, Elon! Catturd Turns on Musk, Admits to Being '100% Wrong' About Him |work=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/catturd-turns-on-elon-musk-admits-to-being-100-wrong-about-him?ref=home |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218064452/https://www.thedailybeast.com/catturd-turns-on-elon-musk-admits-to-being-100-wrong-about-him?ref=home |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Binder |first=Matt |date=November 2, 2022 |title=Elon Musk has owned Twitter for less than a week. Conservatives are already canceling him. |work=Mashable |url=https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-angers-conservatives-twitter-already |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218064452/https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-angers-conservatives-twitter-already |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Massie |first=Graeme |date=November 4, 2022 |title='Catturd' Twitter account highlighted by Elon Musk turns on Tesla billionaire |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/twitter-catturd-account-elon-musk-b2217446.html |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218070007/https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/twitter-catturd-account-elon-musk-b2217446.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In March 2023, leaked internal documents from Twitter revealed that Catturd was among a handful of accounts having their reach artificially inflated by Twitter under Musk.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-boosting-views-vips-elon-musk-aoc-2023-3 |title=Twitter is secretly boosting 35 VIP users including Lebron James, AOC, catturd2, and Ben Shapiro: report |date=March 28, 2023 |work=Business Insider |first=Aditi |last=Bharade |access-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328100930/https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-boosting-views-vips-elon-musk-aoc-2023-3 |url-status=live }}</ref>
The same month, Buchanan conducted a Twitter poll of a hypothetical 2024 Republican presidential primary between Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis, showing Trump winning 69%. This poll was presented by Trump at a rally and by Trump-affiliated super PAC MAGA Inc. on Twitter.<ref name="BI">{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-team-touts-catturd2-twitter-poll-showing-lead-desantis-2023-3 |title=Trump touts Twitter poll from '@catturd2' showing him with a big lead over Ron DeSantis |date=March 28, 2023 |work=Business Insider |first=Sonam |last=Sheth |access-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328100930/https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-team-touts-catturd2-twitter-poll-showing-lead-desantis-2023-3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Fung|first=Katherine|date=November 17, 2023|url=https://www.newsweek.com/catturd-only-voting-donald-trump-no-other-republicans-2024-1844460|title=King of MAGA Twitter Turns on Republicans|work=Newsweek|access-date=October 15, 2024}}</ref>
== Political views == Buchanan supported Trump's attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jankowicz |first1=Mia |title=Trump keeps retweeting the anonymous account 'Catturd2,' which backs his baseless election-fraud claims. The handle is now trending. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/catturd-trends-on-twitter-after-trump-shares-accounts-claims-2020-12 |work=Business Insider |date=December 1, 2020}}</ref> and has promoted conspiracy theories about the Russo-Ukrainian War,<ref name="vice ukraine"/> the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago,<ref name="vice mar-a-lago"/> U.S. Senator John Fetterman,<ref name="vice fetterman"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Bloch|first=Emily|date=March 30, 2023|url=https://www.inquirer.com/politics/john-fetterman-body-double-false-conspiracy-theory-20230330.html|title=No, John Fetterman doesn't have a body double|url-access=subscription|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|access-date=August 7, 2025}}</ref> the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Florida,<ref>{{cite web|last=Novak|first=Matt|date=September 16, 2024|url=https://gizmodo.com/conspiracy-theorists-think-alleged-trump-assassin-had-inside-information-about-his-location-2000499232|title=Conspiracy Theorists Think Alleged Trump Assassin Had Inside Information About His Location|website=Gizmodo|access-date=August 7, 2025}}</ref> Hurricane Milton,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2502325/social-media-misinformation-the-real-storm-around-hurricane-milton|title=Social media misinformation, the real storm around Hurricane Milton?|work=The Express Tribune|date=October 12, 2024|access-date=August 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Pahwa|first=Nitish|date=October 11, 2024|url=https://slate.com/technology/2024/10/hurricane-milton-helene-conspiracy-theorists-fema-weather-channel.html|title=No, the Government Didn't Make Hurricane Milton. We All Did.|magazine=Slate|access-date=August 7, 2025}}</ref> and the perpetrator of the 2025 Coeur d'Alene shooting.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/who-was-idaho-shooter-wess-roley-strange-conspiracy-theories-about-his-gender-maga-parents-his-fight-with-them/articleshow/122167394.cms|title=Who was Idaho shooter Wess Roley? Strange conspiracy theories about his gender, MAGA parents, his fight with them|work=The Times of India|date=July 1, 2025|access-date=August 9, 2025}}</ref>
== Personal life == Buchanan was born on September 18, 1964.<ref>Buchanan tweeted that in 1969, he was 5 years old, and in a separate tweet on September 18, 2022, requested a birthday hashtag trend. * {{Cite tweet |number=1509338433600335873 |user=catturd2 |title=I was 5-years-old in 1969 ...if I would've told my father my kindergarten teacher was talking to me about sex - lord help them and have mercy upon their soul. |date=March 30, 2022 |access-date=February 17, 2023}} * {{Cite tweet |number=1571440550305300480 |user=catturd2 |title=Good morning to everyone - all I want for my birthday is to trend #HappyBirthdayCatturd. That would really trigger the Left - lol. |date=September 18, 2022 |access-date=February 17, 2023}}</ref> He lives on a ranch in Wewahitchka, Florida.<ref name="daily dot" />
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Twitter}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Conservatism|Florida|Internet|Politics|United States}}
Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:American conspiracy theorists Category:Conspiracist media Category:Florida Republicans Category:People from Wewahitchka, Florida Category:Right-wing politics and social media Category:Shitposters Category:X (social network) accounts