The National's Aaron Dessner shuts down bizarre theory claiming he's paying people to riot

The National's Aaron Dessner was dragged into a bizarre theory over the weekend regarding the ongoing protests following the death of George Floyd last month.

According to Brooklyn Vegan, a now-suspended Twitter account suggested that Dessner is "an Antifa organizer paying people to riot" who "needs to be arrested NOW!!"

The weird claim was made after a video clip that sees a man who looks a little like Dessner paying protesters to riot in Ohio surfaced.

Apparent Antifa organizer caught on camera appearing to pay some kids to riot. pic.twitter.com/JMYaJARfFF

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 31, 2020

Dessner responded to the false claims yesterday (31 May) on Twitter, writing, "I'm very fortunate and grateful to wake up every morning in the rural countryside I live in, looking at farmland and these beautiful mountains. I've been here for three months now isolating with my wife and young children. This morning I've woken up to the unpleasant and surprising news that I've been misindentified by some social media users as someone seen encouraging rioting in Columbus, Ohio -- I am not the person some are suggesting I am. Nor have I been in Ohio since June 2019."

He adds, "However I do FULLY support peaceful protests and activism against endemic racism and racially motivated violence in this country, which somehow continues generation after generation after generation. Like so many, I'm hoping for peaceful resolution and actual progress addressing these persistent issues in our society."

pic.twitter.com/HJff9SQrnc

— Aaron Dessner (@aaron_dessner) May 31, 2020

Antifa is an anti-fascist political movement, and over the weekend President Trump tweeted that he is "designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization".