Is video of giant pandas playing in the snow a coded message? No, that's not true: The video that originated from the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., is just a cute diversion. Any suggestion that it contains a secret message is not based in fact. Such suggestions play off the unsubstantiated belief, shared by some followers of QAnon, that the term "panda eyes" is a pedophile slang term for swollen, bruised eyes caused by sodomy.
The claim about the code appeared in a video (archived here) published on BitChute on February 1, 2021. The video referenced a retweet from Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff for communications under former President Donald Trump. Text in the video stated:
Panda reference. Deepstate uses panda symbols, as a way of mocking the act of raping children. When a child is sodomized, their eyes swell up causing them to become black.
Users on social media saw this title, description and thumbnail:
2.1.21: They are SCRAMBLING for COVER! O God...with one BLOW, take VENGEANCE!!! PRAY!
????Get The Ultimate Portable Floodlight For Work, Camping Or The Outdoors http://www.lytebug.com Use Promo code (CUSTOM PROMO CODE) for 20% OFF ^^^ --------------------------------- *Our AWK Website: https://www.andweknow.com/ *Uncensored VI...
The roughly 42-minute video included an ad for Lyte Bug, hence what users saw on social media. It also included claims based on nothing but speculation. Around the 5:45 mark, the video referenced the retweet from Scavino that showed shots of pandas playing in the snow, rolling and sliding down hills. You can see Scavino's post below.
-- Dan Scavino🇺🇸🦅 (@DanScavino) February 1, 2021
The video's narrator states:
You know when Dan Scavino posts something, we always get a little excited. We want to know if there is some meaning behind it.
The video then goes on to spin a story around the supposed secret meaning behind Scavino's post, playing off the unsubstantiated belief that the term "panda eyes" is a pedophile slang term for swollen, bruised eyes caused by sodomy. Text in the video stated:
Scavino trolling. Trump 'chilling'. Panda (Biden Team) 'falling' swiftly!
In other words, the video's narrator was suggesting that Scavino retweeted the panda video as a secret message to followers of QAnon, who believe that Trump is fighting an evil cabal of Democratic pedophiles. The implication was that members of President Joe Biden's team are "pandas" and that they will fall, just like the pandas in the video.
Lead Stories has previously debunked the idea that "panda eyes" is a pedophile phenomenon or slang term. There is no medical evidence sodomy causes these types of injuries in children. You can see our story here.
There is also no evidence to support the sprawling conspiracy theory that Trump is battling a deep state, full of pedophiles.
The original video of the pandas playing came from the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Its tweet can be seen below. Most people who commented on zoo's post took the video for what it was meant to be: a lighthearted and cute diversion.
❄️🐼 Slides, somersaults and pure panda joy. Happy snow day from giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian! 🌨🐾
-- National Zoo (@NationalZoo) January 31, 2021
. . . #SnowDay #PandaStory pic.twitter.com/my02GwnPFL
