The FBI said this week it had no information indicating a credible terrorist threat against the United States, but social media pundits who have been raising the alarm for days aren’t backing down. 

Conservative social media influencers have been filling platforms with speculation not backed by any evidence that attacks on civilians in Israel would soon be followed by similar attacks in major U.S. cities and that people should begin preparing—including by avoiding cities and purchasing firearms. 

It’s human nature to seek out information about additional threats in the days after an attack like the ones in Israel, so that people can avoid risk and reduce their anxiety, says Shana Gadarian, professor and chair of political science . But many of the social media posts circulating this week aren’t helpful, she says, because they don’t include a specific solution. 

“There’s no real solution there but to sit in your house and watch Fox News or watch whatever platform they’re asking you to tune in to,” Gadarian says.

Read more in the NBC News article, “Conservatives stoke fears of a Hamas attack in U.S.; no credible threat, FBI says.”