'I'm going to hang myself!': Prankster posing as a TV reporter horrifies New Yorkers by announcing Hillary Clinton has 'dropped out' of the election with 'ZIKA' - leaving Trump as president

  • Tyler Fischer, 29, from New York, pretended to be a broadcast journalist to pull off the elaborate prank on the streets of his hometown
  • The comedian and actor lied to passers by - telling them that the Democrat presidential nominee had withdrawn from the race due to illness
  • He received mixed reactions from the public to his fake news - ranging from shock, to sadness to cheering to conspiracy theories
  • Two people suggested they wanted to commit suicide because of the false information

A comedian posing as a broadcast journalist fooled New Yorkers into believing that Hillary Clinton had dropped out of the presidential race after being diagnosed with 'Zika' in an elaborate prank.

Accompanied by a fake camera crew, Tyler Fischer, 29, pretended to be a reporter for BBC America, informing the public of the 'news' that Hillary was ill and that Donald Trump would 'most likely be the next president of the United States'.

The New York-based actor received mixed reactions from the public - ranging from cheering to shock, sadness and conspiracy theories, while two people suggested they would commit suicide because of it - which he filmed for a video.

Courtesy of Comedian Tyler Fischer 

Lies: Prankster tyler Fischer, pictured posing as a broadcast journalist, shocked New Yorkers by pretending that Hillary Clinton has 'dropped out' of the election race

Lies: Prankster tyler Fischer, pictured posing as a broadcast journalist, shocked New Yorkers by pretending that Hillary Clinton has 'dropped out' of the election race

What? The actor and comedian, 29, told them she had dropped out due to illness, claiming she had 'Zika', and filmed their reactions

What? The actor and comedian, 29, told them she had dropped out due to illness, claiming she had 'Zika', and filmed their reactions

Unhappy: He told them as a result of Hillary dropping out, Donald Trump would 'most likely' be president. Many New Yorkers, pictured, were devastated by the 'news'

Unhappy: He told them as a result of Hillary dropping out, Donald Trump would 'most likely' be president. Many New Yorkers, pictured, were devastated by the 'news'

Dressed in a suit, Tyler stood in different spots on the streets of New York with a 'BBC America' microphone.

As he pretended to deliver his 'report', shocked crowds gathered around him and he approached members of the public for their reactions.

He also falsely accused the Democrat presidential candidate of having an 'affair with Ben Carson' and 'sexting with Anthony Weiner'. 

His video has been watched more than 180,000 times since he shared it on YouTube on Sunday.

He said: 'Breaking news, breaking news, breaking news! 

'Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has just announced that she will be dropping out of the presidential race, making Donald Trump perhaps the next president of the United States.'

As he said the 'news' was announced 'about five minutes ago' passers who overheard what he said started responding to it.  

A man and a woman both said: 'Oh my God.'

As Tyler said 'Donald Trump will most likely be the next president of the United States' a man stood open-mouthed while a woman said: 'No, you're kidding.' 

A man and a woman both individually claimed to have predicted it. 

The woman said: 'I knew that was going to happen, after that thing that she had the seizure.'

Hoax: In reality, Hillary Clinton, pictured right on Tuesday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,  has not pulled out of the race against Donald Trump, pictured left in Prescott Valley, Arizona
Hoax: In reality, Hillary Clinton, pictured right on Tuesday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,  has not pulled out of the race against Donald Trump, pictured left in Prescott Valley, Arizona

Hoax: In reality, Hillary Clinton, pictured right on Tuesday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has not pulled out of the race against Donald Trump, pictured left in Prescott Valley, Arizona

Confusion: He received mixed reactions from the public to his fake news - ranging from sadness to cheering. He spoke to a French man and woman, pictured, who were shocked

Confusion: He received mixed reactions from the public to his fake news - ranging from sadness to cheering. He spoke to a French man and woman, pictured, who were shocked

'Zika?' These women could not believe Tyler's fake claim that Hillary had dropped out

'Zika?' These women could not believe Tyler's fake claim that Hillary had dropped out

Hopeless: One man, pictured, hugged Tyler and  said to the camera: 'We're screwed, we're really f****d'
Hopeless: One man, pictured, hugged Tyler and  said to the camera: 'We're screwed, we're really f****d'

Hopeless: One man, pictured, hugged Tyler and said to the camera: 'We're screwed, we're really f****d'

Options: He asked a child, pictured, if he would consider moving to Canada but the boy was not optimistic - suggesting that they might 'build a wall to keep all the Americans out'

Options: He asked a child, pictured, if he would consider moving to Canada but the boy was not optimistic - suggesting that they might 'build a wall to keep all the Americans out'

One man said: 'I'm going to hang myself now.' The reporter said: 'No, don't hang yourself.'

'There goes another assassination,' said another passerby.

Some people's reactions were more extreme. One man responded to Tyler's approach by saying: 'Let me go find me a gun.' 

Others turned to religion in response to the 'revelation'. One woman crossed herself as she said: 'God help us.'

A man hugged Tyler as he said 'I'm sorry'. The prankster also hugged another member of the public who said to the camera: 'We're screwed, we're really f****d.'

Despite his unprofessional demeanor - hugging people, standing with his hands in his pockets, confusing his facts and sharing his own opinions - people appeared to believe that Tyler was a reporter.  

'I didn't think she'd drop out even if she died,' said one man.

One of a group of three women to whom he told the false news to asked: 'Does she have Parkinson's?'

They appeared astonished when he told them she has Zika - responding simultaneously: 'Zika?'

They later revealed they were Trump supporters and started cheering. 

He confuses his facts when he tells another woman that she had Zika but later incorrectly referred to it as 'bird flu'. 

Drastic measures: One man, pictured left, responded to the fake news by saying 'Let me go find me a gun' while a woman, pictured right, crossed herself

Drastic measures: One man, pictured left, responded to the fake news by saying 'Let me go find me a gun' while a woman, pictured right, crossed herself

Consoling: A man, pictured, hugged Tyler as he said 'I'm sorry' in response to his claims

Consoling: A man, pictured, hugged Tyler as he said 'I'm sorry' in response to his claims

Conspiracy: One passerby, pictured, said it was an 'assassination' attempt

Conspiracy: One passerby, pictured, said it was an 'assassination' attempt

False: Tyler then made up claims about Hillary's personal life, telling one man, pictured, that she had been 'sexting with Anthony Weiner' and had an 'affair with Ben Carson'

False: Tyler then made up claims about Hillary's personal life, telling one man, pictured, that she had been 'sexting with Anthony Weiner' and had an 'affair with Ben Carson'

Predictions: A number of people, including the man pictured, claimed they 'knew' Hillary would pull out

Predictions: A number of people, including the man pictured, claimed they 'knew' Hillary would pull out

He said: 'It has been confirmed she has Zika...Bird flu, I don't know if that's because she had been travelling.'

Tyler then moved on to making up claims about Hillary's personal life. 

He asked a man: 'Are you surprised to find out that she had been sexting with Anthony Weiner?'

He responded by saying: 'What's good for the goose should be good for the gander?'

Tyler replied: 'What about her affair with Ben Carson?'

When Tyler lied to two French people that Hillary was pulling out of the race, the woman said: 'We are scared. Please, don't stay here.'

He asked a child if he would consider moving to Canada but the boy was not optimistic - suggesting that perhaps they might follow Donald's example.

He said: 'Canada's probably going to build a wall to keep all the Americans out.'

One man responded to Tyler's fake claims by saying: 'She believed that Satan is a god of this world. If she's very careless...and sick.'

When Tyler suggested that it was because Hillary was a woman, the man mistakenly repeated his words before correcting himself by saying he did not agree on that point.

He said afterwards: 'Don't put this on TV.' To which Tyler replied: 'No, no, no. It will be on the internet.'

But amusingly the man did not appear to mind the global platform of the internet. 'Oh the internet? Alright,' he said.

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