Man mistaken for Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Twitter gets barrage of angry tweets

A case of mistaken Twitter identity.
 By 
Marcus Gilmer
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It's been a tough few days for Debbie Wasserman Schultz, ousted Democratic National Convention chair, but it's also been rough for random Twitter user Dave W. Smith as the angry Twitter hordes mistook Smith, whose handle is @DWS, for Wasserman Schultz.

Last night, Smith posted the following tweets, seemingly the victim of a (now-corrected) misprint by NPR.

But the wrong handle was out there long enough for some people to tweet at Smith or just not double-check exactly who they were yelling at in the cold void that is the echo chamber of Twitter.


You May Also Like

Of course, while Twitter screamed at the wrong person, Smith was worried about other matters more pertinent to his day-to-day life.

It's not the first time Smith has experienced this, as he noted in a tweet from May.

For his part, Smith has taken everything in stride, patiently asking many complainers to redirect their tweets at Schultz's correct handle (@DWSTweets) and answering a few with light-hearted responses.

Mashable Image
Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Madonna celebrates as a 34-year-old deep cut goes viral on TikTok
Madonna in Body of Evidence, during her 1990s Erotica era.


Elon Musk found liable for defrauding Twitter investors
Elon Musk arrives at federal court on March 4, 2026 in San Francisco, California.

The Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man Play Booster Box is at its lowest-ever price on Amazon
The Magic: The Gathering Marvel's Spider-Man Play Booster Box on a green and orange background

How to watch Bodo/Glimt vs. Man City online for free
Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!