4 Conspiracy Theories That Have Driven Policy Under Trump

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

OpEd: The federal government is now subject to the whims of Trump, Musk, and RFK Jr.

Posted by LampLighter at 12:32 PM | 25 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

News Analysis: In the first month since he returned to power, President Trump has demonstrated once again a brazen willingness to advance distortions, conspiracy theories and outright lies to justify major policy decisions.

[image or embed]
-- The New York Times (@nytimes.com) February 23, 2025 at 3:37 PM

Comments

Admin's note: Participants in this discussion must follow the site's moderation policy. Profanity will be filtered. Abusive conduct is not allowed.

More from the OpEd ...

... President Donald Trump is no stranger to conspiracy: He rose to political prominence by touting the racist lie that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. His team isn't either: Take Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s longtime baseless conviction that childhood vaccines cause autism or the billionaire Elon Musk's promotion of the 2016 "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory.

The embrace of conspiracy theories isn't new, but now that Trump is back in power, there is a direct pipeline between online conspiracy theories and government policy -- and in some cases, it's happening at breathtaking speed.

At times, the administration takes a kernel of truth and then distorts it wildly. At others, it's entirely unclear where the theories are coming from.

Here are four examples of this government by conspiracy theory: ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-25 12:21 AM | Reply

Conspiracy theories, no matter how laughable and how provably false they are, are real when Tramp says they are real.

Ask any Tramper.

#2 | Posted by Corky at 2025-02-26 01:02 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

#2 Like the 3 year Russia conspiracy?
And I read the Vox story, in two of them they contradict themselves, like that Fema didn't pay for the migrant housing, they just administered the payments. Oh, that's a huge difference. Bottom line is the American tax payers paid for those rooms while Vets sleep on the streets.
I noticed they didn't touch the 2 billion payment to Stacy Abrams and preacher Warnock.

#3 | Posted by fishpaw at 2025-02-26 01:10 PM | Reply

@#3 ... Like the 3 year Russia conspiracy? ...

What Russian conspiracy?

I saw was hard evidence presented by Mr Mueller and also by the Republican-controlled Senate investigation.

So, what Russian conspiracy is your alias talking about?

#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-26 01:19 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

@2 ... Ask any Tramper. ...

Yup.

To wit, see #3.

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-26 01:20 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

- the 3 year Russia conspiracy

Are you referring to this one?

Russiagate Was Not a Hoax
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence confirmed what the Mueller report could not.

www.google.com

#6 | Posted by Corky at 2025-02-26 01:22 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 5

#4 and #5. LOL. You still believe it. Did Schiff show you the hard evidence he said he had for three years? Trump didn't tell me it wasn't true, Hillary did when she agreed to pay a campaign finance fine for creating the Steele Dossier. You tin hat wearers just can't except the truth since it was ingrained into your brains for 4 plus years.

#7 | Posted by fishpaw at 2025-02-26 01:25 PM | Reply

FishPawn shows up to prove how effective Republican misinformation and propaganda really is.

Thanks for your service, idiot.

#8 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-02-26 01:26 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 5

"Trump campaign chief Manafort's associate Kilimnik gave Russia 2016 election strategy, polling, U.S. says"

www.cnbc.com

Fishpus is so deep in The Cult he can't see anything else.

#9 | Posted by Corky at 2025-02-26 01:29 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

#8 Here is the simple version for the simpletons like Clown. There was no pee tape, Trump didn't have a deal with Putin where if Putin gets Trump elected Trump lets Putin run the country and Trump gets to build a hotel in Moscow. It's no wonder you voted for Harris, you both graduated from ------ U.

#10 | Posted by fishpaw at 2025-02-26 01:31 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

@#7 ... Hillary did when she agreed to pay a campaign finance fine for creating the Steele Dossier. ...

For starters, the Steele Dossier was created by Republicans. Ms Clinton took it over from the Republicans when [then candidate] Trump won the primary and the Republicans against him abandoned the dossier.

But, I'd advise you to read Mr Mueller's report, and also the report of the Republican-controlled Senate investigation, a committee led at the time, by the now Sec of State Rubio).

#11 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-26 01:32 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 4

Fishpud is the Trump U reject who swallowed 30,000 of the-------------'s lies.

#12 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2025-02-26 01:33 PM | Reply

#9 Ok Dorky, and if Trump really colluded it would have resulted in more than a couple facebook pages saying Hillary was an idiot. The entire investigation was done to remove a sitting president by the opposition party, now that's Russian right there.

#13 | Posted by fishpaw at 2025-02-26 01:35 PM | Reply

@#10

Your alias really should read the two reports I cited. The Mueller report has a hundred or so documented examples of contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign. The Senate report is even more damning.

#14 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-26 01:36 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Bottom line is the American tax payers paid for those rooms while Vets sleep on the streets.

#3 | Posted by fishpaw

As if you care.

Republicans vote against Veteran services constantly.

And now its cut the VA and sending a $4.5 billion tax cut to billionaires rather than giving a damn about the Vets.

You're a pathetic traitor.

#15 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-02-26 01:37 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

@#13 ... The entire investigation was done to remove a sitting president by the opposition party ...

Speaking of evidence, what evidence do you have for that assertion?

#16 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-26 01:38 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

- if Trump really colluded

The Cultish denial is strong in this P.

#17 | Posted by Corky at 2025-02-26 01:39 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Trump's pre January 6th scandals are worse than what Nixon resigned over. January 6th is an absolute travesty

#18 | Posted by hamburglar at 2025-02-26 05:06 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Anyone else notice how hapless and witless Fishpaw is? Can't even manage a cohesive fact based rebuttal or comment.

Fish... You know that thing you have ranted against in the past? Indoctrination? You have been indoctrinated and for a long time. I know you won't believe this but you have been slurping at the right wing sewer of propaganda, misinformation and deflections for years. I accept there is probably no help for folks like yourself but here is a video that may help you and those in your situation: A Killing of the Mind

#19 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2025-02-26 05:18 PM | Reply

@#17 ... - if Trump really colluded

The Cultish denial is strong in this P. ...

From what I have seen, "collusion" (a specific crime) was never actually charged or put forward in the official documents.

Collusion seems to have been put forward by the MAGA folk doing what they usually do ... make up a false crime and then go on to say that Pres Trump never committed that crime.

Does either the Mueller Report, or the report by the Republican-controlled Senate committee report actually accuse Pres trump of collusion?

While I do admit, I may have missed that in my readings of those reports if they did.

But I ask, those who seemingly accuse those reports of accusing Pres Trump of collusion, please provide a link.

Please be specific.

thx.

#20 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-26 07:33 PM | Reply

"#2 Like the 3 year Russia conspiracy?"

So you're implying Trump is as crooked as you think Russiagate is crooked.

Okay. I guess I can accept that. But I don't think you can.

#21 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-02-26 07:37 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

... and now for something completely different (sorry, I've been watching the SNL50 special ...)

Strawberry Switchblade -- Since Yesterday (1985)
www.youtube.com

Lyrics excerpt...

genius.com

...
[Verse 1]
Just close your eyes and then remember
The thoughts you've locked away
When tomorrow comes, you'll wish
You had today

[Chorus]
And as we sit here alone
Looking for a reason to go on
It's so clear that all we have now
Are our thoughts of yesterday

[Verse 2]
If you're still there when it's all over
I'm scared I'll have to say
That a part of you has gone
Since yesterday
...

#22 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-26 07:38 PM | Reply

"resulted in more than a couple facebook pages saying Hillary was an idiot."

A couple. So two. So you are saying there were only two Facebook ads that trashed Hillary?

That's easily disproved. So were you lying intentionally or are you just a stupid useful idiot.

#23 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-02-26 08:50 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Re 23

Minor correction for clarity. (And Beverly)

So you are saying there were only two Facebook ads (paid for by Russia) that trashed Hillary?

#24 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-02-26 08:52 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Here is the simple version for the simpletons like Clown. There was no pee tape, Trump didn't have a deal with Putin where if Putin gets Trump elected Trump lets Putin run the country and Trump gets to build a hotel in Moscow. It's no wonder you voted for Harris, you both graduated from ------ U.

#10 | POSTED BY FISHPAW

Here's a simpler version, dimbf^%*.

None of those were anything more than tabloid nonsense. You intentionally ignore the actual meat of the issue, much of it being admitted to by idiots like Don Jr.

#25 | Posted by jpw at 2025-02-27 04:29 PM | Reply