Trump told Americans to ‘do their own research’. Now they think the attacks on him are staged
Some supporters of Donald Trump are promoting conspiracy theories claiming that attacks on him were staged, following his long-standing encouragement to 'do your own research.' These theories have gained traction on social media, amplified by foreign trolls and online communities. The spread of such baseless claims reflects the broader impact of conspiracy thinking on political discourse in the United States.
- ▪Two popular theories in pro-Trump circles claim the 2024 assassination attempt was staged and that Trump is the literal Antichrist.
- ▪The term 'staged' appeared in over 300,000 social media posts after the reported attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
- ▪Trump has a history of promoting conspiracy theories, including the Birther movement and the claim that the 2020 election was stolen.
- ▪Conspiracy theories once targeting political opponents are now being directed at Trump himself by some of his supporters.
- ▪Foreign actors such as Russian and Iranian trolls have helped amplify these false narratives online.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Sydney Morning Herald.