10 Of The Wildest And Wackiest Conspiracy Theories Pushed By Trump This Week
Donald Trump is no stranger to conspiracy-mongering. He’s pushed wild birther theories about his predecessor, Barack Obama, suggested windmills cause cancer and claimed climate change is a hoax manufactured by the Chinese, among other bizarre assertions.
He’s also refused to reject the far-right QAnon movement, calling supporters of the outlandish conspiracy theory “people who love our country.”
But Trump appears to have outdone himself this week, publicly parroting multiple conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated claims in recent days. Here are 10 egregious examples:
At a Monday press conference, Trump defended Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old Trump supporter who fatally shot two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Trump defends Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old supporter of his who is charged with murdering two protesters in Kenosha pic.twitter.com/KdfkdTPRVG
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2020
The president said, without evidence, that Rittenhouse had acted in self-defence when he opened fire at a Black Lives Matter protest, killing two people and wounding another. The demonstration had been organised in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man.
Trump blamed the unrest on “left-wing political violence” and claimed Rittenhouse had been “trying to get away” from protesters who then “violently attacked him” when the shooting occurred.
Also Monday, Trump touted several conspiracy theories in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, including the claim that there had been a plane full of “thugs” who attempted to disrupt the GOP convention.
"We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that. They're on a plane."
Trump says this is "under investigation right now." pic.twitter.com/UjBBvsBaU3— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) September 1, 2020
Trump told Ingraham...