Conspiracy Theories

puerto rico Sept. 13, 2018

Trump: Democrats Faked 3,000 Hurricane Deaths in Puerto Rico to Make Me Look BadThe president argues that months-long shortages of electricity, food, and medical care couldn’t possibly have killed more than 18 people.

By Eric Levitz

select all Sept. 12, 2018

Reddit Bans Major QAnon Hive, r/GreatAwakeningWhere will the conspiracy theorists head now?

By Brian Feldman

conspiracy theories Aug. 23, 2018

A Wild Conspiracy Theory About Obama Aides Circulated in the Trump White HouseA shadowy private Israeli intelligence firm seems to be the source and the propagator of a wild theory in which Ben Rhodes ran the news media.

By Ed Kilgore

Aug. 1, 2018

Alex Jones Wants Sandy Hook Parents to Pay His Legal FeesThe Infowars founder wants a judge to dismiss a defamation suit against him and compel the parents of Noah Pozner to pay $100,000 in his legal fees.

By Adam K. Raymond

July 5, 2018

Trump Believes ‘100 Percent’ in Jim Jordan’s Innocence in Sex Abuse CaseWhen it comes to fidelity to factual evidence, particularly in sex abuse cases, Donald Trump’s endorsement is at best a mixed blessing.

By Ed Kilgore

May 22, 2018

Here’s More Evidence Broidy May Have Been Covering for Trump in Playmate AffairA bombshell AP report establishes that there was a highly suspicious meeting between the two men.

By Paul Campos

Apr. 5, 2018

President Trump Claims California’s Elections Are Illegitimate“In many places, like California, the same person votes many times … Not a conspiracy theory, folks. Millions and millions of people.”

By Eric Levitz

Mar. 14, 2018

Fox News and Alex Jones Are Being Sued For Conspiracy MongeringNot a good day to be a wingnut.

By Adam K. Raymond

Jan. 24, 2018

Alex Jones: Trump Has Called Me 3 Times in the Last Few MonthsBut the calls come too early and Jones keeps missing them, he said.

By Adam K. Raymond

conspiracy theories Jan. 24, 2018

Why an Unreleased 4-Page Memo From Devin Nunes Is Causing a Frenzy on the RightThe memorandum, written by Nunes staff members, has the conservative media fired up. But if it’s really so explosive why isn’t it public?

By Cristian Farias

select all Dec. 19, 2017

The Storm Is the New Pizzagate — Only WorseA new conspiracy theory called “The Storm” has taken the grimiest parts of the internet by, well, storm.

By Paris Martineau

Oct. 18, 2017

People Are Saying a Melania Impostor Was With Trump in This VideoSomething’s going on.

By Adam K. Raymond

Aug. 11, 2017

White House Aides: A Cabal of Islamists, Marxists, and Bankers Is After TrumpThe deep state, GOP, and media are in on the conspiracy, according to an NSC memo — which multiple White House officials have defended as correct.

By Eric Levitz

June 8, 2017

Trump Lawyer Hints Comey Part of ‘Deep State’ ConspiracyAfter calling Comey a liar, Trump attorney identifies him with the leakers some Trump fans believe are trying reverse the election.

By Ed Kilgore

May 28, 2017

‘Is This Even About Seth Rich at All?’Before he was a murder victim and the subject of politically motivated conspiracy theories, Seth Rich was a real person with a real life.

By Olivia Nuzzi

May 18, 2017

Someone Should Explain to Trump His Administration Appointed the Special CounselOr is all this complaining just meant to fire up his base?

By Ed Kilgore

May 11, 2017

FBI Raids GOP Consulting Firm, Setting Off (False) Alarms OnlineThe raid is related to a 2013 PAC investigation, the firm’s president says — probably not to Russia or a deep-state coup.

By Adam K. Raymond

Mar. 13, 2017

Kellyanne Conway Suggests That Obama Could Have Used Microwaves to Spy on TrumpShe didn’t provide any evidence for the claim.

By Caroline Bankoff

Mar. 10, 2017

Trump Suggests Obama Always Wanted Obamacare to Collapse in 2017“That’s the year it was meant to explode, because Obama won’t be here,” the president explained to the House GOP leadership.

By Eric Levitz

Mar. 6, 2017

Trump Team Dares James Comey to Say Obama Didn’t Wiretap TrumpOn Monday, the White House suggested that Trump trusts his own misreadings of Breitbart articles over the word of the FBI director.

By Eric Levitz

Jan. 26, 2017

Alex Jones Says He’s Been ‘Offered’ White House Press CredentialsThe chief nut at Infowars has a relationship with President Trump.

By Adam K. Raymond

Dec. 28, 2016

A Surprising Number of Democrats Think Pizzagate Is TrueTwenty four percent of Dems think Hillary Clinton is involved in a satanic child-sex ring, according to a poll.

By Adam K. Raymond

Dec. 14, 2016

One Sandy Hook Parent’s Fight Against an ‘Emboldened’ Conspiracy Culture“My hatred for Google and YouTube and Facebook has increased 1,000 percent,” says Sandy Hook parent Lenny Pozner.

By Reeves Wiedeman

conspiracy theories Dec. 13, 2016

Low-Flying Military Aircraft Spooks ManhattanThe New York National Guard is claiming that the flight was part of a training exercise.

By Charley Lanyon

Dec. 12, 2016

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Pizzagate?“This is a problem that’s not going to be solved, probably, by the law,” one expert says.

By Sam Stecklow

Dec. 7, 2016

Sandy Hook Truther Arrested for Threatening Parent of Shooting VictimLucy Richards, 57, allegedly wrote: “you gonna die, death is coming to you real soon.”

By Jen Kirby

conspiracy theories Dec. 4, 2016

Gunman Detained at D.C. Pizzeria Was Investigating Clinton Conspiracy TheoryThe incident has heightened fears that an absurd fake-news story may now lead to real-world danger.

By Charley Lanyon

Oct. 26, 2016

The Internet’s Conservative Fever Swamps Aren’t Going Away, So We Need to AdaptIt’s probably time for everyone to give up on the idea that any level of denunciation or fact-checking can counter online gonzo media.

By Jesse Singal

select all Oct. 19, 2016

‘Citizen Journalism’ Is a Catastrophe Right Now, and It’ll Only Get WorseIn theory, the internet could be a great place for crowdsourced journalism, analysis, and debunking. In theory.

By Jesse Singal

conspiracy theories Oct. 10, 2016

Alex Jones: Sources Confirm Clinton and Obama Are Smelly Demons From HellAlex Jones out–Alex Joneses himself.

By Charley Lanyon

conspiracy theories Oct. 3, 2016

Is Marla Maples the Trump Tax Return Leaker?It’s a juicy theory, and there are some clues that might back it up.

By Margaret Hartmann

feature Sept. 5, 2016

Lenny Pozner Believed in Conspiracy Theories. Until His Son’s Death Became One.Just as a father was mourning his child killed at Sandy Hook, strangers were saying he’d never lived at all.

By Reeves Wiedeman

Apr. 27, 2016

The Irrelevant-GIF Outrage Cycle Is Making Everyone DumberThere will always be more outrage. This will never end.

By Jesse Singal

select all Apr. 20, 2016

What Internet Conspiracy Theories Will Be Revealed on the New $20 Bill?Mo’ money, mo’ secrets.

By Brian Feldman

early and often Mar. 22, 2016

Cruz Defends Conspiracist Foreign-Policy Adviser“Frank Gaffney is a serious thinker.”

By Claire Landsbaum

nutjobs Nov. 11, 2015

Man Confronts Sandy Hook Family With ‘Theory’Matthew Mills just wants answers.

By Eric Levitz

jade helm Sept. 16, 2015

Jade Helm Is Over, and Texas Still ExistsIt isn’t even under martial law.

By Jaime Fuller

conspiracy theories May 5, 2015

Pentagon Assures Texas That It Has No Plans to Take Over the State“We are not taking over anything.”

By Jaime Fuller

where in the world in vladimir putin Mar. 16, 2015

Oh, Hey, World. It’s Me, Putin. Did You Miss Me?The Russian president knows you’ve been worried.

By Jaime Fuller

thinking outside the box Mar. 6, 2015

My Crazy Theory About MH370 Went Viral WorldwideEven the Russians responded.

By Jeff Wise

theories Feb. 23, 2015

How Crazy Am I to Think I Actually Know Where That Malaysia Airlines Plane Is?In the year since its vanishing, I fell in with a group of obsessive amateur aviation sleuths. A million theories bloomed, including my own.

By Jeff Wise

conspiracy theories Dec. 19, 2014