And probably won’t.

He’s not worth reading about and these days I’m spending my time on more interesting topics.

that gets posted here. A lot of which makes the front page of DU.

a war, without a shred of evidence, contradicting previous statements, without congress or consulting our allies, to distract from the Epstein files? Is it a conspiracy theory that Trump used tariffs as leverage or personal retribution against other nations? Is it a conspiracy theory that Trump is on the side of Putin rather than or allies?

We could list dozens more examples. This is the Trump presidency. Conspiracies in this government are a reality, and what we can see in the open must be only the tip of the iceberg. We should assume that everything comes from people who play by different rules. It is all about gaslighting, cheating, stealing, and exerting power and bigotry at the expense of everyone else and everything America stands for.

When we have the most corrupt leader in the history of America, who acts like a mob boss, surrounded by corrupt sycophants, I am concerned about us not talking about the conspiracies and questioning every thing that happens that helps strengthen their power.

There's evidence Trump is financially benefitting from the presidency. There's no evidence he staged the attempt in Butler or stole the 2024 election. Conflating things with evidence and things without evidence doesn't support the claims without evidence.

consistent pattern of corrupt behavior?

Again you can't take evidence of one thing as evidence for another unrelated thing.

His pattern is making people believe things that are not true in order to benefit him in some way. Part of the pattern is that the whole 'con' is so poorly done (because of his stupidity and zero foresight) that all comes out in the end.

Remember when he declined to participate in a debate back during the first election season, and, fearing a bad showing, he held his own event boasting magnanimously that funds raised would go to charity (maybe veterans; I forget). Well, it took a week or two but it eventually came out that the charities never got the money (a completely foreseeable consequence of lying and keeping the money). He had to kick out money for the charities to save face at that point.

This is his pattern. And faking assassination attempts is very much in character for him.

When someone repeatedly attempts idiotic and transparent conspiracies, you aren't a conspiracy theorist for calling them out.

The process needs to be transparent to the average voter not just paid insiders

And thus we simply have lost all trust in this administration. And rightfully so. Trump has given no reason to believe anything, anything.

The Strait is open forever! LOL

Trump never tells the truth so does not deserve the presumption of being truthful.
To believe much of what he says strains credulity too painfully for most of us.

...poll fail.

there's options.

Criticism fail.

Like being on a diet and smelling tomatoey basil golden wheaty pizza right out of the oven; the sweet-savory smoke of barbecued pork; delicious rich coffee and chocolate; stimulating spices of curry and hot oily deep-fried flatbreads ...

You cannot resist.

They've been around for as long as I've been around here and I highly doubt that they started here the day first logged in after seeing DU mentioned in some article in the NYT or WaPo or wherever it was.

Some believers eventually act out and get a pizza delivery. Some eventually just get tired or the issue vanishes in the mists of time. Some just keep on keeping on.

(What's embarrassing, though, is the "How dare ___ say that the election was stolen!" Then you see maybe the occasional at least moderately respected (D) politician say that when they lose an election it had to be because it was stolen; but you see number, not huge, of DUers saying the same thing. (But oddly, like (R), only when they lose.) I figure we all want to be liked and have others say how right we are, and that's a reflex of that deep seated belief or desire.

I certainly wouldn't choose that option, but many here would.

remembering what we once ridiculed

I came across a lot of conspiracies just going down rabbit holes on Wikipedia but they don't get a lot of attention because the mainstream media decides what is important enough to cover but they are not like the third option in the poll. One thing a right wing conspiracy theory will be covered by the media even if it is to debunk it.

I'm not concerned at this point. One thing with sociopaths I will never surprised by what they are capable of and Trump will use the worst things(COINTELPRO or Operation Chaos) from the past to pursue his agenda so I don't underestimate what he is capable of. As far as recent events we will probably know more in the following weeks that is if I do care.

One thing you have to remember. We have a President who has conspiracy theories of his own.

It used to be considered the low iq right who did that sort of behavior. The number of truly baseless stories generating 70 responses. On DU is staggering. Sometimes started from one person just airing a single far far off thought.

For example. The media does cover that but not all the details and when MSNow covered some of the more damning allegations against Trump they went to great lengths to say it wasn't verified but local news reporting to the Hilton Head area did verify other parts of her story.

I consider a lot of the current policies from the Trump administration are a distraction including this latest story from the Epstein files. Now that is in your face conspiracy with the same people in the files now working in the Trump administration.

The main networks have a story selection bias so there could be a very real conspiracy but they choose to cover something else or ignore the story entirely. However, they will cover a made up conspiracy from the right especially if it is coming from Trump himself even if it is just to debunk it.

Seriously though: Sometimes CT give simple explanations or make people feel that something is something they want to believe.
Sure I may want to believe something, but it doesn't make me feel better for believing it. If I believe "Trump is dead. Trump is dying. Trump will be 25th Amendmented" (which has happened numerous times) when he isn't, then what have I gained? Now if I believe this and it hasn't happened, will it make me feel better or worse? In my case, it makes me feel worse.

I'm concerned when it goes on too long and too weird, as facts come out.

But stuff that's along the lines of, it's TSF, he's a professional conman... can't believe ANYTHING on it's face that involves that guy, so what if (insert some mild TSF-related CT) ... Meh. Don't care much. Let people have their fun.

Frankly, it is a reminder of just how much LYING goes on in this regime. People can talk shit about events without really believing what their saying, you know.

We have much bigger things to be concerned about, frankly.

Sometimes they’re amusing. Often times they’re absurd. Occasionally they make me stop and think.

The thing with Trump is that yes, he’s cruel, vindictive, and an all around ass hole.

But he’s ultimately also a coward. He’d never knowingly put himself in harm’s way. He didn’t during Vietnam and he ran to hide in a bunker during the BLM protests back in 2020. So would he willingly get within a few inches of a bullet whizzing by his ear? I somehow doubt that.

I also assume he has pissed off enough people to attempt to harm him. Some folks reach a breaking point leading them to violence. We live in a violent country with a lot of guns, no universal health care, and are increasingly disconnected from other humans in general.

What's #874,822? Frame of reference kind of question.

Suggest that stupidities (e.g., Flat Earth) are on a par with skepticism about the government.

Remember the "Maine"? Or the Gulf of Tonkin? Or Watergate? Or Iran-Contra? Or The Pentagon Papers? Or January 6, 2021?

🎶 It takes two, baby, it just takes two. 🎶

Keeping my finger on the pulse of humanity.

When someone repeatedly attempts idiotic and transparent conspiracies, you aren't a conspiracy theorist for calling them

Go start your own poll!