Trump’s ‘Plane Of Thugs’ Comment Shows His Deepening Reliance On Conspiracy Theories

TOPLINE

President Trump on Monday claimed that his opponent Joe Biden was being controlled by people “in the dark shadows” and that a “plane loaded with thugs” was set to disrupt the Republican National Convention last week — two statements that signal a deepening reliance on fringe conspiracy theories as the election draws nearer.

KEY FACTS

Key background

In June, armed militia members took to the streets in Idaho to combat Antifa “threats” that never came as the theory spread among local Facebook groups there. One local Idaho police station, the Payette County Sheriff’s Office, received so many calls about the conspiracy theory it was forced to debunk the claim in a post on Facebook: “The Payette County Sheriff’s Office has not had contact with and has not verified that Antifa is in Payette County,” the post read. “The Payette County Sheriff’s Office has not given any specific warnings to our citizens about Antifa or other organizations. The information in this social media post is not accurate.”

Crucial quote

Before departing for his visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday, Trump rambled again about the conspiracy theory, claiming a person, who he did not name, on a plane said their “entire plane filled up with the looters, the anarchists, rioters, people looking for trouble.”

Tangent

Trump’s “deep shadows” comment delighted QAnon supporters online, who scour the internet for clues to validate their conspiracy theory and took to Twitter to muse what the president had meant by the comment. 

Surprising fact

The Trump campaign has tried to paint as mentally fickle and at the behest of outside, radical forces for months. Before departing for Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that Biden “doesn’t know he’s alive.”

Further reading

Trump References ‘Dark Shadows’ At Protests, Compares Jacob Blake Shooting To Golfing Error In ‘Truly Nuts’ Interview (Forbes)

Trump’s ‘plane loaded with thugs’ conspiracy theory matches months-old rumor (NBC News)