GOP Sen. Ron Johnson admits there is 'a real possibility' the evidence he used to stoke rumors of an FBI 'secret society' was a joke

FBI.
(Image credit: YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images)

A deep state "secret society" referenced in a text message between senior FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page might have been meant as a joke, the conspiracy theory's instigator, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), admitted on Thursday.

Johnson, along with an army of conservative commentators, have been claiming that the text between Strzok and Page is proof of an FBI conspiracy against the president. A message from Page sent the day after President Trump was elected read: "Are you even going to give out your calendars? Seems kind of depressing. Maybe it should just be the first meeting of the secret society." The message has "no apparent tie to other messages sent before or after it," ABC News said.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.