How the far-right media bubble failed Donald Trump

By ensconcing himself in the comfort of friendly — and increasingly conspiracy-driven — media, the former president is stuck in a feedback loop of his own making

Illustration of Donald Trump with a television-shaped head
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

When Donald Trump during last week's presidential debate erupted with the baseless assertion that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were "eating the pets" of local residents (city officials and local law enforcement have vehemently denied the allegation) it may have seemed to many casual viewers like a jarring non sequitur as unexpected as it was baffling. For viewers familiar with the nebulous online ecosystem of ultra-conservative media and MAGA digital influencers, however, Trump's claim was much less of a shock. To those viewers, it was the inevitable endpoint for a piece of evidence-less internet lore that had spent days burning its way up the ladder of the far-right blogosphere. Starting as a post in a local Facebook group "based entirely on third-hand hearsay" said NewsGuard, which traced the claim to its source, the allegation was quickly amplified by figures like Elon Musk, vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and ultimately Trump himself.

In the days following last week's debate, Trump's invocation of the pet-eating myth has become a meme, complete with humorous remixes and even a tongue-in-cheek shout-out from President Joe Biden. Perhaps more importantly, the episode offered a crucial peek into how Trump has ensconced himself in a conservative media bubble, highlighting the risk of shaping his worldview and electoral messaging on a notoriously closed loop.

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Rafi Schwartz, The Week US

Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.