Trump's 'dark shadows' conspiracy theory is evolving, but CNN still calls it 'almost too dumb to fact-check'
President Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Monday that people "in the dark shadows" were controlling Joe Biden and that "thugs" wearing "black uniforms with gear and this and that" had flown to Washington, D.C., over the weekend to cause damage. "Lacking details, the fantastical tale took on the wild, conspiratorial tone of a subversive Reddit subchannel or a foreign government's disinformation campaign," David Nakamura notes at The Washington Post.
Trump's tale is "almost too stupid to fact-check," CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale said Tuesday. "I mean, when you have Fox's Laura Ingraham telling you it sounds like a conspiracy theory, it's probably a conspiracy theory."
Trump elaborated Tuesday, changing some significant details.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Not only were the uniformed antifa "looters" now traveling from Washington "to wherever," not to Washington, the details were secret because Trump hadn't gotten permission from the purported first-hand witness, not because they are "under investigation." The president's story, in fact, closely resembles a Facebook post from an Idaho man who falsely claimed June 1 that a plane full of black-clad Seattle antifa guys had landed in Boise to attack downtown and residential areas.
"It turns out there's a strong possibility the president got suckered by a months-old internet rumor that's been making the rounds among right-wing paranoid Facebook users," MSNBC's Chris Hayes said Tuesday night. NBC News reporter Ben Collins detailed the flood of social media rumors that have drawn heavily armed groups to downtowns across the country to battle antifa attacks that never materialized. "Look, its really easy to laugh at this whole idea that, like, antifa is taking over an airline," wearing identifying tattoos and dressed in uniform, Collins said, "but this is corrupting the intelligence pipeline to the president."
If Trump "really wants to quell the unrest, he can start by dealing with facts and not these conspiracy theories," Collins said. White House spokeswoman Sarah Matthews told the Post that Trump is merely raising questions about "who may be funding travel and lodging for organized rioters," and "an investigation is underway."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How will Israel respond to Iran's direct attack?
Speed Read Iran’s weekend attack on Israel could escalate into a wider Middle East war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US, Israel brace for Iran retaliatory strikes
Speed Read An Iranian attack on Israel is believed to be imminent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress honors real-life Rosie the Riveters
Speed Read These American women reshaped the work force during World War II
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Outgunned Ukraine could fall, US general warns
Speed Read Without more US aid, Ukraine is at risk of losing the war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
House GOP scuttles FISA vote at Trump's urging
Speed Read Right-wing lawmakers blocked Speaker Mike Johnson's surveillance bill
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published