In the mainstream media’s telling, conspiracy theories are something that belong almost exclusively to the media’s enemies on the political right. The COVID-19 pandemic helped make this framing more popular among liberals. Today, progressives often belittle, mock, and sneer at their conservative friends and family members for supposedly believing in kooky, fringe ideas.
Indeed, I talked yesterday about one liberal thinker, a former Obama speechwriter, admitting that he used to snub a more conservative leaning family member for disagreeing with him about vaccines.
But I’m here to tell you that it’s not just those zany right-wingers who believe in crazy conspiracy theories. Elite, smart, morally praiseworthy liberals fall for insane ideas, too. And here’s a perfect example: Joyce Carol Oates, a well-known and popular author and teacher of creative writing, and a card-carrying member of the liberal establishment.
Joyce Carol Oates seems like exactly the kind of person who would shun a rightwing family member for being wrong about COVID, or Trump, or any number of subjects: you name it. But does Joyce Carol Oates admit to believing some kooky things? Of course not. And yet look what she wrote on X yesterday, on the first anniversary of the Trump assassination.
“While anyone from a shy child to a Green Beret veteran would duck down immediately in a panic, shrink away from having been struck in the head (by a pebble, let alone a bullet), instead [Trump] stood up proudly & raised his fist for photographers, without hesitation,” she wrote. “Is it unreasonable to assume that only a person absolutely certain that there would be but a single shot, that he was not in any danger, could possibly behave as [Trump] behaved? Yet the media would have the public believe this. as if it’s some sort of insider joke or code like pro wrestling kayfabe where, though you know wrestling is scripted, you must not say so, nor will anyone else.”
In other words, she thinks the Trump assassination was a false flag operation. Trump or his supporters, she is saying, arranged for a fake assassination in order to garner sympathy for Trump and orchestrate the legendary photo of him bravely standing up and raising his fist, for political advantage.
And if you don’t think it’s clear she’s saying that, her follow-up tweets remove any doubt.
“It seemed rehearsed, the positioning of officers to allow a hokey publicity shot of [Trump] with a fist raised for a MAGA poster,” she wrote. “The call ‘shooter down!’ certainly came quickly; how could anyone possibly know that there wasn’t a second shooter? Secret Service would surely be more thorough.” She then added: then added: “impossible to believe that in the confusion & panic of that moment anyone in his right mind would wish to stand up & face another bullet.”
The attempt on President Trump’s life, one year ago in Butler, Pa., was not staged. It was real. It was perpetrated by a deranged gunman, who wounded Trump in the ear.
But for the grace of God — or some higher power, or fate, or sheer dumb luck — Trump narrowly avoided being killed. A man in the crowd behind the president, Corey Comperatore, was not so lucky. The devoted husband and father died because someone tried to kill Trump.
It’s not fake. It’s not made up. It’s not part of some plot. It wasn’t intended to be a photo op or a campaign tactic. How Trump reacted in the moment was real, and did in fact show real courage. You can certainly be mad that it helped him politically — that the way he handled the situation resonated with, and impressed, many Americans. But you can’t deny that it was real.
If you do, then you are a conspiracy theorist. Oates ought to know better — but this radar isn’t really about her.
Forget Q-Anon. This is BlueAnon. And it’s just as false and harmful and offensive.
Robbie Soave is co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising” and a senior editor for Reason Magazine. This column is an edited transcription of his on-air commentary.
