Been a minute since we went down 🧵memory lane🧵
In what feels like ancient history, about a week ago left-leaning commentators advanced a conspiracy theory that white supremacists were the cause of violent riots that gripped the country.
Don’t remember? Well, here’s a THREAD.
In what feels like ancient history, about a week ago left-leaning commentators advanced a conspiracy theory that white supremacists were the cause of violent riots that gripped the country.
Don’t remember? Well, here’s a THREAD.
This all started because MN officials, most notably @GovTimWalz, claimed to be looking into unconfirmed reports. America’s most foolish-looking mayor, @MayorFrey, took up the charge too.
Then the commentariat took these unconfirmed reports and wished them into existence.
Then the commentariat took these unconfirmed reports and wished them into existence.
@JoyAnnReid really led the charge on this one, suggesting it was these mystery white nationalists who were burning down Minneapolis, absent all evidence.
Like everything else, this became Trump’s fault.
Like everything else, this became Trump’s fault.
But it wasn’t just Reid. Here’s @MarkHarrisNYC.
The second part of his hypothesis was, to anyone with eyes, proven to be inaccurate. Without any recognition from those who advanced the conspiracy theory.
The second part of his hypothesis was, to anyone with eyes, proven to be inaccurate. Without any recognition from those who advanced the conspiracy theory.
@keithellison was also a key cheerleader, spending time on tv and sharing this story from @VICE that draws a master narrative from some angry people on the internet and wearing Hawaiian shirts.
Here’s Pulitzer Prize winner and invented history expert @nhannahjones pushing this same theory.
Speaking of Pulitzers, here’s @DavidCayJ. Still no evidence supporting this one.
@tariqnasheed was among the worst pushers of this conspiracy theory, including a pretty shameful suggestion that David Dorn was killed by white supremacists, which has since proven not to be the case.
Here’s noted conspiracy monger @jonathanchait
We’ll pause here to point out that even @splcenter, no friend of conservatives, pointed out that there wasn’t any evidence of white supremacists. But our true believers wouldn’t let simple facts stand in their way!
@rezaaslan, whose grip on reality is tenuous at best, went a step further, asserting that it was Trump supporters behind the burning and looting.
Perhaps my favorite is this report from @dailykos which points to three dudes in Hawaiian shirts as its grand conspiracy.
Obligatory @SethAbramson post.
@DeanObeidallah joins the blame this one on Trump bandwagon, citing the same @VICE report lacking evidence.
@WalshFreedom would like you all to forget about his racist tweets please.
Not sure I would call this a “must read” @MalcolmNance.
Here’s @AdamParkhomenko, suggesting a grand conspiracy behind all of this, with DOJ covering for white supremacists.
Here’s @peterdaou, who also lionizes antifa.
It wouldn’t be a bad take thread without @CheriJacobus in the mix, who also accuses @MZHemingway (??) and @FDRLST (??) of being white supremacists, because words don’t matter to some people anymore.
@PalmerReport comes in even and reasonable as always.
Lot of media folks with some pretty mind-bending both-sidesism here, without considering that perhaps AG Barr didn’t push their preferred narrative because it was a baseless conspiracy. @joshscampbell @MSignorile @CapehartJ
Running out of room and patience, so here’s @robrousseau, @katystoll, @jameelajamil (??) and @SimonWDC
I hope @joncoopertweets understands why reasonable people didn’t take this conspiracy seriously to begin with.
This is black-helicopters-level stuff, being pushed by people in positions of power.
I’m not naive enough to expect some kind of mea culpa - the absence of them is why I do these threads - but if we’re gonna address conspiracy theories writ large, the left’s matter too.
I’m not naive enough to expect some kind of mea culpa - the absence of them is why I do these threads - but if we’re gonna address conspiracy theories writ large, the left’s matter too.
Couldn’t fit in the thread but honorable mention to @JYSexton for this one.
It was, in fact, paranoia.
It was, in fact, paranoia.
