State Republican parties have been tweeting in support of QAnon, Holocaust deniers, and spreading 'false flag' lies about the Capitol siege. This isn't the 'fringe.' This is the new GOP normal. — Anthony L. Fisher, Business Insider Politics Columnist
State Republican parties have been tweeting in support of QAnon, Holocaust deniers, and spreading 'false flag' lies about the Capitol siege. This isn't the 'fringe.' This is the new GOP normal. — Anthony L. Fisher, Business Insider Politics Columnist
Trump's gone, but the GOP's conspiracy theory cesspool is here to stay
  • Trump hasn't even been gone a week, but conspiracy theory culture is still clearly the base of the GOP.
  • State Republican parties have been tweeting in support of QAnon, Holocaust deniers, and spreading "false flag" lies about the Capitol siege.
  • Rand Paul pushed election fraud lies on national TV, and Tucker Carlson implied that QAnon criticism is a Democratic attempt at mind control.
  • This isn't the "fringe." This is the new GOP normal.
The conspiracy vice-grip on the GOP isn't just coming from the top. A bunch of State Republican parties ought to just do away with the charade, ditch the elephant as its logo, and replace it with a regal Q or a stout MAGA hat.

... One of these things could be seen as an aberration, maybe two. But even without presidential power and without Twitter, Trumpism lives on as conspiracy theory culture.

And now this culture is the Republican mainstream.

... Republicans uncomfortable with being in league with toxic lies need to forcefully, and repeatedly, denounce it. They need to confront their colleagues who continue to play footsie with maniacal fabulists. Or they should just abandon the GOP to MAGA and start a reality-based right-leaning party.

Until then, it's still Trump's party, built on a paranoid conspiracy theory culture.
Read the full article: https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-qanon-maga-paranoid-conspiracy-theory-tucker-carlson-rand-paul-2021-1