President Trump has exhibited a yearslong pattern of directly espousing or leaning into conspiracy theories, often those that smear his political opponents or critics.
Trump’s Long History With Conspiracy Theories
Person: Donald Trump
FactChecking Trump’s Immunity Claims
President Trump said that once he came down with COVID-19, people for partisan reasons shifted from saying immunity was lifelong to saying it lasted only a few months. Experts haven’t changed their estimates.
Trump’s False Claims About Biden Wealth, Recovery Wishes
At a rally in North Carolina, President Donald Trump claimed Joe Biden lives in “beautiful houses all over the place” and must be “corrupt” to afford such a lifestyle. Biden owns two homes and had some lucrative years in the private sector.
Deceptive Trump Ad Attacks Biden on Guns
A Trump campaign ad uses an out-of-context video clip to claim Joe Biden confirmed he will come for the guns of Americans if he’s elected president. In the unedited video, Biden was talking about his opposition to so-called “assault weapons” — not all firearms.
FactChecking Trump’s Town Hall
In an Oct. 15 town hall on NBC News, President Donald Trump made false and misleading claims on the coronavirus, the economy and more.
Conspiracy Theory Baselessly Claims Biden Had Navy SEALs Killed
A viral conspiracy theory spread across social media baselessly claims former Vice President Joe Biden “had SEAL Team 6 killed” as part of a cover-up after a purportedly failed assassination of Osama bin Laden. President Donald Trump shared the unfounded theory on Twitter.
Trump Revives False Narrative on Biden and Ukraine
At a campaign rally in Iowa, President Trump cited an unsubstantiated news report to revive a widely debunked false narrative about Joe Biden’s work in Ukraine on behalf of the Obama administration.
Trump’s Exaggerated Claims on Biden and Pharma in Puerto Rico
At a rally in Sanford, Florida, President Trump made the exaggerated claim that his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, “voted to obliterate” Puerto Rico’s pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
Trump Distorts WHO’s Lockdown Comments
At campaign rallies and in tweets, President Trump falsely said the World Health Organization changed its position and “admitted that Donald Trump was right” about lockdowns. But the agency has said no such thing.
Meme Spreads Misinformation on Presidential Endorsements
A widely shared meme misrepresents Joe Biden’s endorsements. Biden hasn’t been endorsed by antifa or the Black Lives Matter organization, though BLM co-founders support him. And while President Donald Trump has been endorsed by the major law enforcement groups, Biden has received the backing of some law enforcement officials.