Why do so many people lie? Some tell white lies while others insist on spreading big fat whoppers. Too many like to lie, including politicians who in some cases do it while they are looking at your eye to eye, while others know they are liars and hide from the truth.
According to research, conspiracy theories have long been a staple of American political culture, no research has systematically examined the nature of their support in the mass public. Using four nationally representative surveys, sampled between 2006 and 2011, half of the American public consistently endorses at least one conspiracy theory and that many popular conspiracy theories are differentiated along ideological and anomic dimensions.
It is not a product of greater authoritarianism, ignorance, or political conservatism. Rather, the likelihood of supporting conspiracy theories is strongly predicted by a willingness to believe in other unseen, intentional forces and an attraction to Manichean narratives. These findings both demonstrate the widespread allure of conspiracy theories as political explanations and offer new perspectives on the forces that shape mass opinion and American political culture.
"The greatest trick the president and elites who support him ever pulled was convincing a large swath of the American public that they aren’t members of the ruling class," Trump Is the Most Powerful Member of the Ruling Class - The Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/08/most-powerful-member-…
Analysis: The president likes to say that his tariffs are hurting China and no one else. But if China is feeling the pain, so will the United States. What Trump Doesn’t Get About the Chinese Economy. The president likes to say that his tariffs are hurting China and no one else. But if China is feeling the pain, so will the United States.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/21/trump-china-economy-…
Here's a list of some honors Trump has claimed to have won over the years. “Does Donald Trump believe it's true, or does he just think we’re all stupid?” Donald Trump makes up a lot of awards https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/donald-trump-makes-up-a-lot-of-award…
Conspiracy theories can have dangerous consequences. Here’s why experts say we can no longer ignore them
https://time.com/5541411/conspiracy-theories-domestic-terrorism/