Top 10 Conspiracy Theories About Presidents
#10: Obama Is Not a Natural Born Citizen
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Barack Obama was subjected to many questions regarding his citizenship and birthplace. Article Two of the Constitution claims that only natural-born citizens of the United States are eligible to become president. To discredit Obama’s presidency, many racists and Republicans promulgated the belief that he was not a natural-born citizen - and this group was called “the Birther Movement.” The funny thing is, no one could really agree on the nature of his supposed citizenship. Some claim he was actually born in Kenya, while others asserted that he was a dual citizen and therefore ineligible to become president. Those are just two of many unfounded theories. Numerous official documents - including Obama’s own birth certificate - have proven that he was born in Hawaii.
#9: The Business Plot
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The frustrating thing about the Business Plot is that we don’t know how much of it is true. Also known as The Wall Street Putsch, the Business Plot was revealed by a retired Marine Corps Major General named Smedley Butler. According to him, rich industrialists of the United States were planning on overthrowing President Roosevelt and installing Butler as a fascist dictator. Many media companies dismissed the allegation, but Butler later testified before the House of Representatives, who found his claims to be at least partly true. Modern historians tend to agree that a coup was likely contemplated but that it was never even close to being properly executed.
#8: The 1980 October Surprise
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In politics, an October Surprise is a huge news story that occurs right before an election and potentially changes its outcome. In 1980, there was no October Surprise. Then again, that might have been by design. The 1980 election was between incumbent President Jimmy Carter and eventual winner Ronald Reagan. Just minutes after Reagan’s inaugural address, the famous Iran Hostage Crisis - as depicted in the movie “Argo” - finally came to an end and the American hostages were released. The conspiracy theory claims that the Reagan Administration offered Iran weapons in exchange for keeping the hostages until after the election. That way, they weren’t freed during Carter’s tenure, thereby robbing him of the credit and a spectacular October Surprise.
#7: The Majestic 12
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The existence of UFOs is arguably the biggest conspiracy theory of our time, and the Majestic 12 is directly linked to it. Back in 1947 - the same year as the famous Roswell incident - President Harry S. Truman supposedly started a committee known as The Majestic 12. This committee was allegedly made up of many powerful figures, including military leaders and high-ranking government officials, and they were tasked with investigating recovered UFOs. The FBI has publicly denied the existence of the Majestic 12, and even ufologists don’t believe it to be real. Regardless, some conspiracy theorists continue to believe in its historic authenticity.
#6: Biden-Ukraine
Presidential elections really are cutthroat. During the 2020 election, some people - including incumbent President Donald Trump - hoped to derail Joe Biden’s campaign by spreading a conspiracy theory. According to this one, Biden protected his son Hunter by participating in international corruption and having a Ukrainian prosecutor fired. The prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, was indeed fired back in 2016, and Biden did indeed take credit for his role in the termination. However, these were in accordance with bipartisan policy, and the American government worked alongside the European Union and the World Bank in having Shokin fired. These events were later warped and misrepresented as a conspiracy theory, which claimed that Biden had Shokin fired for personal reasons.
#5: The Deep State
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This conspiracy theory has been around for decades, but it gained widespread popularity during the presidential tenure of Donald Trump. The general gist is that hidden figures in high-power positions secretly control the American government. The President and his administration are just stooges or figureheads, and the real power rests with these shadowy officials. Trump personally addressed the supposed Deep State and claimed that they were working against him, but many others have professed that there is no Deep State and never has been. Americans aren’t convinced. By looking at various polls, it’s obvious that a number of citizens believe in at least some semblance of a Deep State.
#4: The Clinton Body Count
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Some political conspiracy theories are harmless, and maybe even fun. Others are a little darker. This rather macabre theory posits that Bill and Hillary Clinton have had numerous people assassinated, with the supposed body count reaching as high as fifty. This theory has been around since the ‘90s and was made popular by a documentary called “The Clinton Chronicles.” The deaths of many public figures have been supposedly linked to the Clintons, including that of Jeffrey Epstein. Upon Epstein’s death, President Trump acknowledged the existence of the conspiracy theory by tweeting “#ClintonBodyCount.”
#3: The JFK Assassination
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Here we have the most popular conspiracy theory in American politics - and maybe even American history. As everyone knows, John F. Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963. But not everybody actually believe that. Literally countless conspiracy theories have been formed to explain the assassination, including cover-ups, multiple shooters, and even the involvement of the American government. No one knows what actually happened - they just don’t buy the official story. These theories were bolstered in 1979 when the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded that a conspiracy had taken place. This belief continues to hold true, with up to three-quarters of Americans believing in the conspiracy.
#2: QAnon
Originating in 2017, QAnon has been described as a far-right cult that propagates conspiracy theories surrounding President Donald Trump. According to QAnon, Trump’s presidency was disrupted by a secret cabal of Satanic cannibals and predators. These predators supposedly run a global trafficking ring and consist of many powerful and public figures, including business tycoons, government figures, and even major celebrities. The movement was born on 4chan, grew on 8chan, and eventually broke into the mainstream. Trump himself even interacted with QAnon accounts through Twitter, which of course made it even more popular.
#1: The Stolen Election
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The story of QAnon culminates in the conspiracy theory of the stolen election. This is perhaps the biggest political story of the 21st century, and it starts after Joe Biden was declared President in November 2020. Deeply unhappy with the results, Donald Trump did not go quietly into that political good night. Rather, he and his supporters spread baseless conspiracy theories claiming that the election had been manipulated and rigged. Many dismissed the claims - even some of those within Trump’s campaign staff. It culminated in the historic attack on the Capitol, in which a legion of Trump supporters stormed the building. Extensive damage was caused, five people died, and hundreds of others were injured.
