Trump spins tale of ‘ thugs’ flying to protests
CHICAGO — President Donald Trump is recycling a baseless conspiracy theory to claim that recent protests have been orchestrated by powerful people in “dark shadows” intent on undermining his re- election prospects.
The claims first took root on Facebook and Twitter earlier this year after racial justice protests swelled across the country following the deaths of Black Americans in police custody. Thousands of social media users shared posts suggesting a covert network was coordinating the protests and rioters were descending on communities across the country.
Mr. Trump appeared to amplify those unfounded conspiracy theories in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham that aired Monday night, suggesting that protests in Washington during the Republican National Convention were orchestrated by unspecified forces.
“We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend. And in the plane, it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear and this and that,” said Mr. Trump, adding that the matter is under investigation.
When asked by reporters Tuesday for additional details on his assertion, Mr. Trump said someone else witnessed the activity and he would have to check to see if that person was willing to speak with news media.
Vice President Mike Pence was asked in an interview Tuesday evening to explain what the president was talking about.
“Well, I think what the president’s referring to is actually what we heard in many of the cities. I know in Detroit there were a large number of arrests several weeks ago and the vast majority of people were from out of state. The same thing occurred in arrests that took place in recent cities,” Mr. Pence said on Fox News Channel’s“Special Report with Bret Baier.”
The president has a history of elevating conspiracy theories from his powerful podium, sometimes amplifying Twitter posts to his 85.6 million followers or dropping references to debunked claims in interviews.
Mr. Trump’s allies have ramped up their efforts to push similar uncorroborated theories over the past week.
During the RNC, his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani claimed that “Black Lives Matter and antifa sprang into action” and “hijacked” peaceful protests. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky called on the FBI to investigate protests outside of the RNC in Washington last week, describing it as “an organized interstate racket.”