As an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy for my entire life, I don’t recall reading about a culture that lied its way into extinction. We may be the first, and in our case, it won’t be the prophetic vision of some writer warning us of the dangers of broadcasting unsourced fables, we’ll just up and self-destruct like an engine would if you told it it had plenty of motor oil but in reality never put any in it. Physical reality can only be pushed so far and then the laws of physics kick in. The rest of life is not so different.
Right now we’ve seen another Joe Biden conspiracy theory come and go within the space of an hour. Long story short, one of MAGA’s professional liars started a rumor that President Biden had experienced a medical crisis while aboard Air Force One. Then Mike Lee and Elon Musk jumped in and they had “questions.” Well, guys, maybe not ask those questions to people who lie for a living because you might not get accurate answers.
Three prominent MAGA influencers — Monica Crowley, host of the Monica Crowley Podcast, Laura Loomer, of Loomer Unleashed, and Dinesh D’Souza of the Dinesh D’Souza podcast — wrote on X that Biden was reportedly experiencing a mid-air medical emergency.
“Joe Biden is reportedly having a medical emergency on Air Force One right now,” wrote Loomer.
“Press access has been removed.”
Social media being what it is, the unfounded report gained legs — with X and Tesla head honcho Elon Musk and Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah falling for the false report.
“If Biden is having a medical emergency at this moment — on board Air Force One or otherwise — that raises … a lot of questions,” Lee tweeted.
Musk simply responded to Loomer: “!!”
The report was, however, “100% false,” wrote White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates.
To boot, multiple photos and videos showed the president exiting the airplane looking a-okay, and the White House pool report said the president’s motorcade stopped outside Biden’s home in Wilmington around 7:50 p.m.
Critics turned on the MAGA hoax-spreaders, with Yashar Ali firing back: “If Joe Biden were having a medical emergency on Air Force One you would not be finding out from Laura Loomer and Monica Crawley.”
“Stop getting your news from random clowns on here,” wrote “@AGHamilton29. “Here is Biden arriving in Delaware via Forbes. He isn’t on Air Force One. There is no evidence of a medical emergency.”
“No he isn’t,” wrote @stclairashley. “Stop repeating this garbage and then wondering why people call you a conspiracy peddler.”
“All of you convinced there was a medical emergency on Air Force One should rethink where you get your news from,” wrote conservative commentator Erick Erickson.
Laura Loomer is looking for a position as Donald Trump’s White House press secretary. I don’t think that the truth will ever survive that kind of a debacle, should it come to pass. She evidently started this mess, then D’Souza picked up on it and then it developed a life of its own as these things often do.
And if you’ve got a sense of deja vu, yes, you have seen this before. In 2016 supposedly Hillary Clinton was “hiding” and that was because she was concealing everything from pneumonia to a brain tumor. It turned out later that she did in fact have some fleeting bronchial malady but not before she was predicted to be at death’s door with at least one foot over the threshold.
Expect more of this. The right-wing fake news media machine depends upon ginned up hysteria for its very survival. And the cynical mainstream media is not that far behind. If I receive more one more forwarded article on how Kamala Harris will make a fine replacement candidate atop the Democratic ticket I’m going to have a medical crisis myself. Remember that movie, Scanners? That’s what I envision happening.
Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee. Joe Biden will win reelection. Donald Trump has done nothing to undo his egregious time in office and the idea that he’s just going to sail to reelection on a glide path is nonsense. But it is nonsense that so many people who write about politics want you to believe, because that’s how they make their living, by stirring up controversy which results in clicks and engagement.
The silver lining to this cloud, as always, is that if people are half scared out of their wits that Trump might win, that should get them to the polls.
Those who live in fear, like the saying goes…die a thousand deaths…the brave only die once.