Former President Trump and Other Politicians Also Join In
As COVID-19 resurges, conspiracy theories that had surfaced across American society are making a comeback.
On the 11th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported that as COVID-19 cases rise again in the United States, conspiracy theories and baseless claims are spreading once more. The outlet noted that among the reasons behind the increase in COVID-19 cases are conspiracy theories suggesting political manipulation or the possibility of a second large-scale lockdown for disease control, similar to that in 2020.
According to Pyrra, a company that monitors various online conspiracy theories, since last month, far-right websites have widely used terms like "plandemic" and "scamdemic."
These two words, a blend of "pandemic"?meaning a worldwide outbreak of disease?and "plan" or "scam," imply that the U.S. government is deliberately spreading COVID-19 again.
Spreading COVID-19 to 'Hide War Preparations and Divert Attention from the Election'?
In 2020, a protest against mandatory mask-wearing took place in Austin, Texas, USA. [Image source=Yonhap News]
In fact, Jack Posobiec, a broadcaster influential among American far-right circles, has claimed that the U.S. government, preparing for war with Russia, spread COVID-19 to divert the public's attention.
Currently, among the American far-right, a conspiracy theory is spreading that President Joe Biden plans to declare war on Russia to secure victory in his reelection bid. This represents an evolution of existing conspiracy theories intertwined with the phenomenon of COVID-19's resurgence.
Some politicians are also stoking anxiety by mentioning the possibility of large-scale lockdown measures for disease control.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently linked the resurgence of COVID-19 to next year's presidential election on Truth Social.
He emphasized, "Left-wing lunatics are trying to induce social fear of COVID-19 variants to reinstate large-scale lockdowns," adding, "The election is coming soon."
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican House Representative and close ally of former President Trump, also claimed that the Democratic Party is exaggerating the COVID-19 situation to divert public attention amid unfavorable election circumstances.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a political newcomer running in the Republican presidential primary, stated, "I oppose mask mandates and vaccine requirements," and added, "Large-scale lockdowns must never be implemented again."
Meanwhile, political figures in the U.S. are not immune to the COVID-19 resurgence.
Rich Torres, a Democratic House Representative from New York, announced on the 11th that he tested positive for COVID-19 in a morning test. On the 10th, Senator Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, Illinois) disclosed her positive COVID-19 status. Additionally, Senators Dick Durbin (Democrat, Illinois) and Chris Murphy (Democrat, Connecticut) have recently contracted COVID-19.
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