Conspiracy Theories have never exerted a greater influence over the American psyche than they do right now. The theories that grab hold and spread each say something important about the country, and even the wildest claims can shape the course of history.
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At the height of the Birther Movement, more than half of conservatives believed that Barack Obama was an illegitimate President - born outside of the United States. The conspiracy’s loudest advocate, Donald Trump, strategically deployed Birtherism to build a base that would propel him to the White House. Race, polarization, cutthroat politics, and Conspiracy’s power to change history are all on display in the series premiere. -
Millions of Americans still believe, despite overwhelming evidence, that their own government destroyed the World Trade Center Towers on 9/11. The theory first emerged soon after the attacks but didn’t take hold until years later, with the advent of Conspiracy’s most powerful tool: Social Media. The 9/11 “Truther” movement was both a harbinger and a training ground for modern conspiracy - from Plandemic to QAnon. -
In 1996, the San Jose Mercury News released an explosive story alleging that the CIA helped spread cocaine through Los Angeles during the height of the crack epidemic. The story sparked outrage within the Black Community, but it was also attacked as shoddy journalism by some of the country’s most powerful newspapers. We untangle what was real, what wasn’t, and why it was so easy for Black Americans to believe they were being poisoned by their own government.
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For three decades, Bill and Hillary Clinton were a controversial but dominant presence in American politics. They were also the nation’s greatest lightning rod for Conspiracy. We witness the rise of polarization, the internet, and social media through the lens of the Clinton Conspiracies. Jeffrey Epstein, Vladimir Putin, Roger Stone, Sean Hannity, Julian Assange, Steve Bannon… Citizens United, Russian Interference, and QAnon - much of the country’s recent history ties back in one way or the other to “The Clinton Body Count.” -
At first, QAnon seemed ridiculous. The theory that the world is secretly run by an evil cadre of pedophilic satanists - from Barack Obama to Tom Hanks - who will be swept up by Donald Trump in an impending purge known as The Great Awakening. It was almost funny. But with millions of followers and multiple seats in Congress now held by QAnon sympathizers, this Conspiracy cannot be ignored. And when Q Anon members stormed the Nation’s Capital, no one was laughing anymore. We explore the darkest corners of the social internet, uncovering the convergence of conspiracy and cult. -
Covid-19 is Conspiracy’s Perfect Storm - Massive upheaval, scientific uncertainty, facts obscured by partisan interest, and a populous feeling helpless in the face of world events. From President Trump to the Anti-Vaxx movement, we seek to understand why the country was so primed for an eruption of counterfactual theories. And we use the many variations of CoVid Conspiracy as a way to explore the psychology of Conspiracy thinking itself, where nefarious plots can often be both simpler and more empowering than the truth.
Featured in this promo:
Michael Isikoff
NYT Bestselling Author, Chief Investigative Correspondent for Yahoo News
Anthony Zurcher
BBC News
Andrew Marantz
New Yorker Magazine, Author of Antisocial
Emily K. Vraga, Ph.D.
Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota
Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post, The Undefeated
