A willingness to support Republican President Donald Trump often went hand-in-hand with one's ability to accept somewhat insane conspiracy theories.
That continues to be true even now that Trump has left office.
In the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection—during which Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building to stop the certification of Joe Biden's election victory and potentially harm lawmakers and Vice President Pence—some Trump supporters are spreading the rumor one of the rioters was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in disguise.
The strange conspiracy theory—which never did make much sense—was quickly debunked by Snopes.
The conspiracy theorists were mocked by just about everyone else on Twitter.
Many people suggested other, similarly believable conspiracy theories.
The depth of misinformation in the United States is a truly daunting hurdle.
Snopes wrote of the conspiracy theory:
"Despite the fact that the person photographed holding the Trump flag and the teenage activist had notable differences in their facial shapes and structures, we looked for any evidence to support the claim that Thunberg was a member of the crowd. We found none."
"For argument's sake, had she dressed up as a Trump supporter and participated in the siege to try to overthrow Biden's presidential win (for whatever reason), the discovery would not likely emerge first as an uncredited meme, but rather as a major news story from a reputable source, considering Thunberg's prominence."
Once-fringe conspiracy theories were elevated to the mainstream during Trump's Presidency due to his disregard for facts and it will likely take significant time and effort to repair the public's perception of reality.
