Speaking during a rally in Branson, Missouri that's part of the ReAwaken America Tour, Eric Trump had critics rolling their eyes after he claimed he's "not the tinfoil hat-wearing guy" while launching into a slew of very tinfoil hat-wearing guy grievances about Democrats.
Trump's claim was even more ludicrous when you consider the ReAwaken America Tour is a series of events organized by far-right activists amplifying baseless claims about the integrity of the 2020 general election as well as the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Reawaken America tour has attracted any number of conspiracy theorists—par adherents to the QAnon conspiracy theory—who allege Democrats are part of a Satan-worshipping, baby-eating global pedophile ring that conspired against Eric Trump's father—former Republican President Donald Trump—during his time in office,
You can hear what Eric Trump said in the video below.
\u201cAt the QAnon conference today, Eric Trump says Democrats \u201cwant to destroy christianity, destroy our families, our children, our history. Guys, this is a cognizant (?) war in this country. I don\u2019t say that lightly. I\u2019m not the tinfoil hat-wearing guy.\u201d\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1667596336
Eric Trump said:
“It’s unthinkable what these people [Democrats]are doing to this nation."
“The way they want to destroy Christianity, the way they want to destroy our families, the way they’re destroying our children, the way they’re destroying our history, the way they’re rewriting our textbooks–guys, this is a cognizant war in this country!”
“I’m not like the tinfoil hat-wearing guy."
"But if anybody thinks that they’re not weaponizing every single one of these systems—there’s only one party that’s weaponizing the systems.”
His comments were immediately scorned.
Many accused Eric Trump of calling for violence.
\u201cIf the Republicans win Tuesday, it will be Idiocracy. Fascist idiocracy, but idiocracy nonetheless.\u201d— BillCody\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@BillCody\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1667657742
\u201cIf someone is not a "tin-foil hat-wearing guy," what is he doing as a featured speaker at a QAnon conference?\u201d— David Axelrod (@David Axelrod) 1667646702
He’s literally at a QAnon conference 😂 https://t.co/F7bRltzd35
— Kelly D (@KellDA) November 5, 2022
Ummm aren’t these the folk who invented the tinfoil hats? #VoteBlue https://t.co/48iS9cODIQ
— Christina Lesyk (@ChristinaLesyk) November 5, 2022
When you say you’re “not the tinfoil hat-wearing guy,” you are definitely the tinfoil hat-wearing guy https://t.co/dWezuva5yf
— Lauren Wolfe (@Wolfe321) November 5, 2022
All lies. This is how you promote fear mongering propaganda. How you get weak followers to Believe a guy who never goes to church or has any culture that they are trying to destroy them, Christianity and culture. Nazi playbook https://t.co/RNodkVh5K9
— Kronos ⚓️ 🇺🇦🇨🇺🇺🇸 (@TitanTOC) November 5, 2022
Only because he can’t pronounce “aluminum.” https://t.co/zySJ6TQO3O
— Sophie Is Mad as Hell 🤬🤬 (@Sophieresists) November 5, 2022
Sedition is the message.
Violence is the @GOP end goal. https://t.co/5cBk3SmdeD
— Jeff Allen (@DragunovJ0768) November 6, 2022
At what point do you call it incitement to insurrection? I mean, we’ve already seen this, haven’t we? https://t.co/cqZhHz7Z8i
— Dawn (@Alba_Dawn) November 5, 2022
Trump has made headlines numerous times over the last few years for promoting conspiracy theories.
In May 2020, Trump said on Fox News that stay-at-home orders to combat the spread of COVID-19 were a strategy by the Democrats and the Joe Biden campaign intended to prevent his father from being re-elected by depriving him of the ability to conduct large campaign rallies.
He went on to accuse Democrats of "milking" COVID-19 lockdowns, adding that after Election Day, "coronavirus will magically all of a sudden go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen."
Perhaps most notably, Trump has aided his father's efforts to subvert the will of the American electorate and remain in power following the 2020 general election.
Following the storming of the United States Capitol—which took place after a mob of his father's supporters attacked the nation's seat of government on the false premise that the election had been stolen—Trump advanced the conspiracy theory that people associated with "antifa activists" were responsible for the attack.
