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Seen, Heard, Read...
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Stay informed with our curated collection of noteworthy updates and insights from the world of conspiracy theories. Uncover the latest trends, explore intriguing perspectives, and broaden your understanding. Delve into our recommended content that keeps you in the know.
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Declassification of JFK, RFK, and MLK Assassination Files. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declassify the remaining government files related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. “And everything will be revealed,” Trump declared, penning his signature with his trademark Sharpie. The directive requires officials to devise a declassification plan within 15 days, though it remains uncertain if the release will materialize in full.
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The 1963 assassination of President Kennedy remains fertile ground for conspiracy theories. While the Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, five primary theories persist: CIA or FBI involvement due to Kennedy’s strained relationship with intelligence agencies; Soviet Union retaliation tied to Oswald’s Russian connections; Cuban President Fidel Castro’s revenge for U.S. attempts to overthrow him; Mafia retaliation over Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s crackdown on organized crime; and a military-industrial complex plot against Kennedy’s push for disarmament and reduced U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
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Robert Kennedy’s 1968 assassination and King’s murder the same year have similarly spawned theories ranging from political vendettas to racially motivated plots. Many proponents argue the official investigations left too many loose ends, creating fertile ground for suspicion.
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Trump’s decision plays into his frequent rhetoric about the "Deep State," echoing his long-standing assertion that secretive government factions conspire against the public's interest. His declassification move was praised by filmmaker Oliver Stone who helped spread conspiracy narratives in his 1991 film JFK. Trump’s pick for Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has been a long-term skeptic about the facts of his father’s murder by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968, and about JFK’s assassination, also lauded the decision. “A government that withholds information is inherently fearful of its citizens’ ability to make informed decisions and participate actively in democracy,” Kennedy said. However, critics, including JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg, accused Trump of exploiting the tragedies for political gain.
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“Declassification is using JFK as a political prop,” Schlossberg wrote on X. “JFK conspiracy theories. The truth is a lot sadder than the myth—a tragedy that didn’t need to happen, not part of an inevitable grand scheme. There’s nothing heroic about it” (Sources: Newsweek, January 24, 2025; Sky News, January 25, 2025; BBC, January 24, 2025).
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Source: Jack Schlossberg/X, 01/23/2025
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JANUARY 6 CAPITOL RIOTS. False narratives about the 2020 US Presidential election having been “rigged” and the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots “weaponized” in unfair trials by the “Deep State” are proliferating since the Trump Inauguration. Following the US President’s blanket pardons and sentence commutations for more than 1500 people involved in the deadly riots, extremist figures like Oath Keepers militia leader Stewart Rhodes have spread lies about the events of that day. Rhodes flouted the terms of his prison sentence commutation to do a victory tour of the Capitol shortly following his early release from an 18 year jail term for seditious conspiracy. Sporting a Trump 2020 hat, he thanked the president, saying he felt “relief,” “joy,” and “gratefulness” but that he “knew it was coming.” When asked how he thinks history should remember January 6, Rhodes replied, “Patriots’ Day.” “That we stood up for our country, because we knew the election was stolen,” he said, before repeating baseless claims that former president Biden lost four years ago. Rhodes was invited to a VIP spot standing behind Trump at his Las Vegas rally on the weekend (Sources: Vanity Fair, January 26, 2025; The Guardian, January 24, 2025).
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VINCENT REYNOUARD. The trial of one of France’s most notorious Holocaust deniers is underway at the Paris city court. For years, proudly neo-Nazi Reynouard has sought to rewrite the history of World War II and rehabilitate the Third Reich regime. According to him, the genocide of the Jews never happened, and the massacre of the people in the village of Oradour-sur-Glane is a fabrication. In 1944, the French village was left in ruins after German Waffen-SS troops slaughtered 642 men, women, and children before burning the village to the ground. Reynouard who has spent years trying to evade French justice in countries including Belgium and Scotland was extradited in 2022 and is facing yet another trial for "denial of crimes against humanity," "denial of war crimes," and "incitement to racial hatred." Many of the 55 year-old’s supporters showed up in court to support the recidivist and proudly unrepentant antisemite who told the judge: “Condemn me, I won’t keep quiet!” (Source: Conspiracy Watch, January 24, 2025).
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ANTHONY FAUCI. Joe Biden’s last-minute presidential pardon of Dr Anthony Fauci was seen by many in the COVID conspiracy world as confirmation of the scientist’s supposed guilt in vague, undefined crimes. Fauci headed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the Covid pandemic “There’s no doubt now—Fauci is a criminal,” tweeted Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok, calling him “guilty of crimes against humanity.” Senator Rand Paul echoed the sentiment, tweeting that the pardon “proves Fauci’s responsibility for the COVID pandemic” and vowing to expose the “coverup.” Donald Trump criticized the pardon as “disgraceful,” claiming “many are guilty of MAJOR CRIMES,” while Donald Trump Jr. suggested Fauci should reject it if he had nothing to hide, adding, “Everyone knows he’s guilty.” On Telegram, QAnon figure Dustin Nemos called Fauci a “serial murderer,” predicting divine retribution. Despite the legal shield of a pardon, and the fact that he said he is not guilty of anything, Fauci remains a central figure in conspiracy theories. He is vulnerable to ongoing targeting and menaces from those convinced of his culpability. Fauci has seen his secret service security protection removed by the newly sworn-in president, despite the fact he is constantly receiving death threats. Trump said he would feel no sense of responsibility if something happened to Fauci and that he had made a lot of money and “could pay for his own security” (Sources: Mother Jones, January 21, 2025; NPR, January 24, 2025).
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