Trump tweets unfounded story from a known liar

No surprise that one liar would spread the lies of another one

Trump probably doesn’t care if it’s true or not – he just wants to make Obama look bad

This unfounded claim came up early in Trump admin. British officials angrily denied it. WH officials reportedly apologized, something Spicer denied at the briefing when he told me "I don't think we regret anything… we were just passing on news reports."https://t.co/JkWn67l48R https://t.co/yjE8XjNXdo
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) April 24, 2019

Wow. Just wow. Larry Johnson is the source of 3 major fake stories in the last 12 years. Now being cited as an authority by @POTUS. https://t.co/No5P594VUC
— Bret Stephens (@BretStephensNYT) April 24, 2019

The part of this insanity that won’t get enough attention, & will go right over the heads of #Cult45 is this…

He is president of the United States. If this nonsensical allegation was remotely true, he would have access to FAR better evidence/sourcing than Larry Johnson on OANN https://t.co/i9tR5a9N3E
— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) April 24, 2019

Larry Johnson is the guy who pushed the lie that there was a Michelle Obama “whitey” tape back in 2008. https://t.co/y2TCQkT6Iv https://t.co/8wpSu3Lxsb
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) April 24, 2019

Considering Larry Johnson's track record of hoaxes, is this really who the president should be quoting? https://t.co/lZZXqsdNtS
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) April 24, 2019

Reliable source.https://t.co/x2mPcOjXR2
— Bob Young (@ryoung2332) April 24, 2019

This is the same conspiracy theory that spawned an international incident with the UK when Sean Spicer falsely said they helped Obama illegally spy on Trump, because he heard Andrew Napolitano say it on Fox News, who heard it from Larry Johnson on an RT clip. pic.twitter.com/d3F2YNWsTX
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) April 24, 2019

Here's how Twitter uses its platform a day after Trump summoned @jack to the White House to whine about his follower count. This debunked, fabricated conspiracy theory caused an international incident in 2017, and Larry Johnson is the racist sleaze behind the "whitey tape" lie. pic.twitter.com/DoOL4FpUHE
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) April 24, 2019

Trump promotes baseless accusation of British spying a day after accepting an invitation for a state visit from the queen https://t.co/bnKGCZ7aU9
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 24, 2019

RBG conspiracy theories are alive (and she is too)

The right wing extremists still think RBG is dead. This is disgraceful.

RBG conspiracy theories are on YouTube.

Mueller report debunks Seth Rich conspiracy theory

One good thing the report did

I just called @newtgingrich and asked if he had a comment about spreading the Seth Rich conspiracy theory, given what the Mueller report said and the request from Aaron Rich for people to"take responsibility."

"Nope," Gingrich told me. "No comment." He then hung up the phone.
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) April 19, 2019

The most charitable view of @WikiLeaks' Seth Rich hoax is that Assange genuinely thought it possible that Rich was his source for the DNC leaks. Mueller's timeline proves that false. Assange knew Rich couldn't have been the leaker. He was already dead. https://t.co/rHDFAoWULw
— Kevin Poulsen (@kpoulsen) April 19, 2019

Mueller report describes how Assange / WikiLeaks fueled Seth Rich conspiracy theory in an apparent effort "to obscure the source of the materials" they were posting. pic.twitter.com/uP751Hr0i3
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) April 18, 2019

Don't let this get lost in all the craziness and partisan battles: Special Counsel Robert Mueller debunked the Seth Rich conspiracy theory today.https://t.co/Sl2ATIciNt
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) April 18, 2019

Two years ago this week, Fox published its Seth Rich story. After it fell apart, Fox said it would investigate what happened. It's unclear what ever became of that probe. The results were never announced. Neither was any disciplinary action for those responsible.
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) May 17, 2019

Right wing conspiracy theories on the Notre Dame fire

Right wing liars will make up anything to spread hatred and bigotry. These theories are baseless. Let’s see if Trump spreads this one.

New from me: Racist conspiracy theories created by white nationalists about Notre Dame filtered into mainstream spaces in less than 24 hours.

Platforms don't have the systems in place to stop it, and it's stirring up hatred of minorities.https://t.co/SDgRak8a3M
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) April 16, 2019

I wrote for the @washingtonpost about how the far right spread sinister, Islamophobic explanations for the Notre Dame fire, playing into a broader narrative of civiliztional conflict: https://t.co/Wz4lPZnKgr
— Talia Lavin (@chick_in_kiev) April 16, 2019

Right-wing media personalities are pushing conspiracy theories about the burning of Notre Dame, even after French investigators said the case is not being investigated as arson or terrorism. https://t.co/5skzQQmmKF
— Scott Bixby (@scottbix) April 16, 2019

I’m starting to suspect white nationalist Richard Spencer might be trying to incite violence here. pic.twitter.com/eyCKsP9SHR
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) April 16, 2019

That’s some deep seated racism to explain a construction accident. https://t.co/zrgeYdUZyh
— Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) April 16, 2019

The best kind of conspiracy theory is one that is proven by the fact it hasn’t been proven. https://t.co/KqndbTrqcP
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) April 16, 2019

Remember Glenn Beck's whole apology tour for inflaming and inciting people with paranoid and conspiratorial rhetoric? https://t.co/Hmr48DyWVn
— Brian Tashman (@briantashman) April 16, 2019

Right-wing twitter is by far worse than atheist twitter right now. Atheists are being generally respectful that I can see, but even “moderate” conservatives are immediately trying to figure out how to make this racist and Islamaphobic.
— Jennifer C. Martin (@notreallyjcm) April 15, 2019

During two separate occasions on Monday afternoon, Fox anchors Shepard Smith and Neil Cavuto had to dump out of interviews after their guests wildly speculated and parroted conspiracy theories that the #NotreDameFire was an intentionally malicious act https://t.co/u2n3sT2f0J
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 15, 2019

This guy blames Obama for the recession

Obama hadn’t even been nominated yet! He’s just another right winger who doesn’t know or doesn’t care about facts. That doesn’t bother Fox News. That’s how we got Trump.

**Immediately** after Bernie Sanders Fox town hall, Fox "straight news" anchor (and town hall questioner) hosts far-right Art Laffer, who says that Sanders being elected would trigger another great recession. pic.twitter.com/zJLkx27DOO
— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) April 15, 2019

According to Art Laffer, President Obama caused the Great Recession.
For reference, the Great Recession began in December 2007.
Obama was not even the favorite to win the Democratic primary then. Hillary Clinton was way ahead in the polls. https://t.co/7Ytd450AkW pic.twitter.com/083WvtaTy3
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) April 16, 2019

Trump goes even further than Barr

Donald Trump's dangerous allegation of 'illegal' and 'unprecedented' spyinghttps://t.co/j2zGJHjpFJ pic.twitter.com/BiiNN5DvlS
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) April 11, 2019

Trump claims he’s victim of ‘illegal’ spying – but provides no evidence @abbydphillip reports @TheLeadCNN https://t.co/dyt5rzeNB5 pic.twitter.com/3Zl4y7WFyn
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 11, 2019

Barr spreads Trump’s “spying” conspiracy theory.

Trump has said, with no basis, that his campaign was spied on. Now, Barr backs him up. This undermines law enforcement. I have no trust in Barr now. He’s just another Republican liar sucking up to Trump.

As Philip Bump notes, Trump wins by making an “informant”(routine for law enforcement) into a more sinister sounding “spy”.

Second, I (and presumably others) take more issue with the "on the campaign" part of the assertion. Wrote about that last year.https://t.co/eA8zzq4NkJ
— Philip Bump (@pbump) April 11, 2019

William Barr is redefining what it means to “spy” https://t.co/pMOydkMJ8Z pic.twitter.com/DUf9GGcaNr
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 11, 2019

Democrat @TedLieu to CNN: The FBI didn't spy on the Trump campaign, "This was authorized surveillance." 🤔 pic.twitter.com/hgDv4Tf587
— Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) April 11, 2019

Bill Barr could have said "surveillance approved by a FISA court."

Instead, he said "spying."https://t.co/2H5Hkmz5bX
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) April 11, 2019

– Attorney General publicly says the FBI “spied” on the Trump campaign

– Unnamed sources around the AG try to walk the comments back

– The President comes out the next day and praises the original remarks, insisting “I think what he said was absolutely true.”

Clear as mud.
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) April 11, 2019

It’s hard to call someone in Trump’s orbit even more dishonorable than Trump himself, but Bill Barr might meet that test: unlike the totally unmoored and immoral Trump, this Attorney General clearly knows better. He has to know how badly he is betraying the rule of law.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) April 11, 2019

DING DING DING. Also, Shaheen gave Barr a chance to take back "spying" and he paused and said it again.

Plus, he's an extremely accomplished lawyer and former AG who understands how to parse. https://t.co/77LT3vV5pj
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) April 11, 2019

I see the “spying” conspiracy is coming back in vogue, now from the AG himself. Reupping my tutorial on why and how sources are used in counterintelligence investigations https://t.co/9aHRdjw0cn
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) April 10, 2019

“I frankly don’t even recognize the guy anymore. I am outraged that he would do that, to law enforcement and to the criminal justice system of the USA.” @CynthiaAlksne on AG Barr saying, with no evidence, that he thinks spying occurred on the Trump campaign. #Hardball pic.twitter.com/tVXsFuCggb
— Hardball (@hardball) April 10, 2019

More on #Barr from @stevebenen:
He "must realize the political weight of a loaded term such as 'spying,' but Barr, already suspected of being overly concerned with the president's political interests, said it anyway." https://t.co/LrAlbirhKi
— EJ Dionne (@EJDionne) April 10, 2019

This gets at something that has become apparent the past two weeks: Barr is a smart lawyer who has been out of public service a long time and has no idea what he's doing in the modern political/media landscape. https://t.co/OQemcvdAk2
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) April 11, 2019

Have you noticed that at no time in the past two days did William Barr communicate any concern about Russia attackin' our election or Trump's campaign not once reportin' a single one of over 100 meetings with Russia?

His only worry was about a Trump conspiracy theory.
— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) April 10, 2019

This is the sort of thing that the "spying" comment buys us. There will be a lot more where that came from. https://t.co/yAPHlGMr7Y
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) April 10, 2019

AG Barr’s “spying” remark is a “classic demonstration of the Fox-newsification of the Republican party,” says CNN’s @JeffreyToobin. “His use of this term shows how much the paranoid lunacy of the right wing is now moved right in” to the Justice Department. https://t.co/m1qULaNutV pic.twitter.com/kjRx7ldgar
— CNN (@CNN) April 11, 2019

Barr was quick to criticize the agency he now leads, despite having no evidence to support the accusation. Career public servants deserve leadership that supports them. https://t.co/ItT4VEp6ol
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) April 11, 2019

If Barr had a concern about the investigation and wanted the truth, he'd cite facts and rely on the IG. If he wanted to provide his boss political cover or intimidate investigators so they won't investigate his boss again, he'd cite a conspiracy theory and launch his own inquiry.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 11, 2019