Why both liberals and conservatives latch onto conspiracy theories

The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump this past weekend has shined a spotlight on the perils of political polarization and political violence in the U.S.

The shooting has also given rise to a number of conspiracy theories, which have been circulating on social media. Some theories assert, without evidence, that the attempted assassination was staged, allegedly to give Trump attention and sympathy. Others have suggested, also without proof, that the would-be assassin was a member of the activist group Antifa.

Christina Farhart is a political science professor at Carleton College who studies conspiracy theories and polarization. We spoke with her as part of our Talking Sense project, which helps people have hard political conversations, better.

Here are some takeaways from Farhart about why conspiracy theories take hold and who’s drawn to them.

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‘A perfect storm’ for conspiracy theories

“Conspiracy theories tend to emerge when we’re in situations of high uncertainty, and high anxiety,” said Farhart. “And an assassination attempt on a former president, or a sitting president, is a perfect storm for that context.”

Situations where facts are in short supply lend themselves to theorizing, Farhart said. Take, for example, the questions swirling about how Trump’s would-be assassin got access to a rooftop from which he fired at the former president. The lack of facts engenders fear, which leads to speculation, Farhart said.

“Conspiracy theories come up because people are uncomfortable with the completeness of official narratives or official stories or official policies,” Farhart said. “And so that’s where we have this space for conspiracy theories to really bubble up and become challenging.”

It’s not just you, it’s me

According to Farhart, there is a debate in political science about whether conservatives are more prone to conspiracy theories than liberals are. But her research suggests both liberals and conservatives engage with those theories.

“All of my work with my co-authors points to a factor that really everyone is capable of engaging in this,” she said. “And the important factors that can influence how frequently or the salience, might be context and timing.”

Farhart said conspiracy theories tend to heat up when a political party loses power — like when Democrats lost the presidential election of 2016 or when Republicans did in 2020.

“If we look at someone who might be on the political outs … they’re going to be much more prone to viewing the political party in power through a negative lens and be more open to conspiracy theories that are going to impugn their political opposition,” she said.

At a time when bipartisan tensions are running high, it might help for liberals and conservatives to know it’s not just the other side that engages in conspiracy theories. Neither side is immune.

“If we could get that communicated, I think it would help,” said Farhart.

A lack of proof can actually feed conspiracy theories

That said, debunking conspiracy theories can be really challenging because, according to Farhart, some people view a lack of evidence for their theory as the proof of a secret plot or cover-up.

And trying to dispute such a conspiracy theory might be challenging.

“Some of the research actually points to when direct facts or corrections are applied, kind of in the face of misinformation or in the face of conspiracy theories, it can cause what is called backlash,” Farhart said. “And folks who are engaging in those beliefs actually double down and it makes them become more entrenched in those beliefs, rather than being more open to a correction.”

It doesn’t hurt to ask questions

If you think someone is espousing a conspiracy theory, perhaps the best way to engage with them is to ask questions, said Farhart.

“One of the ways that we can help folks navigate their own beliefs, especially if they happen to be engaging in a prominent conspiracy is to ask, ‘Where’s the information coming from?’” she said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to shift your attitudes, but (you) are trying to understand where that person is coming from.”