Comfort in Conspiracy

[j.p.]

It should come as no surprise that this is how the Trump presidency ends. Conspiracy theories were the lifeblood of his early political career. His baseless claims about president Barack Obama’s birth certificate, and the dog-whistle racism that accompanied them, helped him on an improbable journey to the highest office in the land. His lies then seemed like a means to an end. Today, as he approaches the end of his one-term presidency, they are all he has left.

But what of his supporters, the targets of his falsehoods? What will be the long term impact of the president’s decision to spend his last months in office attacking the foundations of American democracy?  
The mood of the crowd that turned out for him on Saturday offered some insight into where the movement that propelled him to power goes next. Acceptance doesn’t appear to be an option.

Much like the president, many wanted to know the answers to questions that had already been answered. They shared conspiracy theories that had already been debunked.  
“I certainly believe there was some very suspicious activities that happened with the vote totals, where they were shut down on Tuesday night, and we want to get to the bottom of it,” said Blake Marnell, who wore a brick wall-patterned suit meant to represent Trump’s border wall.

“If we don’t find out now if there is cheating and systemic fraud in our elections, it’s gonna be too late next election,” he added.  
Marnell and the thousands of others who turned up were there because they were convinced the election had been stolen. Exactly how it had been stolen, however, was up for debate. Some believed a fully-fledged nationwide conspiracy, others that mass low-level fraud had occurred.   

Most appeared unaware of the basic mechanics of the pandemic-era electoral process. Due to the virus, Democrats voted overwhelmingly by mail, and thus were always going to fall behind in early counting in key states as in-person votes are tallied first. That news does not seem to have reached everyone, so when Trump’s early lead was erased, they saw foul play. 
There has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud of the kind alleged by Trump and his supporters. Federal agencies overseeing election security have declared the 2020 election "the most secure in American history," adding this week that "there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world...23139.html