Conspiracy theories have long been woven into the fabric of American society, but in recent years, their proliferation across media and politics has reached dizzying new heights. From the shadowy corridors of government to the wilds of social media, the American public has been bombarded with claims—some grounded in fact, others fantastical—about hidden plots and secret cabals. As recent events and research show, the line between skepticism and belief can be razor-thin, especially when trust in institutions is eroding and information is weaponized for political gain.
On August 15, 2025, a team of experts published research that shed light on why conspiracy theories find such fertile ground in the United States. According to their analysis of around 170 studies, three key psychological traits are common among those most likely to believe in conspiracy theories: a heightened perception of threat and danger, a reliance on intuition and odd beliefs with low open-mindedness, and a tendency toward antagonism and a sense of superiority. The researchers found that people who feel the world is unsafe and unstable, and who perceive existential threats to their security, are especially susceptible. As they put it, "conspiracy theories may appeal to those scoring high on existential threat, as individuals are deprived of a sense of security and power."
This sense of insecurity, the researchers argue, is often compounded by a reliance on intuition and a resistance to new information. People prone to conspiratorial thinking tend to see patterns where none exist, hold dogmatic views, and are uncomfortable with ambiguity. Their beliefs are not easily swayed by evidence, which makes debunking such theories a Herculean task. The study also found that antagonism and a sense of knowing something others do not can reinforce these beliefs, especially when communities form around them, offering camaraderie and validation.
These findings are hardly academic abstractions. The past decade has offered numerous real-world examples of conspiracy theories moving from the fringes to the mainstream, sometimes with serious consequences. Take the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender with connections to some of the world’s most powerful figures. The U.S. Justice Department recently confirmed it is aware of at least 1,000 victims in the Epstein case, but the Trump administration has announced it will not release any further information. According to reporting, the ongoing lack of transparency and media silence has only deepened suspicions and fueled conspiracy theories across the political spectrum. Many Americans, regardless of their political leanings, believe there is more to the story than the public has been told.
History offers plenty of cautionary tales about dismissing conspiracy theories out of hand. The CIA’s MKUltra program, launched in 1953, involved illegal human experimentation with drugs like LSD and psychological torture, all under a veil of secrecy. It operated through front organizations at more than 80 institutions, often without the consent of its subjects. The program was only exposed in 1975 after congressional investigations, despite efforts to destroy records. Another infamous example is the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, in which the U.S. Public Health Service observed the progression of untreated syphilis in Black men in Alabama from 1932 to 1972, misleading participants and denying them treatment even after penicillin became widely available. These episodes, once dismissed as wild speculation, were ultimately revealed as fact—underscoring the danger of placing blind faith in official narratives.
But the pendulum can swing too far in the opposite direction. In today’s fragmented media landscape, the rush to embrace conspiracy theories—sometimes without any factual basis—has led to the amplification of outright fabrications. On August 14, 2025, a false story originating from Brazilian fugitive Patrícia Lélis swept through conservative media. Lélis, who has a history of fabrications and was indicted for wire fraud involving approximately $700,000, accused former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr of colluding with Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis and Armstrong Williams to indict Donald Trump. Despite glaring inconsistencies—such as Lélis not even being in a position to witness such events—her story was picked up by pundits and amplified by Project Veritas, who cast her as a brave whistleblower. As The Bulwark reported, Armstrong Williams had hired Lélis without verifying her background, during which time she allegedly stole money from his organization. Her claims, though thoroughly debunked, managed to dominate the right’s media landscape for weeks.
Meanwhile, the role of media in fueling or challenging conspiracy theories is itself under scrutiny. On August 14, 2025, MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace called out conservative media outlet Newsmax for promoting what she described as "absurd and unfounded claims" about the Russia investigation and former President Barack Obama. Wallace argued that Newsmax was attempting to divert attention from Donald Trump’s declining approval ratings and his administration’s handling of the Epstein scandal. "This is just a little bit of what it looks like on the other side of the information spectrum, when folks are desperate to talk about just about anything other than Donald Trump’s plunging approval rating over his handling of the economy and immigration and, especially, Jeffrey Epstein," she told viewers. Wallace also noted that some MAGA-friendly podcasters, including Joe Rogan and Andrew Schulz, have expressed frustration with how the Epstein case has been handled, suggesting that Trump’s efforts to revive old conspiracy theories about Obama would not succeed with that audience. "I don’t know what moves the men in the manosphere, but it looks so freakin’ lame and weak to be so obsessed with Obama," Wallace quipped.
The interplay between media, politics, and conspiracy theories is further complicated by the sense of community these beliefs can foster. The Netflix documentary Behind the Curve offers a window into the world of flat Earth believers, showing how, even when their own experiments disprove their claims, the sense of camaraderie and belonging keeps them invested. For many, it’s not just about the theory—it’s about the friendships and validation that come with being part of a group that “knows” a hidden truth. This dynamic, researchers say, can make conspiracy theories especially resilient, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
So where does this leave the American public? On one hand, history warns against dismissing conspiracy theories outright; on the other, the unchecked spread of baseless claims can corrode trust and undermine democracy. The recent research suggests that the roots of conspiratorial thinking are deep and complex, tied to psychological needs for security, certainty, and community. As the struggle over truth and narrative continues to play out in the media and political arenas, the challenge for journalists, policymakers, and citizens alike is to remain vigilant—skeptical, but not cynical; open-minded, but not gullible.
In a time when information is abundant but trust is scarce, the battle over what’s real and what’s imagined has never felt more urgent—or more consequential.
