Since assuming office for his second term, President Trump has repeatedly deployed conspiratorial rhetoric against his critics and political opponents, according to accounts from legal experts, historians, and scholars. These commentators characterize such attacks as emblematic of authoritarian leadership styles, noting that they undermine public confidence in elections, disregard scientific evidence, and create justification for pursuing legal action against perceived adversaries in ways that critics argue erode civil liberties.
Harvard government professor Steven Levitsky, co-author of “How Democracies Die,” stated that conspiracy theories represent a foundational component of authoritarian repression, citing historical examples of leaders including Mao, Stalin, and Putin using unfounded allegations to justify suppression without substantial evidence. Levitsky observed that such claims are “almost always used to justify repression.” Princeton historian Julian Zelizer attributed Trump’s conspiratorial framing to mentorship from attorney Roy Cohn during Trump’s early real estate career in New York, suggesting this approach allows Trump to position himself as a victim while deflecting from criticism regarding his policies or conduct.
Critics highlight several policy areas where they say Trump employs conspiratorial language. These include claims about widespread election fraud despite contradicting evidence, assertions that climate change represents a hoax contrary to scientific consensus, and recent charges that artificial intelligence experts promoting safety safeguards are engaged in a conspiracy. On the election front, former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade contends that the administration’s focus on non-citizen voting—documented at approximately 100 cases over 25 years by the conservative Heritage Foundation—appears designed to undermine public confidence in electoral integrity.
Conflict also emerged when Trump’s administration revoked press credentials for CNN, Politico, and MSNBC, which the outlets jointly challenged in federal court. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled on September 23 that the administration must immediately restore the credentials and found the punitive action likely unconstitutional. Former Trump administration special counsel Ty Cobb warned that Trump responds to criticism by denying, denigrating, and demeaning opponents through fabricated conspiracy allegations. Meanwhile, Trump’s Justice Department has pursued an investigation into an alleged conspiracy involving the “deep state” and former intelligence officials, a probe the president has publicly encouraged.
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