BBC / Getty ImagesWild Mother, a woman known as Desirée, resides in the mountains of Colorado and shares videos about holistic wellness and motherhood with her 80,000 followers. She supports Donald Trump for the presidency. Camille, living 70 miles north in Denver, is an advocate for equality and has voted Democrat for the past 15 years. Despite their differing political views, both women believe that the attempted assassinations of Mr. Trump were staged. Their beliefs were influenced by social media posts that appeared on their feeds.
During a visit to Colorado for the BBC Radio 4 podcast Why Do You Hate Me? USA, the spread of these unfounded theories and its impact on people like Camille and Wild Mother was explored. Many posts claiming the assassination attempts were staged have gained millions of views on social media platforms. Wild Mother, already a follower of QAnon, believes Trump’s team orchestrated the attacks to frame their enemies in the “Deep State”. Camille, on the other hand, thinks that the attempts were staged by Trump’s team to boost his chances of winning the election.
Both women’s theories lack evidence. The prevalence of these conspiracy theories on social media platforms has led to a fracture in real-life relationships for both Camille and Wild Mother. Camille struggles to communicate with family members who support Trump, while Wild Mother attributes the end of her marriage to her ex-husband’s opposition to conspiracy theories.
Social media has played a significant role in shaping the beliefs of both women, leading to a division in their real-world relationships. Despite their differing political views, they share a belief in the staged nature of the attempted assassinations of Donald Trump.