Trump’s Desperate Strategy…
What do you do when you’re angry because your opponent keeps calling you “weird” and you’re also behind in a race you were expecting to easily win? For Donald Trump, the answer seemed obvious: Flatter independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. into dropping out and endorsing you, then collect his 4-5 percentage points in national polls. And Trump did that just last week.
Will It Work?
Only there’s no guarantee that Kennedy’s exit will shift those supporters to Trump. We’ll have a better idea about that as new polls come out in the next few days.
The Baggage of RFK Jr.
In the meantime, what is certain is that, by putting Kennedy on his team, Trump gets … Kennedy and all his fun issues. So open up the door, Johnny! Let’s show him what he bought!
Not Just Any Issues
No, we’re not talking about the brain worm. Open the other door. No, not the dead baby bear. Next. Not the sexist emu. And not the time he chainsawed the head off a dead whale and took it home as a hideous souvenir—though there is someone who would like to talk to him about that.
The Chemtrails Conspiracy
No, it’s that other thing. The one that may be sillier than Kennedy’s other exploits combined.
Ahh, there it is.
In this tweet, posted Monday, the “crime” Kennedy is promising to stop is something called “chemtrails.”
What Are Chemtrails?
The chemtrails conspiracy theory emerged in the 1990s and evolved alongside the internet. Though by now it has accumulated so much cruft and lore that proponents can rant about it endlessly, at its core is nothing more than this: Someone saw the lines in the sky that followed a jet and thought it wasn’t just moisture stirred up into fog by a passing wing, but instead a chemical being sprayed on everyone by someone.
Theories and Speculations
What kind of chemical? Secret. For what purpose? Mind control. Or making us all sterile. Or fighting climate change. Or causing climate change. Or something. Who is behind it? The government, or maybe aliens. Possibly, it’s a team-up.
The Reality
What the proponents of this conspiracy theory call a chemtrail is known back in the real world as a contrail, short for “condensation trail.” And it’s possible that no other conspiracy theory has been so thoroughly debunked by so many sources on so many occasions. Of all the conspiracy theories Kennedy might believe in, this is the most profoundly foolish. And unlike what he once did to a bear or a whale (or that poor worm), this is a nuttiness with which Kennedy is still actively engaged.
Kennedy’s Promise
More importantly, notice that Kennedy doesn’t just step in to express his support for the theory, he says, “We are going to stop this crime.”
A Team Effort?
We.
That sounds very much like Kennedy is speaking as a member of the potential 2025 Trump administration. He’s promising the government will get right on this problem of chasing literal clouds.
Official Confirmation
And that’s apparently the case. A couple of hours after that post, Kennedy was on with Tucker Carlson’s web show, claiming that Trump has made him a member of his transition team.
“I’ve been asked to go onto the transition team to help pick the people who will be running the government and I’m looking forward to that,” Kennedy said. (On Tuesday, a Trump campaign adviser corroborated this to The New York Times.)
What’s Next?
Now we can only wait until he appoints a Secretary of Chemtrails and Chainsaw Dissection.
The Bigger Picture
In bringing Kennedy on board, Trump gets all of Kennedy. Trump has now made himself the candidate of planted cub carcasses, highways awash in whale juice, and chemtrails. That’s sure to stop people from calling Trump weird.
The Real Conclusion
They’ll just call him what he is: ridiculous.
FAQ’s
Q: Is there a guarantee that Kennedy’s supporters will shift to Trump?
A: No, there is no guarantee that Kennedy’s exit will shift his supporters to Trump. The impact of this move will become clearer as new polls are released in the coming days.
Q: What issues does Trump inherit by bringing Kennedy onto his team?
A: By bringing Kennedy on board, Trump inherits all of Kennedy’s controversial issues, including his belief in the chemtrails conspiracy theory and other bizarre exploits.
Q: What is the chemtrails conspiracy theory?
A: The chemtrails conspiracy theory suggests that the lines seen in the sky following jets are not just condensation trails (contrails) but chemicals being sprayed for purposes like mind control, climate change, or sterilization. This theory has been thoroughly debunked by numerous sources.
Q: How did Kennedy express his commitment to the chemtrails theory?
A: Kennedy posted a tweet promising to stop what he called the “crime” of chemtrails, indicating his active engagement with this conspiracy theory.
Q: What role did Kennedy claim to have in the potential Trump administration?
A: Kennedy claimed on Tucker Carlson’s web show that Trump has made him a member of his transition team, responsible for helping pick the people who will run the government.
Q: How did a Trump campaign adviser respond to Kennedy’s claim?
A: A Trump campaign adviser corroborated Kennedy’s claim to The New York Times, confirming that Kennedy has been asked to join the transition team.
Q: What are the implications of Trump bringing Kennedy on board?
A: By bringing Kennedy on board, Trump aligns himself with Kennedy’s controversial actions and beliefs, potentially making him appear more ridiculous rather than less “weird.”
Q: How can people help counteract Trump’s influence according to the article?
A: The article suggests that donating $10 to the Harris/Walz campaign can help make Donald Trump disappear, implying that financial support for their campaign could reduce Trump’s chances of winning.
