How the ‘Paranoid Style’ Took Over U.S. Politics

Julian Zelizer: “Indeed, understanding the power of conspiracy politics within the Right, is not to say there can’t be truth to the basis of their claims—including the possibility that President Trump is trying to cover up information about his relationship to Epstein.”

“But the specific ways in which the issue has been discussed within much of the MAGA world have taken the form of the paranoid style. They have insisted on a concerted and coordinated operation across different institutions and pockets of elites (ranging from the Department of Justice to prison guards, all with a clear political agenda), which fits quintessential conspiratorial tropes. They have made assumptions about why information has been held back and insinuated that because a person had contact with Epstein they inevitably participated in his sexual crimes. In this worldview, anyone who questions the conspiracy instantly becomes part of the conspiracy.”

“Trump, who has thrived by capitalizing on this political tradition at the highest levels of power, has learned that he can’t easily control it. Unless he rides that style to strengthen his standing, even he can fall victim to its influence, becoming the focus of, rather than the warrior against, the conspiracies that many of his followers believe can bring civilization to an end.”

“It is not a surprise that Trump has responded to his being attacked for a conspiracy by trying to throw public attention back on other conspiracies, including his baseless accusation that President Obama acted in treasonous ways in 2016.”