6 totally bogus conspiracy theories about the Trump-Biden debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are going head-to-head tonight in the first of two presidential debates for the 2024 election season. However, social media has been buzzing with conspiracy theories this week, with claims that dark forces are at play to help Biden and harm Trump.
**CNN Debate and Conspiracy Theories**
The debate, happening earlier than ever before between presidential candidates, will be hosted by CNN in Atlanta. Around 60% of Americans are planning to watch tonight, but those following politics on platforms like X, Facebook, and TikTok have likely already come across some outlandish conspiracy theories.
Some of the top conspiracy theories include claims that Biden will be using an earpiece, or that the broadcast will somehow be altered in favor of one candidate. These theories seem to stem from Trump supporters’ fears of a strong performance from Biden, with Trump himself even changing his tune about Biden’s debating skills.
**Debunking the Theories**
One theory suggested that CNN would have a 2-minute transmission delay to potentially edit out any of Biden’s mistakes. However, CNN quickly denied this claim, leading to some embarrassing backpedaling from the source.
Another popular theory alleges that Biden will drug himself to enhance his performance, but there is no evidence to support this claim. In fact, such drugs do not even exist to mask dementia symptoms, making this theory baseless.
Lastly, there’s the ongoing idea that Biden will use an earpiece during the debate. Despite Trump and his allies pushing this narrative, there is no credible evidence to suggest that Biden would resort to such tactics.
It’s clear that these conspiracy theories are nothing more than attempts to preemptively discredit Biden’s performance. As the debate unfolds, it will be interesting to see how these theories hold up against reality.
Most of the wildest conspiracy theories originate online, but Fox News is not far behind with its own outlandish ideas on how Biden could be cheating. For example, Greg Gutfeld from the Fox show The Five jokingly suggested that Biden was spending so much time at Camp David to prepare for the debate because he was getting a new face or a 3D printed body double. While Gutfeld may claim it was a joke, this idea is surprisingly popular among the far-right crowd and non-QA focused individuals. There have even been claims by online conspiracy theorists that Biden is actually being portrayed by a body double or someone wearing a Biden mask in public appearances.
Is CNN blocking journalist access to cover up medical emergencies? The White House Correspondents’ Association has raised concerns about limited access for journalists to the debate, fearing they could miss important moments or even medical emergencies involving the candidates. However, the notion that CNN is intentionally blocking access for sinister reasons lacks evidence. CNN simply wants full control over the debate coverage.
Will Biden be replaced? Despite persistent rumors, the idea that Biden will step down before the election seems unlikely. While anything is possible in this crazy world, there is no solid evidence to support this claim. It would be illogical for Biden to withdraw at this point, as it would only harm the Democratic party’s chances of winning. The notion of Biden being replaced last minute is mainly propagated by Fox News and the most absurd corners of the internet.
