I am struck by two WaPo articles describing right-wing tactics to 1) promote disinformation about progressive issues and candidates, and 2) quash dissent amongst their own ranks, also using disinformation.
The first (“Conservatives attacked Ocasio-Cortez over a bizarre town hall speaker. Now, a pro-Trump fringe group says they planned the stunt”) describes how a small far-right group used a “fairly well-established tactic for them” of going to a meeting and creating a disturbance that disrupts the meeting and creates chaos. In this case, a woman staged an outburst at an AOC town hall, pretending to be so “fraught” and “upset” about climate change that she exclaimed that “We got to start eating babies!” (revealing a t-shirt with the message “Save the planet. Eat the children.”) AOC thought the woman was suffering from a mental condition and was having a crisis. AOC handled the situation perfectly, expressing concern for the woman while not diminishing the urgency of climate change. Meanwhile, the incident, originally created by a small group, gets amplified by right-wing news and goes viral, and the right wing starts crowing about how “crazy” the progressives are. And, of course, the loudest rooster is Trump.
The second article (“Trump’s removal would require Republican dissidents. But those who speak out become targets of viral disinformation”) describes how baseless claims are made against any who break with Trump, e.g., Mitt Romney, who is now accused of A) having ties to the Ukrainian gas company of Biden accusations, and B) conversing with Nancy Pelosi about Republican support for impeaching Trump.
I mean, come on. Is there no honest bone in the GOP body politic?