Conspiracy propagandists aim to delegitimize government institutions or government officials by stoking fears concerning door-to-door gun confiscations, martial law, supposed takeover of the U.S. by the “New World Order” or “deep state,” and anxieties around the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Top Takeaways
Conspiracy propagandists are part of the antigovernment movement. These groups and individuals intentionally spread disinformation and advance misinformation about government institutions and officials. In 2025, the number of conspiracy propagandist groups slightly decreased from 56 to 49 as the online individual influencers took a more prominent role and the conspiracies that are common to the movement made their way into mainstream political talking points.
Although antigovernment conspiracy theorists target government authority, their ideas are usually rooted in racist, antisemitic and sometimes nativist beliefs. Conspiracy theories have long been a fixture in American political discourse, and today extremists continue peddling these narratives to cast doubt on democratic processes.
Antigovernment conspiracy propaganda is no longer fringe but now animates some federal and state policy. Propagandists act as bridges across multiple sectors, playing an increasingly central role in connecting and amplifying militia, sovereign citizen, Christian supremacist and anti-student inclusion networks. These actors serve as narrative force multipliers, translating events, policy developments and cultural flashpoints into mobilizing content that fosters recruitment, radicalization and operational planning.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has reported on some of the more egregious assertions conspiracy theorists have made, a handful of which have endured from decade to decade. Some of the more persistent conspiracy theories have been adopted as core beliefs within conspiracy propagandist circles.
Beginning in 2016, extremists began to adopt, and in some cases merge, existing conspiracies leading to the QAnon movement. When President Donald Trump left office in 2021, QAnon persisted and spread, at times in conjunction with other conspiracies. These include the “Big Lie” narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, theories about activities and groups at the southern U.S. border, and conspiratorial sovereign citizen beliefs that the U.S. government, acting as a corporation, has defrauded its citizens.
Conspiracy propagandists advocating “Q” theories have used them as a foundation to build their following. Such organizations as the America Project and ReAwaken America use “Q” rhetoric and openly network with QAnon influencers to attract more followers.
Many of the most prevalent conspiracy theories continued into 2025, including attacks on vaccines and public health measures to halt the resurgence of COVID-19, and threats of Marxists wanting to take over the government, education and the economy. These theories have also inspired attacks on immigrants along the U.S. southern border. Antigovernment extremists and some elected officials in Congress continue to elevate uncorroborated narratives that paint migrants as dangerous and violent. These theories have, at times, been validated by elected officials from the community level up to Congress and the White House.
Conspiracy theories regarding Marxist threats have continued to gain steam with anti-student inclusion (ASI) groups. Such groups have espoused conspiracy theories as part of their general narratives, claiming that public schools and the government are attempting to sexualize and indoctrinate children with a progressive Marxist agenda. Anyone who disagrees is often labeled a “groomer” attempting to sexualize children. These groups believe it is up to parents to save all children from the inclusive curricula and diverse programming offered in public schools.
In 2025, ASI actors framed public education as under assault by a “woke” agenda. Conspiracy propagandists increasingly consolidated around education and cultural-conflict narratives. Claims that public schools were “woke” or pushing Marxist indoctrination became a central organizing hub for extremist groups, reinforced by male-supremacy narratives and broader antigovernment sentiment. By late summer, cross-networking intensified as anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+, and sovereign citizen conspiracies merged into a more unified ecosystem.
During this period, several issue-specific surges emerged as well. Severe flooding in July 20251 triggered a spike in weather-control and chemtrails conspiracies, prompting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish debunking materials.2 Meanwhile, Jeffrey Epstein-related conspiracy theories intensified after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November and federal judges began ordering the release of grand jury transcripts.3 These developments were widely framed within conspiracy spaces as confirmation of long-standing claims of government cover-ups.
Key Moments
In the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in September, social media influencers, media outlets and politicians used the killing to promote some of the hard right’s often-repeated conspiracy theories that malign various groups of people. These conspiracy theories came before any substantial information was known about the shooter.
On social media, on podcasts and in other forums, hate and antigovernment movement leaders asserted that the shooter was transgender — part of a recent false narrative that trans people are especially prone to mental illness and violence. Others claimed the assassination was part of a broad wave of violence by the left, even though government research shows that the vast majority of political violence is driven by right-wing ideologies. Some furthered antisemitic narratives, claiming the attack was perpetrated by Jewish people and the Israeli government. Many argued that the shooter — who attended one semester at Utah State University before enrolling in an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College — was radicalized by his professors.
Propagandists routinely seize on major news events to fuel claims that the government is hiding information. In the matter of the Epstein files, conspiracy propagandists have pointed to delays, redactions and shifting timelines as supposed proof of a cover-up. After Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act — requiring the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all unclassified Epstein-related documents by mid-December 2025 — conspiracy theorists argued that the process itself showed the government was still concealing the truth.4 These claims grew despite DOJ materials stating there is no verified “client list” and that Epstein’s death was ruled a suicide, conclusions that many conspiracy communities reject.5
Similarly, conspiracies about weather control — particularly beliefs in chemtrails — surged after extreme weather events. Following major floods in Texas in July 2025, online communities circulated claims that the disaster was caused by secret government manipulation of the atmosphere, despite lack of scientific evidence.6
In response to persistent misinformation, the Environmental Protection Agency under Administrator Lee Zeldin released new public resources explaining contrails and geoengineering, aiming to debunk chemtrail theories and clarify that visible aircraft trails are simply water-vapor-based condensation.7
However, these official explanations were quickly reframed as evidence that the government was covering up weather-control programs. Some commentators claimed that the very act of the EPA addressing the issue proved the agency had something to hide — an example of how government transparency efforts can be inverted and used to reinforce conspiratorial narratives.8
What’s Ahead
Conspiracy propagandists are likely to intensify their focus on the Epstein files, as well as health and education-related conflicts. Platforms such as Telegram, Rumble and podcast networks will continue functioning as key distribution hubs, reinforcing patterns already identified in SPLC reporting. These narratives are likely to incorporate martyrdom framing and increasingly tie routine civic disputes to claims of “deep state” manipulation. As this ecosystem escalates, localized harassment — including the doxing of educators, public officials, and activists — may grow.
Conspiracy propaganda may become more structured and begin translating into direct attempts at policy influence. This could include coordinated litigation strategies, targeted school-board campaigns, and more challenges for local elected offices. One such example is that multiple states considered legislation in 2025 based on the antigovernment “chemtrails” conspiracy.9 Recruitment narratives may also spread into law-enforcement-adjacent sectors, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal enforcement roles.
Several conditions could speed the growth of this ecosystem. Election cycles, major court rulings and federal policy shifts related to gender, immigration or public lands are all likely flashpoints.
Background
The modern-day conspiracy propagandist is fueled by the belief that American ideals are being eroded by liberal forces that aim to destroy the country from the inside out. The goal of this supposed cabal of liberal elites is to establish a communist/socialist/Marxist regime and renounce U.S. sovereignty, instead choosing to opt into a one-world government.
Paranoia is at the center of propagandist messaging. These individuals peddle narratives that paint the world as a battlefield between the forces of good and evil. The ideas, often riddled with misinformation and disinformation, target institutions and public figures that exist in contrast to their worldview. The issues society faces today are depicted in apocalyptic terms that leave no room for compromise.
Extremists under the antigovernment conspiracy propagandist designation focus on presenting false, sometimes even fabricated, information as fact. With the emergence of social media, propagandists leveraged the ability to reach large numbers of uninformed people and flood online spaces with wild unsubstantiated claims decrying government institutions and key figures as being “tyrannical.” As a result, conspiracies have been allowed to flourish in an environment where misinformation and disinformation are dispersed among considerable amounts of valid and verified content.
Today, misinformation and disinformation have become crucial in helping sustain dangerous conspiracy theories, in some cases even supercharging narratives that have, as a result, mobilized large swaths of disgruntled Americans.
As historian Richard Hofstadter pointed out in his 1964 essay “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” conspiracies have always had a place in American history. In the 18th and 19th centuries, fears surrounding such groups as the Illuminati, the Masons and the Catholic Church were weaponized for political purposes. Today, baseless claims asserting plots to destroy the current political system, American values and cultural norms continue to find their way into political discourse.
The conspiracy propaganda wave we see today came out of the 1970s racist and antisemitic Christian Identity movement. Christian Identity adherents believe white Northern Europeans are descendants of the lost tribes of Israel, Jewish people are descendants of Satan, and nonwhites are “mud peoples.” Many of the key conspiracies that define the conspiracy propagandist classification under the SPLC’s antigovernment designation were born out of antisemitic falsehoods.
Those falsehoods were first popularized by such antisemites as William Potter Gale, who was instrumental in merging Christian Identity beliefs with a growing tax-protest, antigovernment movement. Gale preached about the Posse Comitatus, a set of principles that place ultimate government authority at the county level, dictating the county sheriff as the highest authority and placing emphasis on common law, instead of constitutional law, as the foundation for government.
Strands of antisemitic and nativist beliefs are common in current antigovernment conspiracies.
Some of these ideas include the belief in an impending “New World Order,” the idea that a secret cabal of powerful elites with globalist agendas is conspiring to rule the world through a one-world government. According to antigovernment conspiracy propagandists, the initiative would be facilitated by the United Nations, in the form of both treaties and nonbinding agreements, such as one about environmental and climate concerns known as Agenda 21/2030. Conspiracy propagandist groups such as the John Birch Society see Agenda 21/2030 not as an agreement to reduce human impact on the environment, but instead as a blueprint to create a single government under a communist regime.
By the 1990s, such incidents as the standoff at Ruby Ridge, the Waco siege and the Oklahoma City bombing served as catalysts for conspiracy propagandists to vilify government agencies. Events involving law enforcement provided fertile ground for far-right extremists to double down on fears around mass gun confiscation. Combined with angst around the militarization of police forces, the events in this period culminated in the creation of two of the most influential antigovernment conspiracy propagandist organizations of the last two decades: WorldNetDaily and Infowars.
At the end of the 20th century, far-right conspiracy theories thrived as the U.S. kick-started the “War on Terror.” Nativist talking points were elevated in antigovernment conspiracy theories, emphasizing anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim propaganda.
In the early 2000s, fears of “others” helped inspire waves of militia minutemen to appear at the southern border under the pretense of defending the country from an invasion. The conspiracy theories peddled by Alex Jones’ Infowars, Joseph Farah’s WorldNetDaily and the John Birch Society pushed such false concepts as “open borders” and the idea that the Democratic Party is helping facilitate an influx of migrants. Some conspiracy propagandists attempted to appear as legitimate news outlets and drove the fake-news trend. As the U.S. continues to struggle with the best way to handle the migrant crisis at the southern border, propagandists have managed to loop these theories back to antisemitic beliefs by tying the issue to Jewish billionaire and philanthropist George Soros as a leading figure allegedly funding migrant caravans with the aim of destroying the country’s identity.
By 2008, as former President Barack Obama was preparing to take office, antigovernment extremists reacted with contempt at the idea of swearing in the first Black U.S. president. They mobilized resentment of demographic changes and economic instability, fueling antigovernment activity and wild conspiracies. As a result, the SPLC documented a record number of active antigovernment organizations in 2010 and exposed the unfounded claims that emerged in far-right circles denouncing Obama as a secret Muslim, a Kenyan naturalized citizen and a demonic being.
The paranoia and skepticism around the United States’ democratic processes eventually reached a boiling point under the first Trump administration. Between 2016 and 2020, old conspiracies were repackaged into such concepts as “the deep state,” QAnon, migrant caravans, COVID-19 Chinese bioweapons and the “Stop the Steal” narrative.
Unlike his predecessors, Trump openly engaged with, reaffirmed and even helped establish popular conspiracy theories as valid ideas worthy of mainstream discussion. With aid from longtime conspiracy theorists, Trump and his supporters were able to cast a blanket of doubt regarding the legitimacy of government institutions, elected officials, and electoral procedures, coalescing into heightened distrust and anger in the minds of his loyal followers. The result of four years of politically charged antigovernment messaging was an attack on our current political system and was a catalyst for the Jan. 6 insurrection.
In 2021, Trump fanatics continued pushing the false narrative that the 2020 general election was stolen. Right-wing propagandists continued advancing the idea that China released COVID-19 into the world as a bioweapon to cripple the economy. Conspiracy theorists incorporated anti-LGBTQ+ falsehoods and targeted school curriculum and teachers. Conspiratorial ideas about the existence of antifa as a communist violent organization underpinned some groups’ actions. QAnon-related conspiracies about sex trafficking and the return of John F. Kennedy Jr. were prominent in 2021-22. Distrust also spread concerning the COVID-19’s origin and the vaccine. Antigovernment extremists once again embraced old fears around FEMA concentration camps, and unproven claims around the COVID-19 vaccine increased vaccination hesitancy.
Key Organizations
Infowars
Founded by longtime antigovernment conspiracy theorist and supplement salesman Alex Jones, the site has become a one-stop shop for an ever-growing list of uncorroborated stories. From atrazine in drinking water turning frogs gay, to gorilla-pig chimeras, to voter fraud conspiracies, Jones has managed to branch out Infowars into a propaganda outlet specializing in mobilizing his loyal base to go after anyone he doesn’t agree with. Harassment campaigns stemming from conspiracies shared on his platform have targeted grieving families, elected representatives, government agencies and advocacy groups across the political spectrum. In December 2021, Jones sued the House Select Committee to block subpoenas and withhold his testimony and records pertaining to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Jones was a major figure in attendance that day and used his platform primarily to rile up Trump’s base before the Capitol was stormed. In 2022, a Connecticut jury ordered Jones to pay nearly $1.5 billion in compensatory and punitive damages to those affected by the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which he publicly claimed to be a hoax. Litigation by Sandy Hook parents resulted in a $1.5 billion judgment against Jones. As 2024 ended, Jones was barely holding onto Infowars and bankruptcy proceedings continued to play out.
Alex Jones and Infowars remained deeply entangled in legal and bankruptcy proceedings throughout 2025 as a result of defamation judgments related to false claims about the Sandy Hook shooting. In August, a Texas judge ordered Infowars’ assets to be turned over to a court-appointed receiver for sale, reviving the possibility of a sale that could satisfy Jones’ financial obligations.10
WND, formerly WorldNetDaily
Founded in 1997 by Joseph and Elizabeth Farah, WND is a conspiracy-fueled online outlet that is inundated with theories ranging from antigovernment fabrications to anti-LGBTQ+ misinformation and anti-Muslim falsehoods. The site was one of the prime propagators of the Obama birther conspiracy as well as a frequent producer of end-of-the-world theories. The site has focused on spreading anti-vaccine narratives and blasting liberal movements and politicians as agents working to undermine the interests of everyday Americans.
Most recently, WND has transitioned its anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric to a hyperfocus on the transgender community, posting cartoons about transgender athletes and writing sensationalized headlines.
It perpetuates common conspiracy theories about a communist takeover in America, “deep state” surveillance, the omnipotent reach of Jewish philanthropist George Soros, and COVID-19 being a product of the Chinese military. Additionally, in a nod to its roots in hatred toward former President Obama, WND targeted presidential nominee and former Vice President Kamala Harris, dubbing her “the Obama woman.”
John Birch Society (JBS)
Founded in 1958, the JBS gained notoriety after the group dedicated much of its resources to pushing out anti-communist messaging. Since then, the group has mobilized around several issues, including supposed FEMA concentration camps, the New World Order, Agenda 21/2030, the “deep state” and COVID-19, among many others.
The JBS has been instrumental in keeping alive antigovernment conspiracy theories rooted in the racist Christian Identity movement, with philanthropist George Soros being a frequent target of their campaigns. In line with their belief system, the group today has widened their anti-communist platform to also include anti-socialist, anti-Marxist and anti-anarchist messages.
At its peak, the JBS had between 60,000 and 100,000 members with national chapters across the U.S. Today, the JBS has been relegated to the fringes of mainstream politics, although its messages continue to be dished out by factions of the far right. JBS was particularly active in 2021 as public schools became a primary focus of antigovernment activity.
2025 Conspiracy Propagandists Groups
* — Asterisk denotes headquarters.
Alt-Market
Eureka, Montana
American Freedom Network
Johnstown, Colorado
America’s Survival Inc.
Owings, Maryland
Connecting the Dots
Chicago, Illinois
Genesis Communications Network
Dakota County, Minnesota
Infowars
Austin, Texas
John Birch Society
Mobile, Alabama
Mesa, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Sacramento, California
Lamar County, Georgia
Kootenai County, Idaho
Pocatello, Idaho
Maine
Ravalli County, Montana
New Jersey
Saratoga Springs, New York
Suffolk County, New York
High Country, North Carolina
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Dorchester County, South Carolina
South Dakota
Utah
Pacific County, Washington
Spokane County, Washington
Appleton, Wisconsin*
Liberty Hangout
Auburndale, Florida
Liberty RoundTable
American Fork, Utah
Medical Kidnap
Huntsville, Alabama
Natural News
Cody, Wyoming
News With Views
Spring Branch, Texas
Next News Network
Northbrook, Illinois
The Post and Email
Canterbury, Connecticut
Prophecy Club Resources
Topeka, Kansas
Red Voice Media
Scottsdale, Arizona
Redoubt News
Priest River, Idaho
Republic Broadcasting
Round Rock, Texas
Screw Big Government
California
Silver Bear Cafe
Garland, Texas
Stand Up America U.S.
Bigfork, Montana
Texans4Truth
Georgetown, Texas
The Healthy American
San Clemente, California
TruthRadioShow.com
Providence, Rhode Island
Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children
Sarasota, Florida
United Network News
Rockville Centre, New York
What Really Happened
Spencer County, Indiana
Women Fighting for America
Jacksonville, Florida
WorldNetDaily
Washington, D.C.
Citations
1 Manon Jacob, “Texas Cloud Seeding Operation Triggers Conspiratorial Outrage After Deadly Floods,” AFP Fact Check, July 10, 2025.
2 New York Times, “No, Chemtrails Are Not Real or Causing Floods, E.P.A. Says.”
3 Michael Sisak, “Justice Department Can Unseal records From Epstein’s 2019 Sex Trafficking Case, Judge Says,” AP News, December 10, 2025; Andrew Prokop, “The Right’s Meltdown Over Jeffrey Epstein, Explained,” Vox, July 9, 2025.
4 Michael Sisak, “Justice Department Can Unseal records From Epstein’s 2019 Sex Trafficking Case, Judge Says,” AP News, December 10, 2025.
5 Andrew Prokop, “The Right’s Meltdown Over Jeffrey Epstein, Explained,” Vox, July 9, 2025.
6 Manon Jacob, “Texas Cloud Seeding Operation Triggers Conspiratorial Outrage After Deadly Floods,” AFP Fact Check, July 10, 2025.
7 Maxine Joselow, “No, Chemtrails Are Not Real or Causing Floods, E.P.A. Says,” New York Times, July 10, 2025.
8 Calum Lister Matheson, “Why The Chemtrail Conspiracy Theory Lingers and Grows—and Why Tucker Carlson Is Talking About it,” The Conversation, November 14, 2025.
9 Edward Helmore, “Eight US States Seek To Outlaw Chemtrails — Even Though They Aren’t Real,” The Guardian, June 8, 2025.
10 CNN Newsource, “Alex Jones’ Infowars Will Go Up For Sale Yet Again, Judge Rules,” KTVZ21, August 13, 2025.
