[View here as a Twitter thread]
Trump hit on a way to beat Mueller: A Criminal Deep State theory. Spoiler: Trumpsters fall for it by believing it. Everyone else falls for it by spending their time discussing it. Source for quotations in this thread: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/05/inside-trumpworld-a-bizarre-counter-narrative-takes-hold
The theory: John Brennan, former FBI director, masterminded a plot to take down Trump: He used FBI informants to infiltrate the Trump campaign and plant evidence of Russian collusion. That way, if HRC lost, the Deep State could take out Trump with the planted evidence.
Before you roll your eyes, consider this: It’s a great story. Everyone likes rooting for the underdog and the victim. The story is deeply appealing, and is one of the most universally beloved plot lines.
Also, if enough people believe it, it won’t matter what Mueller finds.
The story is “now a dominant narrative in Trumpworld . . . people in the West Wing are paranoid that the FBI has multiple informants working to take Trump down.”
From Roger Stone: “The guy who will end up burning is John Brennan (former CIA director). If I were him, I’d break the capsule and swallow it now. The psychopath is going down.”
Notice that he is talking about burning people.
Trump is pleased with his “legal” strategy and believes he’ll beat Mueller. Worth nothing: @maggieNYT says the same thing: Trump feels he’s “got this.”
The problem: Dems and intellectuals believe they can poke holes in that theory with facts and logic.
I remember the campaign against Dukakis and the Swift Boating of John Kerry. I’ve seen firsthand that facts and logic do not win against emotion-based stories and slogans.
Some of the reason for fact-fail is confirmation bias: “Once we have formed a view we embrace information that confirms that view while ignoring, or rejecting, information that casts doubt on it.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201504/what-is-confirmation-bias …
Anti-Trumpsters already think the theory is bunk.
People who love Trump think the pundits spewing facts and logic are part of the Deep State coup.
You have to reach the people who can be swayed. How do you do that?
By hitting the same point (phrased without negatives) over and over.
Pundits & intellectuals spend their time showing why the theory is wrong.
They say, “The FBI doesn’t spy on people” & “There’s no Deep State.”
Notice that those phrases repeat “deep state” and “FBI spy on people.”
See that? When you refute a lie, you repeat it and amplify it.
In 2016, Trump controlled the media narrative. He’s doing it again.
Liberals, intellectuals, and pundits keep falling for it.
The message needs to be powerful, and it needs to be phrased positively. Like this: Trump has deep ties to Russia, Trump takes foreign bribes
Trump has deep ties to Russia . . .
Trump has a simple plan for beating the Mueller charges: Undermine the findings. Undermine the investigation. Win in the court of public opinion.
Before you laugh at the latest cuckoo theory, consider that it might work.
Look 👇👇Trump is delighted with his “invigorated strategy.” He says “spy” instead of “informant” because it plays better in the media, not because it’s true.
AP: "Trump told one ally this week that he wanted 'to brand' the informant a 'spy,' believing the more nefarious term would resonate more in the media and with the public." https://t.co/YIFHS2PItp
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 23, 2018
Well, the “Ministry of Propaganda” didn’t hide what it was doing, either.
