Yotam Ophir Links Trump Attack to Misinformation
Yotam Ophir, associate professor of communication at the University at Buffalo, was quoted in Salon about the upcoming trial of Ryan Wesley Routh, who is accused of trying to kill Donald Trump.
Ophir, who studies misinformation and extremism, said Trump quickly used the incident to blame the political left, adding to the country’s deep divisions. He explained that people often turn to conspiracy theories during times of fear because they offer clear explanations and someone to blame — even if those explanations aren't true. This, Ophir warned, can make things worse by spreading false ideas and increasing political tension.
“We strive for order and meaning (some of us more than others) and we really struggle to accept how vulnerable we all are, to death, to crime, to a deadly virus,” Ophir said. “A conspiracy theory, as scary as it may be, offers some comfort in the form of order and clear explanations. If we know who to blame, maybe we also know how to solve the problem.”
