1/ THREAD. Even before Trump, Birchers, Birthers, Chemtrailers, 9/11 Truthers, and other various fringe "black helicopter" conspiracy kook misfits have spent decades trying to infiltrate the conservative movement.

2/ The rise of the Tea Party allowed once ostracized nutters, who put fabricated fairy tales above ideology, a voice. Trump merely capitalized on this, and, no matter how corrupt, was rewarded with the presidency and unequivocal fealty for doing so.

4/ Even talk radio grifters like Rush Limbaugh, who used to appear sane, know there is no profit in educating ideological conservatism... This is why, under Trumpism, they all sound like tinfoil hat-wearing Alex Jones.

3/ Today, like it or trump it, with QAnon, DeepState, PizzaGate, ObamaGate, and a litany of COVID-19 nutbaggery, the fringe is the mainstream and intellectual constitutional conservatism is the fringe.

5/ I think it's important to note that while conspiracy loonies predominantly support Trump, because of this long-standing bastardization, there are many self-proclaimed NeverTrump "conservatives" who are also prone to concocted "alternative truths."

x/ Bottom line. Conspiracy kookdom has absolutely NOTHING to do with fiscal, social, or national security conservatism, yet in the age of damnable Trumpism, in order to be a "conservative," believing and circulating bunkum takes top priority.

God help us all.

#ETTD