Jim Hoagland: Trump’s conspiracy theories just don’t add up

Donald Trump has never seen a conspiracy theory he didn’t like. His venture into politics was on the coattails of the birther movement. After years of promoting the birther conspiracy that President Obama wasn’t born in Hawaii, he only recently and halfheartedly recanted – all the time winking to his Trumpers who remain convinced the birth certificate is a phony.

With polls showing Trump flailing, he tells supporters that he cannot lose a fair election. To paraphrase: “The only way I could lose is if the election is rigged. The system is rigged, folks. Trust me, it’s a disaster.”

With revelations about his boasting of being able to sexually abuse women and then the outpouring of women who claim he has done just that, he has espoused a new conspiracy theory. The co-conspirators include the Clintons, the Republican party, Paul Ryan, the news media and global plotters directing the women – the most sinister conspiracy since Ted Cruz’s father plotted to assassinate President Kennedy.

Here’s a new conspiracy theory: The Donald was teleported to earth by alien scientists who were ashamed and embarrassed by a failed laboratory experiment. Donald, show us your phony birth certificate.

This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Jim Hoagland: Trump’s conspiracy theories just don’t add up."