Why Believing in Conspiracies Can Predict Voting Habits

Donald Trump's presidential campaign was based on lies, yet he won. From the economy to immigration and abortion, his promises were far from the truth. Despite this, inflation is down, growth is up, and crime rates are low. Trump created a mindset where people could ignore facts and focus on hate instead. A poll found that those who believed in a violent crime wave favored Trump, while those who knew the truth didn't. The media and social media platforms have a role in this, but the deeper issue is the conspiracist mindset.

This mindset allows people to dismiss evidence and create their own reality. Once you adopt this mindset, any facts that don't align with your beliefs can be seen as part of a conspiracy. This is why social scientists warn about the link between conspiracism and totalitarianism. It makes rational debates impossible and turns everything into a plot against you. Even well-established facts like climate change and vaccines become targets. We need to address this mindset to improve our media ecosystem.

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