In a Saturday night tweet, Trump attacked CNN, saying the network’s international division “represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly.” A few minutes later, Trump tweeted an alternative: MagaPill.com.
Wow, even I didn’t realize we did so much. Wish the Fake News would report! Thank you. https://t.co/ApVbu2b0Jd
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2017
The name MagaPill is a riff on “red pill,” a term popular with white nationalists and others on the far right. A metaphor based on a plot line from The Matrix, it refers to the process of normalizing extreme views. MagaPill is also active on Gab, a social network favored by white nationalist and banned from the Google app store violating its hate speech policy.
But while Trump presents MagaPill as the antidote to “fake news,” the site regularly traffics in unhinged conspiracy theories. Just a few hours before being endorsed by Trump, MagaPill posted a video from Liz Crokin, a fringe figure best known for pushing the Pizzagate conspiracy. In the video, Crokin claims there is a sex tape of Hillary Clinton with an underage girl on Anthony Weiner’s laptop.
.@LizCrokin is #WOKEAF
Hidden Files on Anthony Wiener's laptop to bring down the Cabal.Watch Full Vid: https://t.co/Aw4AKPgxRM pic.twitter.com/QHk66zYoOf
— MAGA PILL 🏵️ (@MAGAPILL) November 25, 2017
Another recent MagaPill post features an “interesting flow chart” which combines nearly every conspiracy theory imaginable: “false flag terrorism,” “organ harvesting,” “child/human sacrifice,” “weaponize forced vaccination,” “earthquake machines.”
Interesting 'Flow Chart' of #TheSwamp pic.twitter.com/5THoB7J5XV
— MAGA PILL 🏵️ (@MAGAPILL) November 18, 2017
Another post refers to Lady Gaga as a “spirit cooker,” a conspiracy theory associated with Pizzagate that alleges Gaga participates in satanic rituals.
The Spirit Cooker presiding over the Globalist cabal.
It's a sick representation of what we are fighting against.#MAGA @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/jjDcHLbQI3— MAGA PILL 🏵️ (@MAGAPILL) October 22, 2017
The MagaPill account also has embraced conspiracy theories related to the October mass shooting in Las Vegas, posting links to InfoWars and suggesting there is a cover up.
You can't teach a coward to be a soldier. https://t.co/C6DM3TcxjV
— MAGA PILL 🏵️ (@MAGAPILL) October 4, 2017
They don't want there to be a debate about the vegas shooter. There's a Massive online campaign effort going on to suppress conversation
— MAGA PILL 🏵️ (@MAGAPILL) October 3, 2017
Shortly after Trump tweeted a link to the MagaPill website, it went offline. On Twitter, the MagaPill site immediately alleged there was a conspiracy to suppress information about Trump’s accomplishments.
During the presidential campaign and as president, Trump has repeatedly retweeted accounts linked to white nationalism and conspiracy theories.