Trump's Truth Social Rampage Defies Calls for National Calm
In the aftermath of violent unrest in Minneapolis, which tragically included federal agents shooting and killing two American citizens, many voices across the nation are urgently appealing to President Donald Trump to help de-escalate the situation and reduce the national temperature. However, rather than heeding these calls for calm and unity, Trump embarked on a significant posting spree on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday evening. This digital outburst was characterized by a flood of memes, widely debunked conspiracy theories, and outright falsehoods that have further inflamed political divisions.
Baseless Accusations of Treason Against Obama
In one particularly incendiary post, Trump directly accused former President Barack Obama of committing "treason." The post featured a video from the previous summer, in which Trump claimed Obama was caught "absolutely cold" in an attempt to "rig" elections. He alleged that Obama collaborated with former President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former FBI director James Comey in this supposed scheme. "Barack Hussein Obama is the ringleader," Trump asserted in the video, adding, "It's there, he's guilty. This was treason, this was every word you can think of." It is crucial to note that no credible evidence has ever emerged to support these serious allegations, which legal experts and fact-checkers have repeatedly dismissed as unfounded.
Expanding Conspiracy Theories to Include Global Entities
Additionally, Trump shared another bizarre post that expanded the conspiracy theory to include international and domestic actors. He claimed without evidence that China, Iran, Italy, Merrill Lynch, the CIA, the FBI, and others all worked in concert with Obama to "install Biden as a puppet." This assertion lacks any factual basis and represents a continuation of Trump's long-standing pattern of pushing conspiracy theories surrounding both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. These unfounded claims have been widely discredited by intelligence agencies, election officials, and bipartisan investigations.
Context of FBI Search in Georgia and False Walmart Claims
This social media activity occurred against the backdrop of an FBI search warrant execution at a Georgia election office earlier in the day. Georgia holds particular significance in this narrative, as it is the state where Trump infamously pressured Georgia's Republican secretary of state during a phone call to "find" enough votes to overturn his 2020 election loss. Furthermore, Trump disseminated two posts falsely alleging that Walmart would be closing 250 stores in California due to the state's minimum wage policies. Although this claim is demonstrably untrue, Trump included it alongside other attacks targeting California and its Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, who is reportedly considering a presidential run in 2028.
Governor Newsom's Swift Rebuttal on Social Media
Governor Newsom promptly responded to these allegations through his official "Press Office" account on social media. He highlighted the volume and nature of Trump's posts, noting that in just the last 60 minutes, the President had posted 56 times on Truth Social. One of these posts falsely claimed Walmart was closing 85% of its California stores because of a "$22 minimum wage," while another featured an AI-generated video where a robot accused Newsom of involvement in drug-money operations. Newsom's rebuttal underscores the rapid spread of misinformation and the challenges it poses to public discourse and factual accountability in the digital age.
