Surely, one of the most influential businessmen and political leaders of the free world should receive frequent accusations of being a member of the Illuminati. So why the radio silence? Is Trump part of this secretive order, or a thorn in their well-heeled Achilles heel?
I enjoy listening out for new conspiracy theories. I rarely subscribe to them, but watching them swerve in and out of popularity is fascinating.
At one point in time, cattle mutilations were all the rage, today, the New World Order and crisis actors tend to take centre stage.
The Illuminati have remained popular in conspiracy circles for some years now. For anyone who hasn’t already come across them, in brief, the Illuminati are a group of shadowy, super-wealthy elite who run the world; they plot the rise and fall of pop stars, pull strings behind the political stage, insert sexual references into children’s cartoons, and, ultimately, plan on world domination at the expense of the poor.
Really, if you think about it, major corporations and politicians are already carrying out this type of take over in plain sight; the Illuminati, however, are considered to be one rung closer to Hades. According to believers, there’s more than a sniff of Satanic ritual and human sacrifice afoot.
If you’re interested in dipping your toes into the historical birth of the real Illuminati, click here.
Despite there being, as far as I can tell, no evidence that such a group of evil schemers exist, a huge number of celebrities have been cast as Illuminati, including Tupac, Peaches Geldof, Beyonce, Jay-Z (and his clothing range), Rhianna, and Rick Ross.
Anyone who is wealthy is likely to be accused of being a member; if they have become rich and famous in what appears to be a short space of time, it is all the more likely: they will be charged with selling their soul in exchange for an entrance ticket to the Illuminati inner circle.
So, to Donal Trump. As one of the most influential and wealthy men on the planet, you might expect a rush of accusations, perhaps dubbing him the Lord of the Illuminati.
But, actually, this hasn’t been the case. A quick Google search will show you that it has received little coverage at all.
I know some of you will be saying, “well, people have got better things to do with their time than make things up about the President of America.” We both know that’s not true. People love daft theories, and they love sharing them; whether they are half-baked or not even warmed through yet, people love bashing their keyboards.
It’s true, usage of the term “Illuminati” is on the wane, but it’s still a popular conspiracy talking point:
Trump hasn’t got away Scott free, though. In 2016, Janis and Gregory Kaighn decided to sue Donald Trump, alleging that he was a communist leader and part of the New World Order’s plan to take over America. At the time, this was laughable, although now, if anything, it seems slightly less daft.
The lawsuit explains their position like so:
“Donald Trump is a member of the ‘Illuminati.’ He is the ‘stealth’ Presidential candidate that is surreptitiously intending to steal our democracy and impose a permanent one ruler dictatorship on the United States of America. Donald John Trump is a member of the Communist Party and is legally ineligible to be President of the United States.”
Of course, nothing came of it. It was relatively big news at the time because people were so amazed that this unlikable man could possibly run for president — black magic didn’t seem out of the question. The media lapped it up, but it all quietened down shortly after.
Around the time he won the presidential vote in November 2016, there was a spike in search traffic for “Donald Trump Illuminati,” but it quickly died back down:
Most recently, it has been the opposing team that has been accused of Illuminati allegiance. According to some right-wing outlets and politicians, the FBI’s investigation into Russian meddling has the stench of Illuminati tendrils running through it.
And, I think this may provide a clue as to why the Donald has swerved accusations.
In the 90s, when conspiracy theories really started to gain traction, they were the domain of geeks and anoraks. Men (in the most part), with their eyes to the skies on the hunt for UFOs formed interesting theories to discuss in internet forums. It was a simpler time.
To give them their dues, conspiracy theories aren’t all a load of rubbish. Governments certainly don’t tell the truth all of the time, and there has been plenty of dodgy meddling behind the scenes over the years. In fact, trying to unpick conspiracy theories is a noble pursuit of truth, even if it has been taken a little too far by some folk.
Today, things are different; over the years, conspiracy theories have become mainstream; they make box office smashes, they create top-rated podcasts, they fill auditoriums. The geeks in their bedrooms continue to discuss the Yeti, the greys, and the faking of the moon landing, but they are now in the minority.
With Trump’s surprising support of Alex Jones and Alex Jones’ strange love of Donald, the right wing has been led kicking and screaming into the conspiracy theorist’s bosom.
Cattle mutilation and anal probes might not seem likely bedfellows of free-market economics and a hatred for immigration, but the right has been altered permanently by the Donald’s approach.
He has increased the popularity of the right by making promises to make people better off, and by telling them that there are shadowy people on the other team trying to do them over. He cries “fake news” when anything doesn’t suit his needs. This fake news mantra means that the others are lying, and they have an alternative agenda… it’s a conspiracy against him.
Although Trump didn’t invent the term fake news, he certainly breathed a new lease of life into it. Fake news’ new popularity is a fresh birth for conspiracy theories: it’s a shiny new, conservative-friendly term that means, pretty much, the same thing. Whenever Trump shouts “fake news!” he essentially means, “conspiracy!”
So, in my opinion, Donald Trump avoids being called Illuminati because he has made the world of conspiracy theories his own.
When he promotes his personal brand of conspiracy theories (which he does quite a bit), he waters down the concept for those who are still earnestly searching for truth.
In fact, some conspiracy buffs believe he is one of the Illuminati’s most ferocious opponents, having slipped in and stolen the U.S. top spot from Obama who, as we all know, was a paid up Illuminati member (according to reputable sources).
If I was a genuine, old school conspiracy theorists myself, I might say that he is, indeed, the Illuminati master. He has manipulated the entire concept of conspiracies and used them to make it almost impossible to use the phrase without thinking of him. He has melded right-leaning Americans and made them believe that he is the bringer of truth. I would say that he must be the most skillful Illuminati kingpin the world has ever seen.
That said, I’m not a conspiracy guy, really. I can’t believe he is capable of such high-level forward-planning. He certainly has changed the game substantially, though. If I was a betting man, I’d say he’s probably reptilian…
MORE ILLUMINATI:
