As conspiracies about whether any of the three assassination attempts on President Donald Trump were staged or not, Michael speaks with Dartmouth professor Russell Muirhead, co-author of "A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy", about the rise of modern conspiracism and its impact on democracy. From JFK theories to 2020 election claims and online misinformation, Muirhead explains how social media and “a lot of people are saying” culture have replaced evidence with repetition — and why rebuilding trust, skepticism, and real-world connection is more important than ever. Original air date 13 May 2026. The book was published on 16 April 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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