"Military Aged Men": April Elections Brief

In this month’s report, we explore the way in which multiple dangerous narratives are reinforcing one another, and even supporting more extreme conspiracy theories. Specifically, we discuss the increased use of the phrase “military aged men/males” used to characterize the majority of migrants crossing the southern border. Alongside this rhetoric are influential speakers echoing the notion advanced by former President Donald Trump that the real threat to the U.S. is coming from within. These two narratives have spread online at the same time as a conspiracy theory suggesting that President Joe Biden and other Democrats are bringing migrants into the country to become soldiers and fight against Trump supporters. This is still a fringe theory that has yet to spread widely, but it provides a useful case study of how belief in dangerous speech can bolster even more extreme conspiracy theories.

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