MAGA conspiracy theorists had to engage in Simone Biles-level mental gymnastics over the years as they have seen countless claims by Donald Trump be debunked or turned into nothingburgers.

It turns out Barack Obama was an American citizen the whole time. Osama Bin Laden was actually killed by Navy SEALs. John F. Kennedy Jr. is not coming back. The “Pizzagate” restaurant was really just a place that sold pizza. And of course, the election of 2020 was not stolen.

These conspiracy-lovers never faltered in their support for the president, even as they continually had to explain why the claims he made kept turning out to be false. Because their gymnastics mostly lead to the ultimate conspiracy: the deep state.

It's easy to see why people would embrace the idea of a deep state and why they viewed Trump as the person to fight against it. In 1958, 73 percent of Americans trusted the government. That number is now at 22 percent. Vietnam, Watergate and Iraq, among other disasters, led to drops in government trust. It is not just MAGA voters who feel this way. Black Americans, ultra-liberals,........

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