“COVID Truthers Have Found a New ‘Pandemic’ to Freak Out About”

Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the Daily Beast story “COVID Truthers Have Found a New ‘Pandemic’ to Freak Out About.” Barkun, who is an expert on extremism and conspiracy theories, explained how conspiracy theorists often distort ideas or policies from global organizations to justify their own ideas. “Generally, whenever a large international organization formulates a plan, no matter how innocuous it may appear, conspiracists interpret it as a blueprint for a global takeover,” Barkun said.