What Is The Conspiracy Surrounding Pizzagate?

Pizzagate is a conspiracy theory that emerged during the 2016 US presidential election cycle, falsely linking Hillary Clinton and other Democrats to a child sex trafficking ring. The theory originated from 4chan and spread on the mainstream internet when a Reddit user posted a document with all the “evidence” several days before the election. The theory alleged that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her campaign chair John Podesta were using a Washington pizzeria. Over the past few weeks, Donald Trump supporters and white supremacists on social media have pushed the conspiracy theory, leading to headlines like “Pizzagate: How 4Chan Uncovered the Pizzeria”.

The online disinformation campaign known as Pizzagate targeted Alefantis with a storm of rumors. Millions of people have read about the conspiracy theory, and an untold number of them actually believe it. One person took matters into his own hands and showed up to support the theory. The false theory targeting Democrats, now fueled by QAnon and teenagers on TikTok, is entangling new targets like Justin Bieber. Elon Musk continued to boost the debunked conspiracy theory in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

In summary, Pizzagate is a far-right conspiracy theory purportedly linking the Clintons, other prominent Democrats, and their associates to a child sex trafficking ring. It has gained widespread popularity, with millions spreading the false rumor about a Washington pizza restaurant and a child sex ring.