Is There a Conspiracy?

People who peddle conspiracy theories often do so to deflect from the fact that they themselves are trying to conduct a conspiracy. In the case of like Trump, spreading conspiracy theories that the Democratic Party had secretly rigged the election was just a way for him to deflect from organizing a coup. Back to Hofstadter, he's not just focused on McCarthy in the mid 20th century. He jumps back much earlier to the late 19th century. And this was a very popular idea that the Roman Catholic Church was trying to overthrow the government within the United States.