Conspiracy theorists are claiming that former President Barack Obama is currently serving a secret third term, advising President Joe Biden on a number of issues, including how to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and use it against them.
Over the weekend, far-right mouthpiece Laura Loomer joined in on the theory after NBC News reported that Obama had been advising the White House on AI at the request of Biden.
The news, according to Loomer, showed not only that Obama is the actual president but that he intends to use AI to target supporters of former President Donald Trump.
“I HOPE EVERYONE IS PAYING ATTENTION! BARRACK HUSSEIN IS GOING TO PUSH FOR AI TO TARGET TRUMP SUPPORTERS! MARK MY WORD!” Loomer hysterically wrote on X. “THIS IS OBAMA’S 3rd TERM!! OBAMA IS CALLING THE SHOTS IN THE ILLEGITIMATE BIDEN REGIME!”
Although NBC News indicates that Obama’s help came to an end last week after Biden signed an executive order creating government oversight of AI development, Trump supporters reacted furiously to the admission from the White House.
“Not the only thing Obama has advised the White House on,” another user said, despite reporting to the contrary. “Obama’s third term! Trump won.”
“This isn’t Joe Biden’s 1st term,” a conservative state representative added. “It’s Barack Obama’s 3rd.”
Some falsely suggested that such a collaboration was unconstitutional. Other conspiracy theorists, who have simultaneously been claiming that both Trump and Obama are actually the current president, felt vindicated by the news.
“It should read President Obama is currently running the White House in his shadow third term,” one commenter said of the NBC News article.
Yet the notion was also widely mocked on the social media platform by those familiar with the conspiratorial and debunked claims of Loomer and others.
“Good to know Biden consults past Presidents on important decisions,” one user said. “What past Presidents would even talk to Trump?”
“Loomer, are you not tired of baseless conspiracy theories,” a second user said. “Obama is living rent free in the heads of MAGA and Trump.”
Presidents seeking input and guidance from their predecessors is not an unusual or new phenomenon. The reporting from NBC News also never once mentions Trump supporters, despite Loomer’s remarks.
The conspiracy theory has been circulating online in multiple forms ever since Biden’s election victory. Even Trump has repeatedly suggested to his followers that Obama is secretly running the Biden administration.
“It’s never been worse than it is now under crooked Joe Biden and, frankly, his boss, Barack Hussein Obama,” Trump said last month during a campaign stop. “I think it’s his boss.”
