Some right-wingers are convinced Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) just revealed a false flag operation planned by Democrats in the event that former President Donald Trump wins the 2024 election.
The conspiracy theory stems from a Sunday interview on MSNBC, in which Waters expressed concern about the potential for violence should Trump lose to President Joe Biden.
“This is a man who we better be careful about,” Waters said. “And I’ll tell you what I’m going to do: I’m going to ask the Justice Department and I’m going to ask the president to tell us what they’re going to do to protect this country against violence if he loses. I want to know about all of those right-wing organizations that he’s connected with who are training up in the hills somewhere and targeting, you know, what communities they’re going to attack.”
Specifically, it is Waters’ claim about right-wing agitators “training up in the hills”—which she did not cite any evidence for—that drew the most outrage and has fueled the false flag narrative.
“This means the Dems have something very bad planned,” one X user wrote. “They always accuse us of what they are up to. Not good!!!”
“‘I’m going to tell the feds to pull a false flag and frame Trump supporters as violent’…Maxine Waters May 2024,” wrote another user.
“That’s their plan, and they are just turning it around on us,” commented someone else. “Nice try, but bring it.”
“They’re laying the groundwork for something, we all need to stay on our toes,” theorized someone else. “They’re going to do everything they can to villainize the right because hating on MAGA is the only platform they have for November.”
“She’s projecting – that’s exactly what her and her Antifa friends are doing in preparation for the November elections…” concurred another user.
Wrote another right-wing user: “Maxine Waters is telling you what they are doing if Biden loses. It’s called projection.”
But not everyone took Waters’ comments the same way, some users instead lamented in jest that they were disappointed to not have been invited to train in the hills.
Joked one person: “Dang it, the training started already?? I missed the invite. Can’t believe I missed out.”
While there is no public information indicating any planned violence on behalf of right-wing groups, a report from WIRED last week found that many such groups have re-emerged in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The groups, which comprise largely of militias, have been utilizing Facebook in order to reorganize and recruit new members.
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