Pressed on his latest election conspiracy theories, Speaker Mike Johnson said they feel ...
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When the most powerful legislator in America defends conspiracy theories because they feel "instinctively" true, it's a masterclass in how motivated reasoning hijacks democratic leadership.
Motivated ReasoningConfirmation BiasEpistemic InjusticePost-Truth Politics
Theory Briefing
- Speaker Mike Johnson defended election conspiracy theories by saying they feel 'instinctively' true — substituting gut feeling for evidence.
- Motivated reasoning explains why people in power selectively accept claims that confirm their existing beliefs, regardless of proof.
- When leaders publicly validate instinct over fact, confirmation bias cascades through their base, making misinformation harder to correct.