Do Trump Voters Link Jews to Conspiracies?
Conspiracy theories and antisemitism have long been intertwined, but recent research sheds new light on their relationship in political ideology. A study published in Political Research Quarterly (Lewis, 2025) reveals that neutral, factual information about Jewish history and culture can amplify conspiracy thinking—especially among Trump voters. Unlike Biden voters—who associated conspiracy theories with Jewish political power—Trump supporters became more likely to believe in vague, far-reaching conspiracies simply by being reminded of Jewish identity. These findings highlight how political ideology influences not only what people believe but how they interpret information.
Conspiracy Thinking, Antisemitism, and Political Ideology
Conspiracy thinking refers to the tendency to believe that major world events are secretly orchestrated by shadowy, powerful groups. This psychological pattern has been linked to distrust in institutions and a general skepticism toward official narratives. Historically, conspiracy theories often intersect with antisemitic stereotypes, as Jewish communities have long been accused of clandestinely controlling global finance, the media, and political systems.
The persistence of antisemitic conspiracies is closely tied to populist political movements, which frequently frame elite groups—often imagined as disproportionately Jewish—as conspiring against the common people. Yet until now, researchers have struggled to determine whether antisemitic attitudes lead to belief in conspiracy theories, or if a general conspiratorial mindset breeds antisemitism.
Why Study This Relationship?
Jacob S. Lewis, an assistant professor at Washington State University, sought to empirically test how exposure to different kinds of information influences belief in conspiracy theories and antisemitic attitudes. His study aimed to answer key questions:
- Does learning about Jewish identity increase conspiracy thinking?
- Are Trump voters and Biden voters prone to different patterns of conspiratorial associations?
- How does exposure to conspiracy theories influence perceptions of Jewish power?
Overview of the Research Study
To investigate these questions, Lewis designed an experiment that surveyed around 1,000 Trump voters and 1,000 Biden voters in the U.S., as well as 800 left- and right-leaning UK voters. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of three different vignettes—short informational passages—or a neutral control.
Types of Vignettes Used in the Study
- The Populism Vignette
- Discussed how politicians often accumulate wealth while in office.
- Emphasized the disconnect between elites and ordinary citizens, echoing populist rhetoric.
- The Conspiracy Theory Vignette
- Featured social media posts promoting the debunked “Great Reset” conspiracy theory.
- Suggested that world events were being manipulated by secretive global elites.
- The Jewish Identity Vignette
- Provided neutral factual information about Jewish immigration patterns, contributions to Hollywood, and notable Jewish public figures.
- Did not include any conspiratorial language or suggest Jewish control over institutions.
- The Control Vignette
- Contained entirely neutral, non-political content (e.g., explanations about infrastructure improvements).
This experimental approach allowed researchers to isolate the specific impact of Jewish identity references on beliefs about conspiracies.
Key Findings: Political Differences in Conspiratorial Thinking
Trump Voters: Jewish Identity as a Conspiracy Trigger
One of the most striking findings was that for Trump voters, exposure to neutral Jewish-related information significantly increased their belief in conspiracy theories.
- After reading about Jewish culture and historical contributions, Trump voters were more likely to endorse broad, vague conspiracy theories.
- This included beliefs that global crises, such as COVID-19, were deliberately engineered, or that wars and financial collapses were secretly orchestrated.
- The fact that even neutral, factual references to Jewish identity could activate conspiratorial thinking suggests a deeply ingrained association between “Jewishness” and secret power among these voters.
Biden Voters: Conspiracies Strengthen Perceptions of Jewish Political Power
The pattern among Biden voters was noticeably different:
- Exposure to conspiracy-related vignettes increased their perception that Jewish people hold disproportionate political and economic power.
- However, unlike Trump voters, they did not develop new conspiracy beliefs. Instead, they viewed Jews as more influential within existing power structures.
- This suggests that, while left-leaning individuals may be less prone to general conspiracy thinking, they still endorse stereotypes about Jewish influence in politics and finance when primed with conspiratorial ideas.
UK Participants: Different Cultural Responses
American political polarization appeared to play a major role, as UK participants did not react the same way:
- Right-leaning UK voters did not show significant changes in conspiracy belief after reading Jewish-related content.
- Left-leaning UK voters, however, were more likely to endorse an antisemitic stereotype that Jewish people are more loyal to Israel than their home country.
- This suggests that antisemitic attitudes may manifest differently in different political cultures: in the U.S., prejudice is linked more strongly to conspiracy thinking, while in the U.K., it may be expressed through national identity concerns.
Why Does Jewish Identity Trigger Conspiracies Among Trump Voters?
Three key psychological mechanisms could explain the Trump voter response:
- Confirmation Bias: People tend to interpret new information in ways that reinforce their existing beliefs. If someone is already prone to conspiracy thinking, neutral mentions of Jewish history may be unconsciously linked to the idea of hidden elites controlling world affairs.
- Conspiracy Schemas: Those who regularly consume conspiracy-related content often categorize new information into recognizable patterns—so even neutral references to Jewish figures might trigger associations with well-known antisemitic tropes.
- Historical and Cultural Stereotypes: Long-standing antisemitic myths about Jewish elites controlling financial institutions may make Trump voters subconsciously view any mention of Jews in positions of power as suspicious.
Societal Implications
The study’s findings raise major concerns about how misinformation spreads:
- If simply referencing Jewish history or culture automatically reinforces conspiracy beliefs, combating antisemitism becomes significantly harder.
- The polarization of conspiracy thinking by partisan identity suggests that debunking myths requires different strategies for different political groups.
- In the long run, preventing antisemitic conspiracy theories from taking hold means understanding how ordinary political discussions—especially online—can unintentionally reinforce prejudices.
Future Research Directions
Given these unsettling results, future studies should explore:
- Longitudinal research tracking whether exposure effects are temporary or long-lasting.
- International comparisons to see how political culture influences the relationship between Jews and conspiracy beliefs.
- Interventions to reduce conspiratorial thinking, particularly among susceptible partisan groups.
Jacob Lewis’s research delivers an alarming insight: Even neutral discussions about Jewish culture can activate conspiratorial thinking among Trump voters. This suggests that antisemitic conspiracy narratives are deeply embedded in certain political ideologies, capable of surfacing even when no conspiratorial intent is present.
For Biden voters, exposure to conspiracy theories did not necessarily generate new conspiratorial beliefs but did increase their perception of Jewish political and financial power—indicating that different political identities shape antisemitic biases in distinct ways.
As misinformation and political polarization continue to shape public discourse, understanding the cognitive mechanisms behind these biases is essential for fighting conspiracy theories and preventing dangerous stereotypes from spreading further.
FAQs
What does recent research say about the relationship between Trump voters and conspiracy beliefs?
Trump voters exposed to neutral Jewish information became more likely to endorse conspiracy theories.
How does neutral information about Jews influence conspiracy thinking differently among political groups?
Trump voters linked Jewish references to broader conspiracies, while Biden voters saw them as reinforcing Jewish political influence.
What mechanisms might explain why Jewish references trigger conspiratorial responses?
Confirmation bias, conspiracy schemas, and historical antisemitic stereotypes contribute to these reactions.
How were surveys and experiments structured in this study?
Participants received one of three vignettes—populism, conspiracy, or Jewish identity—while a control group read neutral content.
Were these results unique to U.S. participants, or did UK participants show similar trends?
UK participants showed no significant shifts in conspiracy beliefs, though left-leaning UK voters endorsed some classic antisemitic stereotypes.
What future research directions could further clarify these relationships?
Longitudinal studies, international comparisons, and strategies for reducing conspiratorial thinking could provide deeper insights.
Citations
Lewis, J. S. (2025). Conspiracy and antisemitism in contemporary political attitudes. Political Research Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/10659129251318350
