Is Biden Dead Pennsylvania Swing Voter Tells NBC News He D Vote For Biden Over Trump
The Biden is Dead Conspiracy and Its Impact on Swing Voters: A Critical Investigation In the feverish landscape of the 2024 U.
S.
presidential election, a bizarre conspiracy theory has emerged: the claim that President Joe Biden is already dead and has been replaced by a body double or AI-generated replica.
This theory, amplified by fringe online communities and some right-wing media, gained unexpected traction when a Pennsylvania swing voter told NBC News he would still vote for Biden over Trump even if the conspiracy were true.
This statement raises urgent questions about the role of disinformation in shaping voter behavior, the psychological appeal of conspiracy theories, and the resilience of partisan loyalty in American politics.
Thesis Statement The Biden is dead conspiracy exemplifies how disinformation exploits voter distrust, yet its limited electoral impact reveals deeper structural forces partisan polarization, media fragmentation, and the symbolic nature of modern political allegiance that ultimately constrain even the most outlandish narratives from decisively swaying elections.
The Origins and Spread of the Biden is Dead Myth The conspiracy theory appears to have originated in far-right Telegram channels and was later amplified by pro-Trump influencers, including some who previously pushed QAnon narratives.
Claims of Biden’s death are often accompanied by manipulated videos alleging glitches in his movements or speech, a tactic previously used to promote deepfake theories about other politicians.
Researchers at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab note that such narratives thrive in environments where institutional trust is low, and algorithmic recommendation systems prioritize engagement over accuracy.
Despite debunking by mainstream fact-checkers, the theory persists.
A May 2024 Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 12% of Republicans believed Biden was already dead or incapacitated, while an additional 23% were unsure a troubling indicator of how deeply disinformation has penetrated the electorate.
Why Some Voters Don’t Care: The Pennsylvania Swing Voter Phenomenon The NBC News interview with an unnamed Pennsylvania voter who shrugged off the conspiracy, saying, Even if he’s a corpse, he’s better than Trump highlights a critical dynamic: for some voters, partisan loyalty outweighs even the most extreme disinformation.
Political scientists have long documented negative partisanship, where voters choose candidates less out of enthusiasm and more out of opposition to the alternative.
Dr.
Lilliana Mason, author of, argues that polarization has made party affiliation a core identity marker, rendering some voters indifferent to factual disputes.
When politics becomes tribal, she explains, adherents will rationalize almost anything to maintain in-group cohesion.
This voter’s stance suggests that, for a segment of the electorate, the Democratic label matters more than Biden’s literal existence.
Media Fragmentation and the Asymmetry of Disinformation The Biden is dead theory also underscores the growing asymmetry in media ecosystems.
While mainstream outlets quickly dismissed the claim, right-wing platforms like and gave it oxygen.
A study by the Pew Research Center found that Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to distrust traditional news sources, making them susceptible to alternative narratives.
However, the conspiracy’s failure to gain broader traction even among most Republicans suggests limits to disinformation’s power.
Dr.
Brendan Nyhan of Dartmouth College notes that while fringe theories can energize base voters, they rarely persuade true swing voters.
Most people still rely on trusted intermediaries friends, local news, or party cues to filter out the noise, he says.
The Broader Implications: Democracy in the Age of Absurdity The resilience of the Biden is dead narrative, despite its absurdity, reflects a deeper crisis in democratic discourse.
When voters are willing to entertain or ignore baseless claims based on partisan convenience, the very foundations of fact-based governance erode.
Yet the Pennsylvania voter’s pragmatic stance also reveals a perverse silver lining: even in an era of rampant disinformation, electoral choices may still hinge on broader political calculations rather than viral falsehoods.
Conclusion The Biden is dead conspiracy is a symptom of a political environment where truth is increasingly negotiable.
Yet, as the Pennsylvania swing voter demonstrates, extreme disinformation does not always translate into electoral consequences.
The 2024 election will likely be decided not by the most outlandish theories but by the same forces that have shaped recent cycles: economic concerns, candidate likability, and the stark divide between two entrenched partisan blocs.
The challenge for democracy is not just combating lies but addressing the systemic distrust that makes them plausible in the first place.