Chemtrails: Trumpism’s Next Foray Into Abusurdity
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s (RFK) egregious mismanagement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – was previously noted in our April 18 item “RFK Jr. and the Twilight of Health and Science in the United States”. His philosophical and methodological embrace of a science denialism is taking root in American legislative circles.
Last month, Republican legislators in Florida began considering a bill which would ban so-called “geoengineering and weather modification” in the state, effectively a nod to the long standing “chemtrails” conspiracy theory. This is described as follows:
“The chemtrail conspiracy theory /ˈkɛmtreɪl/ is the erroneous belief that long-lasting condensation trails left in the sky by high-flying aircraft are actually “chemtrails” consisting of chemical or biological agents, sprayed for nefarious purposes undisclosed to the general public. Believers in this conspiracy theory say that while normal contrails dissipate relatively quickly, contrails that linger must contain additional substances. Those who subscribe to the theory speculate that the purpose of the chemical release may be solar radiation management, weather modification, psychological manipulation, human population control, biological or chemical warfare, or testing of biological or chemical agents on a population, and that the trails are causing respiratory illnesses and other health problems.”
Wikipedia. “Chemtrail conspiracy theory.”
On May 29, Louisiana lawmakers advanced their own chemtrails bill. Speaking on the floor of the Louisiana House, Republican State Representative Kimberly Landry Coates claimed that chemtrails contain toxic substances with unpronounceable names, and asserted that at least nine federal agencies were involved in dispersing them. The bill now proceeds to the Louisiana Senate and, if passed, will head to the Governor’s desk for signature. Tennessee’s Republican-led legislature passed a comparable bill in April, and it now awaits signature by that state’s governor.
Although seemingly drawn from science-fiction tales of the past, scholarly sources trace the origin of this conspiracy theory to the mid-1990s, following a US Air Force (USAF) publication on the possibility of weather control through cloud-seeding and other technology. By the end of the decade, the “chemtrails” conspiracy had grown considerably, thanks in large part to the fertile ground of Internet forums and fringe media. Social media platforms, including the Musk-owned X, have further propagated the chemtrails mythos, which has particularly taken root in far-right circles. Celebrities, including athletes and Internet influencers, have also bought into the chemtrail conspiracy, spreading and amplifying fear and misinformation.
It should be noted that the “chemtrail” concept has been debunked time and again, virtually from the very start of the conspiracy’s origin. In 2016, Environmental Research Letters published a particularly detailed study that juxtaposed the prevalence of chemtrails as an urban legend with the analysis and testimony from the scientific world:
“Nearly 17% of people in an international survey said they believed the existence of a Secret Large-scale Atmospheric Program (SLAP) to be true or partly true. SLAP is commonly referred to as ‘chemtrails’ or ‘covert geoengineering’, and has led to a number of websites purported to show evidence of widespread chemical spraying linked to negative impacts on human health and the environment. To address these claims, we surveyed two groups of experts—atmospheric chemists with expertize in condensation trails and geochemists working on atmospheric deposition of dust and pollution—to scientifically evaluate for the first time the claims of SLAP theorists. Results show that 76 of the 77 scientists (98.7%) that took part in this study said they had not encountered evidence of a SLAP, and that the data cited as evidence could be explained through other factors, including well-understood physics and chemistry associated with aircraft contrails and atmospheric aerosols. Our goal is not to sway those already convinced that there is a secret, large-scale spraying program—who often reject counter-evidence as further proof of their theories—but rather to establish a source of objective science that can inform public discourse.”
Environmental Research Letters. Quantifying expert consensus against the existence of a secret, large-scale atmospheric spraying program
It seems, then, that local legislators and executive-appointed officials can be counted among those who “who often reject counter-evidence as further proof of their theories.” The Florida Statehouse is now the third state legislature to take up the question of chemtrails in recent months, coinciding with the Trumpites’ enthusiastic and unrelenting embrace of fear-mongering and pseudoscience. The Florida measure is SB 56:
“The measure (SB 56), sponsored by Miami Republican Ileana Garcia, would prohibit the injection, release, or dispersion of any means of a chemical, chemical compound, substance, or apparatus into the atmosphere for the purpose of affecting the climate.”
Any person or corporation who conducts such geoengineering or weather modification activity would be subject to a third-degree felony charge, with fines up to $100,000. If an aircraft operator or controller commits a third-degree felony, they could be subject to a fine up to $5,000 and up to five years in prison.”
Florida Phoenix. Florida Senate approves ban on geoengineering and weather modification • Florida Phoenix
For his part, Florida’s far-right Governor Ron DeSantis has indicated that he will sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk. In public comments regarding the matter, DeSantis seemingly acknowledged the fringe appeal of the conspiracy-driven campaign, adding new layers to the mythos by invoking right-wing talking points regarding climate change:
“I think it’s kind of caricatured as kind of kooky,” DeSantis said during a May 6 news conference in Miami. “But if you look, there are movements, private businesses, and their view is: We can save you from global warming by injecting different things in the atmosphere, blocking the sun and doing all this stuff.”
Phys.org. Florida bill would ban ‘chemtrails’ and ‘geoengineering.’ But what are they?
Unsurprisingly, RFK Jr. endorsed this initiative in principle via social media and pledged the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
“In an X post … Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that as states moved “to ban geoengineering our climate by dousing our citizens, our waterways and landscapes with toxins. This is a movement every MAHA needs to support. HHS will do its part.” MAHA refers to Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement.”
State lawmakers are looking to ban non-existent ‘chemtrails.’ It could have real-life side effects. | CNN
Kennedy has since elaborated, providing his own spin on the question of chemtrails. In early May, Kennedy was the featured guest in a “town hall” interview facilitated by television personality and MAHA proponent Phil McGraw (aka “Dr. Phil”). In the spectacle that ensued, RFK Jr. overtly entertained the “chemtrails” conspiracy in an exchange with a “concerned” attendee:
“My biggest concern is the stratospheric aerosol injections that are continuously peppered on us every day,” she said. “Bromium, aluminum, strontium — it’s sprayed in our skies all day long.”
When McGraw asked Emily if she had a specific question, she said, “Yes, how do we stop it?”
Kennedy responded. “That is not happening in my agency. We don’t do that. It’s done, we think, by DARPA,” he said, referring to the Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. “And a lot of it now is coming out of the jet fuel. You know, those materials are put in jet fuel. I’m going to do everything in my power to stop it.”
Poynter. RFK Jr. says DARPA is spraying chemtrails — with no evidence and no basis in fact – Poynter
The above-noted quote marks a watershed moment in the evolution of the chemtrail conspiracy theory. Kennedy, the high-ranking government official purportedly is the guiding source for health, medicine, and safety in the United States. He has now openly suggested that the Department of Defense is intentionally deploying massive amounts of weaponized chemicals on the American public, ostensibly for nefarious purposes. Kennedy has not publicly called out Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for any role in this alleged scheme, although logic dictates that Hegseth and his staff would have to have some hand in an endeavor that utilizes military hardware and tremendous swaths of American airspace.
The chemtrails conspiracy theory defies both science and logic. But it is now effectively woven into the political fabric of Trump’s America. It is also only one example of the pseudoscience and science denialism that will surely impact the health and the lives of Americans for many decades to follow.
