2000 mules and one big lie: A stubborn conspiracy theory – Jim Cliff

Skeptics in the Pub Online Podcast

In May 2022, conservative filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza released 2000 Mules, a film which attempts to show that the 2020 US election was stolen by Democrats, and to provide a mechanism by which this took place – a coordinated effort to ‘harvest’ ballots and distribute them around ballot drop boxes in battleground states using paid ‘mules’. The film is based largely on assumptions, anomaly hunting, assertions without evidence and previously debunked claims. Where evidence is presented it has frequently been misinterpreted or taken out of context, or simply doesn’t support the conclusions the filmmakers claim. This talk provides a brief window into Jim’s obsession with debunking the film’s fractal wrongness.

Jim Cliff is an author, video editor, and former BBFC examiner who’s always been fascinated in why people believe crazy things. He’s the producer and host of the podcast Fallacious Trump, where he and other host Mark explain logical fallacies using examples from Trump, pop culture and British politics. If he gets his arse in gear, his latest book, 2000 Mules and One Big Lie, will be released at the beginning of September.

The music used in this episode is by Thula Borah and is used with permission.