GOP Congressman Torches Fellow Republicans Supporting Trump’s Conspiracy Theories: ‘Covid is Real, the Kraken is Not’

Virginia Congressman Denver Riggleman joined an increasingly long line of outgoing Republican officials who find the nerve to call out President Donald Trump’s absurd conspiracy theories, and his own party members in support, only after they are on their way out of office.

Nonetheless, the former Air Force officer and NSA contractor gave what CNN’s John Berman described as a “fiery” floor speech that described his fellow Republican party members in a less than charitable manner, which earned Rep. Riggleman a lengthy interview Friday morning on CNN’s New Day. 

Riggleman is an expert on the phenomenology of conspiracy theories, and despite not believing in Bigfoot himself, he published a book titled Bigfoot…It’s Complicated, which explores how baseless conspiracy theories take on lives of their own. He referenced that knowledge in calling out members of the Republican party who have joined the Trump campaign’s effort to overturn the 2020 election results that led to President-elect Joe Biden.

“I think the Republican Party this morning is desperate,” Riggleman declared. “I also believe that the Republican Party is in fear, and I think it’s in fear of what’s going to happen to them if they don’t go along with the agenda that’s being set by the President right now.” He then blamed that “desperation and fear” for driving politicians’ actions whose number one priority is being re-elected.

He then referenced his speech on the House floor that CNN producers aired just before his interview began in which he called out fellow Republicans promoting baseless conspiracy theories. “And here’s what I want to tell people. COVID is real; the Kraken is not,” he said. “It’s that simple. And, you know, what’s why I’ve been so outspoken, as you started with the clip of me speaking yesterday about conspiracy theories.”

“My job now is to continue to speak as loudly as I can about the scourge of disinformation that’s infecting so many individuals through the Internet,” Riggleman concluded.

Watch above via CNN.

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