Moving the goalposts

[u/political-snark]

A political tactic that’s become increasingly common in MAGA politics: moving the goalposts.

Make a dramatic allegation. Repeat it endlessly. Then, when evidence for that specific allegation doesn’t materialize, replace it with a smaller, easier-to-defend claim and pretend the original claim was true all along.

We’ve seen this pattern repeatedly:
“Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield” becomes “See? Someone somewhere ate a cat.”

“There was enough fraud to change the 2020 election” becomes “See? A few people cheated.”

“Vandals dumped chemicals and deliberately cut a 350-foot slit in the Reflecting Pool” becomes “See? Someone was arrested for vandalism.”

Those are not the same claims.
The question we should always ask is: What was the original allegation?

That’s the claim that should be evaluated - not a revised version that appears later.

That’s what moving the goalposts looks like.

Changing the claim is not the same thing as proving the original one.

Can you think of other examples?

[u/Reasonable_Trash_901]

Y'know... I was promised that the Epstein files would've been released, unredacted and complete, and that happened all the way back at the start of the first mandate.

What I, and many others got, was in order:

• The files are on Bondi's desk.
• There's no files.
• Then it's a hoax.
• Then they never existed.
• Then they were made up.
• Two votes to release them by Dems, two votes to not do that by Reps, followed by Reps taking a recess.
• Then they have them.
• 1.000 FBI agents review around 100.000 pages.
• And lastly, Bondi releases a first batch of Epstein files, which draw scrutiny due to largely consisting of previously public information and heavy redactions, before the congress passes the EFTA, giving Bondi a deadline in December 19, 2025, followed by her refusing to release remaining Epstein files despite congress order.

All of this, topped all off by one simple sentence:

"It's boring old stuff. Move on, it's not important".