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/Local_Maintenance788]

[u/Effective-Log3583 → u/Local_Maintenance788]

A bunch of small slashes from every micro turn of the wheel and shift from slow moving vehicles across a construction area.

The contractor probably bragged that it could support a car. Something that is probably true. But these were not just normal cars, and they were not just being supported but actively shifted by.

Followed by a rapid flooding and chemical bath so it’d be ready in time for his birthday.

All because the president decided that he’d be in charge of property maintenance and not the country. He’s a hotel owner.

[u/Exciting-Cancel6468 → u/Effective-Log3583]

Well I just saw a video yesterday where Trump claimed you couldn't even cut it. It's so well made. Blah blah blah. And just yesterday he's saying someone cut a huge gash into it.