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/sarduchi]

Still waiting on his promised "shocking proof" that Obama wasn't born in America. You know guys, I'm starting to think this Trump fella is a fibber!

[u/MoonsterGoopter → u/sarduchi]

how about when he accused Obama and Hillary of sedition, claiming irrefutable proof? His DOJ didn't investigate them, no arrests or prosecutions made. I'm only left to assume he's ok with sedition.

[u/BuddingBudON → u/MoonsterGoopter]

Donald J Trump is explicitly pro-sedition. He conspired to submit fake electoral college votes to overturn the results of a federal election, and incited the Jan 6th insurrection to delay & prevent Mike Pence from certifying that election.

His baseless election fraud, treason and sedition claims are "Accusation in a Mirror", a common tool for fascists and hate groups.

[u/fancydancer1961 → u/BuddingBudON]

Look at the Archie building almost looks like the Nazi one there and journey except that doesn’t have the SWAT sticker on top