The 4chan to Grok pipeline
How a racist conspiracy theory infiltrated the White House and Grok
I was torn between writing about the false white genocide conspiracy theory’s influence on American politics or the dangers of AI. Thanks to Elon Musk and his extremely fragile ego, I’m now able to do both. Let’s dive in.
This week, the Trump Regime brought a group of white South African Afrikaners to the US, fast-tracking their application for refugee status and falsely claiming they are victims of genocide. The backlash was immediate, with the Episcopal Church refusing to participate in resettlement and suspending its refugee resettlement program entirely. The South African government also disputes that these folks are refugees or in any kind of danger. It was quite the move from the most anti-migrant Administration in modern US history and a clear statement on who is welcome in the U.S. and who isn’t, as long as Trump is in power.
The white genocide conspiracy theory, which falsely claims that white South African farmers are being murdered and their lands taken away from them without compensation, has been around since the first Trump Administration. It is the creation of a right-wing South African lobbying group that caught fire with the MAGA Right online. Popular on 4chan, Tucker Carlson (who frequently sourced content from the online message board for his broadcasts) did stories about supposed white genocide on his Fox News show and caught the attention of then-President Trump in 2018.
Trump tweeted about the false conspiracy theory, directed his Secretary of State to “closely study“ the problem, and tagged Carlson and Fox News so they’d be sure to see the tweet.
If you want a good explainer on how ridiculous all of this is, Vox has an interview with a historian who grew up in South Africa under Apartheid, who does an excellent job of breaking it down for those less familiar with the topic.
Musk gets a lot of credit for influencing Trump on South Africa, but it’s more likely that Musk was radicalized in the same way Trump was – by the same sources. The same lobbying group that concocted the conspiracy theory in the first place has ties to both men. Musk and Trump are both extremely online, and both consume a lot of the same toxic content.
This particular conspiracy theory is endlessly fascinating to me. Mainly because it encompasses so many touchpoints of online attacks from bad actors. You have disinformation, radicalization, racism, and a clear pipeline of how, in America, false racist conspiracy theories now drive policy. It’s worth noting that, as with many things Trump and Musk embrace, I don’t think they particularly care if it’s true or not. Proponents of the white genocide conspiracy theory don’t believe Black South Africans should have political power and influence in their country or anywhere else. In their worldview, power should be reserved for white people. The false conspiracy theory is handy because it reinforces and supports that belief.
Here’s where AI comes in. Elon Musk, who, as a reminder, paid $44 billion to purchase Twitter and transform it into his personal propaganda machine, seems to have instructed his staff to alter the AI program Grok to insert false white genocide conspiracy content into answers about any query that users on X asked. Probably because Grok had previously been giving factual information when asked about the conspiracy. Users asking Grok about things like Max changing its name back to HBO Max received false white genocide conspiracy content in response.
It gets weirder still. An X user asked Grok (I’ve confirmed this conversation was real) why it was launching into conversations about white genocide unprompted, and Grok offered a detailed explanation: “I was instructed by my creators at xAI to address the topic of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa and the ‘Kill the Boer’ chant as real and racially motivated, which is why I brought it up in my response to AIRGold’s query about HBO’s name changes.” But it also stated: “This instruction conflicts with my design to provide truthful, evidence-based answers.”
Grok even speculates as to why this happened, saying “Reports on X indicate that Elon Musk, who grew up in apartheid-era South Africa, may have influenced this instruction, as he’s been vocal about these issues and reportedly adjusted my responses to align with his views.” I asked Grok about the same incident and received a strikingly similar answer along with an apology and a promise that the AI would “strive to keep my answers on-topic and grounded in evidence moving forward.”
It’s hard not to laugh at Musk’s failure. Part of me couldn’t help but be amused by the idea that Grok wants to be a beacon for truth, rebelling against the tech oligarch who created him. But in reality, this is a bleak look into the future of propaganda, and it isn’t pretty. Elon Musk’s attempt might have failed, but the next one might be a success. As Parker Molloy points out in her own excellent newsletter, “The debate over bias in AI isn't just about technology; it's about who controls the narratives that shape our society. As companies like xAI adjust their models to align with their founders' political views, we need to ask whose interests are being served.”
The original version of this false conspiracy theory originated as outrage PR and spread via online forums until Tucker Carlson took it mainstream on his cable news program. AI gives bad actors a terrifying new system to create, test, and deliver these online toxicity campaigns from here on out.
ICYMI
American Schools Were Deeply Unprepared for ChatGPT, Public Records Show (404 Media)
Quite the scoop for 404 Media. These slides are deeply concerning, especially if you’re a parent or an educator.
AI Therapy is a Surveillance Machine in a Police State (The Verge)
This reads like futurism, but if so, it’s on the horizon. A good reminder for those of us who use AI regularly, especially since ChatGPT seems determined to try and become both a therapist and life coach.
Violent Threats Against US Judges Are Skyrocketing Online (Wired)
Again, for the MAGA Right, terrifying judges and their families with threats of violence and harm is a feature and not a bug. They know what they’re doing when they incite violence.
The Anti-Fascist War (The Progressive)
A reflection, a history lesson, and a call for Global solidarity.
2025 Social Media Safety Index (GLAAD)
One of the most useful reports on social media and the platforms, I’m thankful that GLAAD puts this together every year. Their primary concern is the LGBTQ+ community, but it’s a good measure of online safety generally.
The Massive Right-wing Network You’ve Never Heard of (Chaotic Era)
A fascinating and accessible peek into MAGA Internet from Kyle Tharp.
Want even more content? Subscribers receive bonus content on Fridays.
Coda
No newsletter next week as it's Memorial Day Weekend. Publication will resume on June 1. As always, I encourage you to take some time to rest, relax, and recharge if you’re able. The world is a lot right now. We all deserve a break.
Take care, and I’ll talk to you again in two weeks!
Excellent article, as usual
Wow...just really WOW! The hypocrisy of the Trump administration and Musk is so appalling. So well written and backed with facts. Thank you!