In the vast field of online political discourse, the Conservative Treehouse stands out as a noteworthy venue that has drawn both praise and criticism. Since its initial founding by Sundance in 2005, the website has developed into a hub for conservative opinion, analysis, and debates on a broad spectrum of political issues. Despite being well-known in some conservative circles, The Conservative Treehouse has not been without controversy. This article’s goal is to do a thorough examination of the platform, examining both its advantages and disadvantages.
Introduction and Goals
The Conservative Treehouse rose to fame because of its unique approach to news coverage and commentary. The platform positions itself as an alternative to traditional media, aiming to provide a conservative-leaning alternative point of view. The website claims to be an investigative journalism platform that aims to expose corruption and challenge the narratives presented by traditional news outlets.
Conservative Treehouse
Many have wondered how the Biden administration could have carried out the US troop withdrawal and the fall of Afghanistan with such gross negligence. Regarding this topic, it is important to draw attention to a rather obscure Q&A with Colorado Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO, CD05). The Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Mark Milley, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testified before the House Armed Services Committee on June 23, or almost seven weeks ago. Using his four minutes, Representative Doug Lamborn asked pointed questions about Afghanistan and voiced his concerns over early reports that appeared to show the Taliban had taken back power.
- Given the tenuous reliance on a single airport in Kabul, Lamborn inquired as to the possible risks connected with the closure of Bagram AFB. Lamborn also asked about the possible withdrawal of American allies from Afghanistan and the dangers facing women and girls if the Taliban won. The answer from General Milley and Defense Secretary Austin goes into great depth as to why the Taliban caught the White House off guard a week ago.
- Those completely false assessments of the situation in the region should have been sufficient justification for the dismissal of both Secretary Austin and General Milley, given the events that have transpired in Afghanistan. At the very least, this inadequate and wholly inaccurate viewpoint explains why the Biden administration was ignorant of what was going to happen.
- Congressman Doug Lamborn’s questions were right on target and, in retrospect, remarkably prescient. Excellent work, Lamborn! Hopefully, Austin is not telling the truth when he says that the U.S. embassy in Kabul will determine how women and girls are protected in Afghanistan. The Taliban have taken control of the US embassy in Kabul.
Impact of Conservative Treehouse on Conspiracy Theories and Presidential Tweets
Despite its reputation—or maybe because of it—the Conservative Treehouse continues to have a positive relationship with the president. Trump spread a hoax on Tuesday based on a website about Martin Gugino, a 75-year-old New Yorker who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage after Buffalo police officers shoved him to the ground while he was attending a protest. Gugino is still in critical but stable condition at the hospital. Trump said that, in contrast to what Gugino first looked to be, he was a potential “Antifa provocateur” trying to “scan police communications to black out the equipment.”
- Trump wrote on Twitter, “I observed; he fell harder than he was pushed.” “Aiming a scanner.” “Is it possibly a setup?” An OAN program that featured content from The Conservative Treehouse, a cable news network that supports Trump, served as the inspiration for the comment. It also provided yet another illustration of how the president’s tendency to mindlessly promote the views of those who are eager to flatter or clear him has brought the lowest ranks of conspiracy theorists on the Internet to national prominence.
- Kristian Rouz was a Russian journalist with dual duties. He covered both the OAN section and the official propaganda station, Sputnik. Rouz referenced The Conservative Treehouse as proof that Gugino was using a “police tracker” on his phone during the interaction and said that Gugino was using “common antifa tactics” and that the event was “another false flag operation orchestrated by the far-left organization Antifa.”
Criticism points
- Inadequate Transparency: One significant criticism leveled at the Conservative Treehouse concerns Sundance, the creator, being unidentified. Opposite to the idea that anonymity promotes unbiased journalism, there is a claim that openness is necessary to build credibility and that its lack undermines the platform’s validity.
- Conspiracy ideas: For its sporadic acceptance of conspiracy ideas, The Conservative Treehouse has come under fire. The website’s detractors claim that it has been linked to speculative reporting and the exaggeration of unconfirmed material, both of which aid in the spread of false information.
- Political leaning: The Conservative Treehouse faces criticism for its blatantly conservative leaning, even though it claims to be an unbiased alternative to conventional media. This prejudice may influence the themes selected and how tales are told, which may limit the variety of perspectives that are examined.
Among the Advantages
- Many people know The Conservative Treehouse for its in-depth investigative investigations, many of which cover topics that the mainstream media hasn’t given much thought to. Proponents claim that this commitment to thorough study leads to a more thorough understanding of complicated subjects.
- Engagement of the Community: The platform has successfully created a community made up of people with comparable interests who engage in discussions, trade viewpoints, and advance the discourse as a whole. Users often praise this sense of community for allowing them to connect with people who share their political beliefs.
- An Independent Opinion: Many conservatives hold The Conservative Treehouse in high regard for its ability to offer an unbiased opinion on news and current events. The platform positions itself as a strong alternative to the skewed reporting of conventional media sources.
An Entertaining and Opinionated Trump Adherent
The Conservative Treehouse is arguably the most bizarre and underappreciated blog on the pro-Trump internet when it comes to its effect. Fans refer to the remarks section as “branches,” where they assemble to speculate unreasonably about the critics of Donald Trump or discuss the latest twist in the “Russiagate” scandal. This website’s owner, formerly known as Florida resident Mark Bradman, rose to prominence during the George Zimmerman trial by identifying an unidentified witness who stated that Trayvon Martin, the teenager from Florida that Zimmerman shot, was an “undisciplined punk thug, drug dealer, thief, and aspiring gangsta.”
- The website has since been the focus of other frauds that have spread throughout the right-wing media landscape. Some falsehoods claim that Puerto Rican truck drivers were refusing to deliver hurricane relief supplies or that a top CDC official was “weaponizing” the coronavirus to hurt President Trump. Even after those lies were quickly disproved, The Conservative Treehouse is ranked as the 4,000th most popular website in the US by Alexa statistics.
- The site’s odd conspiratorial fanaticism has even confused some of Donald Trump’s most ardent fans in the right-wing media, as its dedicated commentators and pseudonymous operator, “Sundance,” leave them bewildered. Talk radio host Mark Levin has called it a “kook site.” Former Breitbart writer Lee Stranahan describes the website’s owner as a “cult-like follower” and an “egocentric lunatic.”
The Tea Party exploits conflicts of interest and Trumpian allegiance
The Conservative Treehouse has taken on a wide range of right-wing causes since its trial, including Republican investigations into the 2012 attack on an American compound in Benghazi, Libya, and the Bundy family’s purchase of the Malheur wildlife reserve in Oregon. The Conservative Treehouse became a hub for the conspiracy theory that deep state operatives staged the Russia inquiry to harm Trump during the Trump presidency. At the time, Sundance and his pundits painstakingly constructed stories surrounding Special Counsel Robert Mueller and, subsequently, the impeachment of Ukraine.
- Since the days of Trump’s 2015 campaign as a Republican for president, he and the Conservative Treehouse have always been admirers. As Trump’s campaign began to take shape and he emerged as the front-runner, poll after poll on The Conservative Treehouse’s Twitter account showed the former real estate mogul leading every other contender for the nomination. The candidate himself shouted out and retweeted these posts. Referencing the author’s critiques of Senator Marco Rubio and former Governor Jeb Bush, two of President Trump’s competitors in Florida, gave him a great deal of delight.
- The Conservative Treehouse’s owner and loyal readership have often clashed with other conservative personalities. Though Breitbart’s image appears on the banner of the former conservative provocateur “Sundance,” Stranahan has remarked on Twitter that the creator of The Conservative Treehouse, Andrew Breitbart, would have hated the current operator of the site.
- Conservative talk radio host Levin has also voiced his dislike of the website. Levin responded to articles published by The Conservative Treehouse that suggested talk radio presenter Bradman was backing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the 2016 Republican race by calling Bradman, a former Publix supermarket employee, a “disgruntled former grocery clerk” in Facebook posts.
Conservative Treehouse Disinformation Campaign and Martin Gugino Conspiracy Theory
As it turned out, the Conservative Treehouse piece misquoted Gugino as saying that he “scanned the mic” using an advanced communications device on one police officer. In a tweet, Conservative Treehouse’s account, @TheLastRefuge2, alerted its nearly 180,000 followers that “trackers” use the same technology to “electronically rob you without your physical presence in your home.” The post reads, “Once the frequency is captured (i.e., cloned), it is possible to monitor the device, replicate the signal, and/or intercept a transmission.”
- There are several holes in the theory that Gugino was using high-tech surveillance to spy on Antifa. First off, Gugino is not a member of Antifa; rather, he is a longtime supporter of neighborhood-based social justice groups like the Catholic Worker Movement and others. Moreover, the alleged “scanning” for which he is held responsible is technical gibberish with no supporting evidence from science.
- Naturally, the Conservative Treehouse piece did not include that specific context. Additionally, Trump’s endorsement of their claims highlighted the possible advantages of spreading false material intended to undermine leftist credibility and stoke right-wing fervor. Responses to inquiries for comment from Bradman, the purported owner of the website, were not received. Sundance Cracker was the alias that Conservative Treehouse proprietor “Sundance” later abandoned during the ethnically charged trial. The Conservative Treehouse gained prominence during the Zimmerman trial and the Tea Party movement; Zimmerman’s father described the research of its commenters as “astonishing.”
Finally,
Without a doubt, The Conservative Treehouse has carved out a unique niche for itself in the online conservative commentary space. Its broad notoriety has been attributed, in part, to its vibrant community and commitment to investigative reporting. However, the lack of openness and the platform’s sporadic support for conspiracy theories have raised concerns. Those who consume information should always take a critical position when interacting with websites like the Conservative Treehouse. They have to acknowledge the benefits and limitations of these kinds of sources, which, when taken as a whole, lead to a more thorough understanding of political issues.
FAQs about the Conservative Treehouse:
To be more precise, the Conservative Treehouse.
An unidentified person only known as Sundance founded the online platform The Conservative Treehouse in 2005. It serves as a hub for conservative opinion, investigative journalism, and discussion on a broad variety of political issues.
What is the Conservative Treehouse’s function?
The website positions itself as an alternative to traditional media, distributing conservative news and commentary on current events. Its aim includes investigating stories, exposing corruption, and questioning the narratives that traditional news channels provide.
Why is the creator of Sundance not mentioned by name?
Sundance secretly founded the Conservative Treehouse. The reasoning behind the choice to remain anonymous is that it supports unbiased journalism. On the other hand, critics argue that the lack of openness on the platform casts doubt on its legitimacy.
What sets the Conservative Treehouse apart from traditional news outlets?
One of the things that makes The Conservative Treehouse unique is that it offers a fair-minded, conservative perspective. Its main goals are community engagement and thorough investigative journalism, which it views as a replacement for the sometimes scant coverage provided by big media outlets.
Does the Conservative Treehouse participate in the spread of hoaxes?
The Conservative Treehouse has occasionally promoted conspiracy theories, which has drawn criticism. Critics argue that by promoting unreliable data and participating in speculative reporting, the platform has been connected to the spread of false information.
Is the Conservative Treehouse a reliable source of information?
Whether or not the Conservative Treehouse is trustworthy is up for debate. Supporters praise its unwavering commitment to investigative journalism, while others express concerns about potential bias and a lack of transparency. To get a complete picture, it is advised to cross-reference material from several sources.
Does the Conservative Treehouse favor any one political cause over another?
Even with its supposed neutrality, the Conservative Treehouse has come under fire from some who claim it overtly supports the conservative position. This prejudice may influence the themes selected and how tales are told, which may limit the variety of perspectives that are examined.
