Pro-Trump general floats ridiculous conspiracy that vaccines are being deviously put in salad dressing

Former US General Michael Flynn is the lastest one to go down the rabbit hole of misinformation. The former US national security adviser has endorsed a theory that the 'deep state' is putting Coronavirus vaccines in your salad dressing. Flynn worked under the Trump administration and resigned in disgrace in 2017 after admitting to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak. The credibility of the former general took a nosedive when he repeatedly pushed conspiracy theories related to the 2020 election, claiming that the election was stolen from Donald Trump. He even went as far as suggesting that Trump should suspend the Constitution and hold a new election under military authority, reported Newsweek.

He endorsed the completely unsubstantiated and bizarre conspiracy theory the Coronavirus vaccines were being put in salad dressing during an appearance on a show dedicated to election fraud and Coronavirus conspiracies. In the video shared online, Flynn can be heard saying, "Somebody sent me a thing this morning where they're talking about putting the vaccine in salad dressing. Have you seen this? I mean it's — and I'm thinking to myself, this is the Bizarro World, right? This is definitely the Bizarro World.… These people are seriously thinking about how to impose their will on us in our society, and it has to stop."

The conspiracy theory appears to stem from a mischievous twist of a recent story where researchers at the University of California-Riverside said they were trying to grow edible plants that can carry the same medication as an mRNA vaccine. The UC-Riverside team said the idea was to make plant-based mRNA vaccines, which could survive at room temperature rather than requiring cold storage like current vaccines. The requirement of cold storage facilities for storing and transporting vaccines has proved to be a hurdle in underdeveloped countries. The conspiracy theorists certainly had a field day as they gave the story a wild spin and interpreted it as the 'deep state' trying to inject vaccines into lettuce and pushing it to the public without them being made aware of it.

It's not the first time that Flynn has pushed bizarre conspiracy theories the former general aligning with various QAnon conspiracy theory in recent years. On Independence Day, 2020, Flynn posted a video reciting an oath for QAnon conspiracy theorists. Earlier this year, Flynn was banned from Twitter for pushing conspiracy theories. Flynn was named as a national security adviser by Donald Trump but left the job in 22 days it emerged that he misled then–Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about communications with a Russian official. Flynn's stint as national security adviser proved to be the shortest in American history. He also admitted to lying to the FBI about his conversation with Kislyak and reached a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller to plead guilty to a felony count of "willfully and knowingly" making false statements to the FBI. "My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel's office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions," said Flynn in 2017. He was pardoned by former President Donald Trump. 

Michael Flynn is now a darling of right-wing conspiracy theorists and is guilty of pushing conspiracy theories against the safety of the Coronavirus vaccine. Flynn was recently part of a conservative “ReAwaken America” tour featuring Donald Trump loyalist donors pushing lies on election fraud and features conservative doctors pushing vaccine skepticism in a series of events in Florida, Michigan, and other states, reported The Guardian.

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