# Trump's toadies are coming after Wikipedia **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 2, 2025, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779 "2025-05-02T03:24:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/1 "2025-05-02T03:24:33Z")
It was only a matter of time, I suppose. The interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia is challenging the Wikimedia Foundation’s non-profit status: > **[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2025-05-01/In the media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2025-05-01/In_the_media)** > > As first reported by The Free Press, interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin (who has been nominated by president Donald Trump to serve permanently in that role of DC's top prosecutor) has accused "Wikipedia (of) allowing foreign actors to manipulate information and spread propaganda to the American public." Martin claims that "information received by my Office demonstrates that Wikipedia’s informational management policies benefit foreign powers." These and other serious acc... The Trump administration cannot tolerate any independent source of information. ---
**Author:** ![bodangus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@bodangus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bodangus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/2 "2025-05-02T03:36:37Z")
I hope this place is bulletproof ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/3 "2025-05-02T04:00:07Z")
Doubtful. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/4 "2025-05-02T09:57:34Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > The Trump administration cannot tolerate any independent source of information. Absolutely not. Authoritarians can not tolerate any form of dissent, even the most minor. And the fact that Wikipedia doesn’t restrict contributors to properly screened, certified non-DEI cis White het male Christian republicans just means it’s tainted with “foreign influences”. Why, some people are using Wikipedia cites to “prove” that the Trump administration is attempting to scrub history! > [@bodangus](#): > > I hope this place is bulletproof > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Doubtful. No, not bulletproof. I’m hoping obscure enough that they don’t get to us for awhile ---
**Author:** ![TeroSunbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terosunbear/32/14748_2.png) [@TeroSunbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeroSunbear)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/5 "2025-05-02T11:36:57Z")
Foundation page > **[Home – Wikimedia Foundation](https://wikimediafoundation.org/)** > > The nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation provides the essential infrastructure for free knowledge. We host Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, created, edited, and verified by volunteers around the world, as well as many other vital community... executives > **[Executive Team Archives – Wikimedia Foundation](https://wikimediafoundation.org/role/executive/)** > > The Wikimedia Foundation executive team oversees departments, internal teams, and staff. “The Wikimedia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.” Why can’t they move to say Canada? ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SmartAlx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlx)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/6 "2025-05-02T15:19:59Z")
Can to blame them? Wikipedia has been notoriously left biased for decades. It’s clearly a propaganda arm of the democrat party. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SmartAlx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlx)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/7 "2025-05-02T15:22:47Z")
If you think Wikipedia is independent, you’re either being deceptive or you’re being foolish. Just because you agree with their slant, that doesn’t mean they aren’t slanted. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/8 "2025-05-02T15:34:32Z")
Got any specific examples to show us? ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/9 "2025-05-02T15:40:06Z")
I’m guessing the response will be: > **[2020 United States presidential election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election)** > > Donald Trump > Republican > Joe Biden > Democratic ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/10 "2025-05-02T15:43:08Z")
> [@SmartAlx](#): > > It’s clearly a propaganda arm of the democrat party. I’m guessing the irony of this phrase " It’s clearly a propaganda arm of the democrat party" will be totally lost. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/11 "2025-05-02T15:45:41Z")
> [@SmartAlx](#): > > It’s clearly a propaganda arm of the democrat party. There is no “democrat party” in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/12 "2025-05-02T16:03:28Z")
Yeah, facts and truth have a notoriously left-wing bias. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/13 "2025-05-02T16:19:31Z")
Erdogan, Putin, Musk, Orban, Trump, and the list could go on. What do they have in common? Among many other vices: a deep hate of Wikipedia. And Greenpeace, and **[Médecins Sans Frontières](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9decins_Sans_Fronti%C3%A8res)**, and the International Tribunals (all of them, there are many), and minorities (except their respective own, which they claim is a moral majority if need be) and, and, and… And because they are mean spirited, persistent and don’t care for legality or fairness they often win. Sad. Almost as sad as waiting fifteen years in obscurity only to come back and start a post with a spelling mistake in the first two words. Come to think of it, it is actually funny. And fitting: content and form and all that. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/14 "2025-05-02T16:52:39Z")
> [@SmartAlx](#): > > Can to blame them? Wikipedia has been notoriously left biased for decades. It’s clearly a propaganda arm of the democrat party. Hmmm. Okay, so if the government should pointedly investigate bias and falsity, then by the same right you fully 100% endorse Fox News being dragged across the coals and having it’s licensing revoked since it’s own knowingly incorrect reporting, slant, and efforts to create false, politically biased news was amply demonstrated in their own documents released during the discovery phase of their recently(ish) settled lawsuit? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/15 "2025-05-02T16:59:24Z")
You are arguing “right vs. wrong” with people that are operating on a “win vs. lose” mindset. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/16 "2025-05-02T17:08:58Z")
Moi? Perhaps. I feel it is worthwhile to determine if the quote in question should be applied to all sources of propaganda, especially in a case where there’s direct, court-documented evidence, rather than unsupported allegations. I mention this because, well, almost all such allegations of bias and illegal activity (including the specific from the OP) from the current administration have been sadly lacking in any actual evidence. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/17 "2025-05-02T17:20:16Z")
Offered without comment necessary, > Conservapedia Fund Inc, Designated as a 501(c)(3), Tax-exempt since May 2009 > [Conservapedia Fund Inc - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/263176163/) But clearly, this is about 501(c)(3)s being biased! ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/18 "2025-05-02T17:29:13Z")
I’d stop posting this one if it wasn’t the perfect comment for so many things under this guy and his regime: _“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State."_ –Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian, paraphrasing Joseph Goebbels, WWII German Propaganda Minister [Also: Wikipedia may _appear_ to have a leftward bias for the same reason basketball may seem to feature a lot of taller-than-average people playing.] ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/19 "2025-05-02T17:44:19Z")
Oh, yeah. Also worth repeating… This is #6 in Laurence Britt’s “**[14 Characteristics of Fascism](https://secularhumanism.org/2003/03/fascism-anyone/)**:” > **A controlled mass media** > > Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779/20 "2025-05-02T18:42:28Z")
I can say definitively that Wikipedia is not an arm of the Democratic Party. I can say this with insider knowledge. I was an administrator over there for years. And for the vast majority of that time, I was politically conservative. My struggle was containing my **right wing** bias, and I’d like to think I did a pretty good job. It was at times difficult to go against my own beliefs to ensure neutrality in articles, and to treat editors fairly when I disagreed with them politically, but I did it. I was also at one time the primary person looking after conflict of interest complaints on the site, and dealing with people who wanted to edit articles with a conflict of interest. And funny enough, the only time I recall working with a political group was when I collaborated with Newt Gingrich’s campaign manager at the time to make changes to his article. (Basically, the campaign manager would lodge a complaint or make a request, we would verify that the request fit with the best information our reliable sources claimed, and if it was reasonable we would make the changes, and if not we’d explain why we couldn’t.) The web site strives its best to be neutral and factual as much as it can with the information available, and with different editors who might disagree with the best way to present that information. That’s a real passion there. When verifiable facts don’t match the lies that the right are trying to push, well then it might seem that the site has a bias against them. But that’s like saying that police are biased against the guy who keeps getting caught committing crimes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-toadies-are-coming-after-wikipedia/1017779.md?page=2)