US Leader amplifies claim predecessor was executed and replaced by 'clone'

Trump's embrace of conspiracy theories seen as part of broader erosion of public trust and institutional legitimacy.

WASHINGTON — In a late-night social media post over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump shared a conspiracy theory alleging that former President Joseph R. Biden had been “executed in 2020” and replaced by a robotic clone — the latest instance of the nation’s leader disseminating disinformation to millions of his followers.