Follow the Fox? Elite Influence and White Support for the Great Replacement Theory

ABSTRACT Recent years have witnessed an increase in white Americans’ support for the Great Replacement Theory (GRT), the xenophobic conspiracy theory that posits that political elites are embracing permissive immigration policies to bring in “obedient” voters who will vote for them and who will eventually replace native white citizens. This conspiracy theory has been publicly endorsed by several conservative political figures and prominently featured in conservative media outlets, most notably Fox News. This article uses the American Multiracial Panel Study to investigate whether exposure to Fox News is associated with support for the GRT. We find clear and consistent evidence that whites who receive their political news from Fox News are significantly more likely to support core tenets of the GRT than those who do not. We consider our results as evidence of the continued influence of elite rhetoric on public opinion and the unique impact of Fox News on the nature and origins of white public opinion about immigration and the nation’s demographic future.