American Thinker (Opinion)

U.S. far-right

Background

American Thinker was co-founded in 2003 by Thomas Lifson, a former Harvard sociologist and business consultant, along with health-care consultant Richard Baehr and attorney Ed Lasky; the site began daily publication in January 2004. It operates out of California and publishes opinion essays and commentary rather than original reported news. The outlet gained broader attention during the 2008 presidential campaign, largely through aggressive criticism of Barack Obama. It describes itself as a conservative publication and has consistently backed Republican candidates and causes. In January 2021, facing a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, American Thinker published a retraction admitting it had spread 'completely false' claims that Dominion's software was used to rig the 2020 election, acknowledging it had relied on 'discredited sources.' Media fact-checkers, including Media Bias/Fact Check, rate it as far-right with a history of publishing misinformation and unverified claims. Coverage of the second Trump administration (since January 2025) has been strongly supportive, with articles praising policy changes and describing 2025 as the start of a 'revolution.'

Sources

1. American Thinker – Wikipedia
2. American Thinker Media Bias | AllSides
3. American Thinker – Bias and Credibility | Media Bias/Fact Check
4. Meet the Harvard Man Behind American Thinker – theRighting
5. About Us – American Thinker
6. Right-Wing Site American Thinker Retracts 'Completely False' Dominion Voting Systems Claims – The Daily Beast
7. Did a Conservative News Site Admit Its Voter-Fraud Claims Were False? | Snopes
8. Looking Back at 2025: The Revolution Is Just Beginning – American Thinker

Profile compiled 2026-07-31; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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