The Smoking Chair

When Attacks Replace Answers: How Ad Hominem Became a Default Defense

January 10, 2026

Rather than answering evidence, many accused parties attack the person making the claim. Known as the ad hominem fallacy, this tactic has become a defining feature of modern political discourse, especially on social media and partisan news platforms.

The Claim That Won’t Go Away: Did Other Countries Empty Their Mental Institutions Into the U.S.?

December 29, 2025

For years, Donald Trump has insisted that foreign governments emptied their mental institutions and sent those people into the United States during the Biden presidency. There is no evidence this ever happened. This article examines where the claim came from, why it persists, and why it matters.