Just when you thought they couldn’t get any more anti-Trump deranged.

There’s crazy, and then there’s #TheResistance crazy, which is a whole other level.

The latest evidence comes from Twitter/cable news star and conspiracy theorist Richard Painter, who is a Democrat candidate for Senate in Minnesota.

Painter is the poster child for how Twitter rewards the most insane anti-Trump rhetoric from people who, at one point in their lives, were legitimate. You can count many law professors among those who have made names for themselves with the general public by being the person who will outdo everyone else in their Trump derangement. (Think, Laurence Tribe.) It generates thousands (and sometimes tens of thousands) of retweets and followers, and the inevitable guest appearances on MSNBC and CNN.

And if you are a “Republican” who says outrageous things about Trump and Trump supporters, then you will be promoted endlessly on TV (think, Ana Navarro).

Painter has been screaming “treason” since Trump was in office, which we covered in Stop taking Richard Painter seriously given history of outlandish statements and treason accusations:

Richard Painter is the Vice Chair of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a left-wing activist group. In December 2016, Painter replaced in the position of Vice Chair … wait for it … David Brock. Yes, that David Brock, the consummate Democratic oppo-research attack dog, leader of Media Matters, and now American Bridge. That David Brock was Vice Chair of CREW tells you everything you need to know about the group. But you will almost never hear this part of Painter’s resume when he appears on TV, which he does quite often. You might hear that he’s a professor at U. Minnesota Law School. But most of all, you will hear that he is a former George W. Bush administration Chief Ethics Lawyer (2005-2007). But in the age of Trump, his entree to TV commentary has been relentless Trump bashing — there is nothing the media loves more than someone who served in an Republican administration but now attacks Trump. And Painter’s main TV role is to attack Trump in outlandish terms. I never heard of Painter — and I bet you never did either — until he started fulfilling the TV role of attacking Trump. Painter called on Electors not to vote for Trump when the Electoral College met because of the Emoluments Clause in the Constitution due to Trump’s ownership of hotels in which foreign government officials stay… Painter has said he’s worried about “KGB agents running around the West Wing” in the White House and National Security Council…. One of Painter’s themes is to toss in the word “treason,” as in this MSNBC appearance in March 2017 …

Painter, because he plays the card of being a former Bush administration official, can drive headlines:

Painter is a central figure in #TheResistance, as we explored in Richard Painter and the David Brock-engineered partisan “non-partisan” CREW. He may be a Twitter nutter, but he’s an influential Twitter nutter.

He’s now running for Senate, Anti-Trump Activist Richard Painter’s First Ad is a Dumpster Fire – Literally:

Painter’s latest conspiracy theory, which is burning through #TheResistance ranks, is that Donald Trump may have engineered Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement in some improper way, and there needs to be an investigation.

Painter didn’t invent this conspiracy theory, that *credit* goes to The New Republic article he retweeted, as well as Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden:

The entire conspiracy theory — that Trump somehow induced Kennedy to retire because Kennedy’s son, in his role as an investment banker, funded Trump in the past — makes zero sense. As many others have pointed out, for there to be influence, wouldn’t the money have to flow to, not from, a Kennedy family member?

More important, the story isn’t even true (tweets via Twitchy):

I worked at deutsche bank for 8yrs

I worked with Justin Kennedy

I read the stories – reached out to some former colleagues for their reaction

Here’s some broader context/perspective- Neither of which fit in 240 characters

(Part 1/2) pic.twitter.com/Ug8UQxhVlW — Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) June 29, 2018

This is so nuts. #ResistanceNuts

The lunacy is only getting worse—just imagine if Trump gets to replace a liberal justice, toohttps://t.co/6ApQi7ICHL — Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) July 1, 2018



