No. 2 Indiana official embraces ‘chemtrails’ conspiracy theory
The lieutenant governor of Indiana believes the federal government is maliciously using airplanes to spray chemical trails into the sky that are capable of altering the weather and controlling human behavior.
Republican Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith emphatically embraced the “chemtrails” conspiracy theory Tuesday with a post on X/Twitter that applauds a seemingly nonexistent task force for stopping “the real climate criminals” on behalf of Republican President Donald Trump.
“Rogue feds have been spraying toxic sludge over our skies, manipulating weather, and endangering public health — and they’re finally getting cuffed. Deep‑state ‘spray chiefs’ thought they could poison America from 30,000 feet with zero consequences. Not anymore,” Beckwith said.
Chemtrails believers erroneously contend the long lines of white clouds, known as contrails, that sometimes are visible from the ground when hot airplane engine exhaust interacts with the extremely cold air at high altitudes contain something more sinister than water vapor.
People are also reading…
There is no factual support for the chemtrails theory and Trump’s own Environmental Protection Agency says it’s not aware of any deliberate actions to release chemical or biological agents from jet aircraft into the atmosphere.
Though U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently admitted on the “Dr. Phil” television program that he’s a chemtrails believer.
In that vein, Beckwith said he’s warning “every unelected bureaucrat who treats our air like a science‑fair Petri dish” that “Indiana will NEVER tolerate geo‑terrorism from Washington’s swamp labs or Bill Gates’ globalist pals.”
“We demand full exposure, full accountability and criminal prosecutions — because sunlight (not aluminum dust) is the best disinfectant. Keep watching the skies — and keep praying for truth to rain down harder than their chemical cocktails,” Beckwith said.
The lieutenant governor’s office did not identify what Beckwith is doing to find out whether anyone in Indiana government coordinated with the federal government to release chemtrails over the Hoosier State since high-altitude flying began more than a century ago.
Republican Gov. Mike Braun, who would be succeeded by Beckwith as Indiana’s chief executive should the 71-year-old no longer be able to serve, did not respond to a question about whether he shares Beckwith’s belief in chemtrails.
The Republican-controlled General Assembly this year declined to act on House Bill 1335 and Senate Bill 364, co-sponsored by state Sens. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, and Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, that would have made it a misdemeanor crime to discharge a chemical in Indiana’s atmosphere to intentionally affect the intensity of sunlight, temperature or weather.
Meet the 2025 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond
1st House District
Represents: Hammond, Whiting
Experience: State representative since 2018; retired Cook County, Ill., probation officer
Committees: Elections and Apportionment (ranking member); Environmental Affairs; Family, Children and Human Affairs; Natural Resources
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago
2nd House District
Represents: East Chicago, Gary (west side), Hammond (east side)
Experience: State representative since 2016; small business owner
Committees: Government and Regulatory Reform; Roads and Transportation (ranking member); Ways and Means
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary
3rd House District
Represents: Gary (downtown and east side), Hobart, Lake Station, New Chicago
Experience: State representative since 2018; attorney
Committees: Agriculture and Rural Development; Financial Institutions; Government and Regulatory Reform (ranking member)
State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
4th House District
Represents: Valparaiso, Kouts
Experience: State representative since 2006; aviation safety consultant
Committees: Roads and Transportation; Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications (chairman)
State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City
State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City
9th House District
Represents: Michigan City, Beverly Shores, Chesterton, Long Beach
Experience: State representative since 2018; retired small business owner
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Environmental Affairs; Natural Resources (ranking member)
State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage
State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage
10th House District
Represents: Portage, Burns Harbor, Dune Acres, Ogden Dunes, Porter, South Haven
Experience: State representative since 2008; financial solutions associate
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Employment, Labor and Pensions (ranking member); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron
State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron
11th House District
Represents: Hebron, Cedar Lake, DeMotte, Lowell, Morocco, Roselawn, Schneider
Experience: State representative since 2014; farmer, former state environmental regulator
Committees: Agriculture and Rural Development (chairman); Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Environmental Affairs
State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster
State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster
12th House District
Represents: Munster, Griffith, Highland
Experience: State representative since 2020; small businessman
Committees: Financial Institutions (ranking member); Roads and Transportation; Ways and Means
State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary
State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary
14th House District
Represents: Gary (south side), Merrillville, unincorporated Calumet Township
Experience: State representative since 1990; education professor at Indiana University Northwest
Committees: Education (ranking member); Local Government
State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville
State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville
15th House District
Represents: Dyer, Schererville, St. John
Experience: State representative 2012-18, reelected 2020; small business owner
Committees: Financial Institutions; Rules and Legislative Procedures (vice chairman); Ways and Means
State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer
State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer
16th House District
Represents: Rensselaer, Knox
Experience: State representative since 2022; farmer
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Environmental Affairs (vice chairman); Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications
State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point
State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point
19th House District
Represents: Crown Point, Hobart, Lakes of the Four Seasons, Wheeler, Winfield
Experience: State representative 2014-2018, reelected 2020; small business owner
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development (vice chairwoman); Family, Children and Human Affairs; Rules and Legislative Procedures
State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
20th House District
Represents: LaPorte
Experience: State representative since 2016; small business owner
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Roads and Transportation (chairman); Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications
State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland
State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland
1st Senate District
Represents: Highland, Dyer, Griffith, Merrillville, St. John, Schererville
Experience: State senator since 2022; project manager
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Local Government; Pensions and Labor; Public Policy
State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago
State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago
2nd Senate District
Represents: East Chicago, Hammond, Munster, Whiting
Experience: State senator since 2008, previously served 1994-98; attorney
Committees: Appropriations; Insurance and Financial Institutions (ranking member); Judiciary; Tax and Fiscal Policy
State Sen. Mark Spencer, D-Gary
State Sen. Mark Spencer, D-Gary
3rd Senate District
Represents: Gary, Hobart, Lake Station, Merrillville, New Chicago
Experience: Former Gary councilman; arts educator
Committees: Commerce and Technology; Elections; Family and Children Services; Homeland Security and Transportation (ranking member); Public Policy (ranking member); Utilities; Veterans Affairs and the Military (ranking member)
State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton
State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton
4th Senate District
Represents: Chesterton, Beverly Shores, Burns Harbor, Michigan City, Portage
Experience: State senator since 2021; attorney
Committees: Appropriations; Corrections and Criminal Law (ranking member); Ethics (vice chairman); Judiciary (ranking member); Pensions and Labor; Rules and Legislative Procedure
State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso
State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso
5th Senate District
Represents: Valparaiso, Hebron, Wheeler, Jasper County
Experience: State senator since 2007; attorney
Committees: Appropriations; Health and Provider Services (chairman); Homeland Security and Transportation; Rules and Legislative Procedure; Veterans Affairs and the Military
State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell
State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell
6th Senate District
Represents: Lowell, Cedar Lake, Crown Point, DeMotte, Winfield
Experience: State senator since 2014, state representative 2012-14; small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs (chairman); Local Government; Tax and Fiscal Policy
State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
8th Senate District
Represents: LaPorte County
Experience: State senator since 2016; consultant
Committees: Corrections and Criminal Law; Health and Provider Services; Local Government
#lee-rev-content { margin:0 -5px; }
#lee-rev-content h3 {
font-family: inherit!important;
font-weight: 700!important;
border-left: 8px solid var(–lee-blox-link-color);
text-indent: 7px;
font-size: 24px!important;
line-height: 24px;
}
#lee-rev-content .rc-provider {
font-family: inherit!important;
}
#lee-rev-content h4 {
line-height: 24px!important;
font-family: “serif-ds”,Times,”Times New Roman”,serif!important;
margin-top: 10px!important;
}
@media (max-width: 991px) {
#lee-rev-content h3 {
font-size: 18px!important;
line-height: 18px;
}
}
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article {
clear: both;
background-color: #fff;
color: #222;
background-position: bottom;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
padding: 15px 0 20px;
margin-bottom: 40px;
border-top: 4px solid rgba(0,0,0,.8);
border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.2);
display: none;
}
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article,
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article p {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, “Apple Color Emoji”, “Segoe UI Emoji”, “Segoe UI Symbol”;
}
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article h2 {
font-size: 24px;
margin: 15px 0 5px 0;
font-family: “serif-ds”, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif;
}
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article .lead {
margin-bottom: 5px;
}
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article .email-desc {
font-size: 16px;
line-height: 20px;
margin-bottom: 5px;
opacity: 0.7;
}
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article form {
padding: 10px 30px 5px 30px;
}
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article .disclaimer {
opacity: 0.5;
margin-bottom: 0;
line-height: 100%;
}
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article .disclaimer a {
color: #222;
text-decoration: underline;
}
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article .email-hammer {
border-bottom: 3px solid #222;
opacity: .5;
display: inline-block;
padding: 0 10px 5px 10px;
margin-bottom: -5px;
font-size: 16px;
}
@media (max-width: 991px) {
#pu-email-form-politics-email-article form {
padding: 10px 0 5px 0;
}
}
.grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; }
