Chemtrails Conspiracy Movement Streams into S.D. Republican Politics
Scientists say they are contrails not chemtrails
By Todd Epp, Northern Plains News
A growing movement centered on “chemtrails” conspiracy theories has found its way into South Dakota Republican politics, with some state lawmakers actively supporting efforts to ban alleged chemical spraying from aircraft.
Pledge Circulates Among Lawmakers
On April 4, 2025, State Representative Logan Manhart of Aberdeen shared a “Ban Chemtrails” pledge on his Facebook page that commits signatories to three specific actions:
1. Advocate for and support a statewide ban on the use of chemtrails in South Dakota.
2. Support legislation that authorizes the National Guard to take military action against aircraft engaged in the dispersal of chemtrails.
3. Sponsor or co-sponsor legislation to enforce this ban and ensure it remains strong, without dilution or compromise.
“Originally posted on April 4, 2025, the pledge reads: ‘By signing this pledge, I commit to protecting the health, environment, and sovereignty of South Dakota,” states the document posted on Manhart’s Facebook page on April 4, 2025.
Representative Dylan Jordan of Clear Lake has also signed the pledge, commenting in April 2025 “Yes!” on Manhart’s Facebook post, according to screenshots of the Facebook exchange.
Facebook Group Pushes for Action
The Facebook group “South Dakotans Against Chem Trails,” which has 327 members, is at the forefront of this movement. The group describes itself as being for those “committed to advocating for legislation that would obligate the National Guard to shoot down these poison pushing planes dispersing chem trails,” according to the group’s Facebook page as of April 2025.
Political Tensions Emerge
The movement has already created friction in South Dakota politics. According to a post in the Facebook group by Lori Jacobson Welch on April 3, 2025, “SD speaker Jon Hansen refused to, not only sign a pledge to ban chemtrails in SD, but refused to discuss the issue.”
This approach has caused some division even within the group. One member, Vanessa Namken, expressed concern about tactics, writing in a Facebook comment: “If ambushing a guest speaker at an event hosted for him is a tactic, and then bashing them on social media, then maybe this is not a group I want to be a part of.”
Scientific Consensus vs. Conspiracy Claims
Scientists have repeatedly debunked chemtrail theories, explaining that condensation trails from aircraft consist of water vapor that freezes at high altitudes, not chemical agents. A 2016 survey of 77 atmospheric scientists found that 76 out of 77 (98.7%) reported not having encountered evidence of a secret large-scale atmospheric program, and that the data cited as evidence could be explained by other factors, such as typical contrail formation.
However, group members remain convinced. Jeffrey Lerud wrote in the Facebook group: “This is not a ‘brain’ thing. I live in a place where chemtrails disrupt weather. I have personally seen jets flying in formation releasing an exhaust that hung in the air and seemed to draw moisture.”
Understanding Contrails Not Chemtrails
Contrails, or condensation trails, are cloud-like formations that appear behind aircraft flying at high altitudes. They form when hot exhaust gases from jet engines mix with cold, humid air in the upper atmosphere, causing water vapor to condense and freeze into tiny ice crystals.
The persistence of contrails depends on atmospheric humidity. In dry air, contrails dissipate quickly. In humid conditions, they can remain longer and spread out, resembling natural cirrus clouds. This variation in persistence and appearance has led some observers to believe in chemtrail activity, despite scientific explanations.
According to the American Chemical Society, contrails can be categorized into three types:
1. Short-lived contrails that disappear within minutes due to low humidity
2. Persistent contrails that linger for hours
3. Persistent spreading contrails that can contribute to artificial cloud cover
Regional Context
The chemtrails conspiracy movement has gained traction in several states surrounding South Dakota. In February 2025, Republican lawmakers in Iowa advanced House File 482, which would prohibit chemical emissions for weather modification purposes. Nearly two dozen Republicans in the Iowa House co-sponsored the bill, according to legislative records.
Tennessee had already enacted House Bill 2063 and Senate Bill 2691 in early 2024, which addressed the release of airborne chemicals. The Republican-sponsored bill passed along party lines and broadly prohibits “affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight,” according to the text of the legislation.
Internal Republican Rift?
The Dakota War College, a mainstream Republican political blog, broke the story about South Dakota legislators’ involvement in the chemtrails movement on April 1, 2025. The blog specifically noted that “unfortunately, it’s not an April Fools’ joke.” There has been a vigorous back-and-forth among Pat Powers, the editor of DWC, and more conservative Republicans.
What’s Next?
This regional spread of chemtrail conspiracy legislation represents a growing trend of emerging theories influencing mainstream Republican politics across the Plains states. According to a 2011 international survey, nearly 17 percent of respondents said they believed the existence of a secret large-scale atmospheric spraying program to be true or partly true.
As this debate unfolds, it underscores the challenges facing policymakers and voters in an era of widespread misinformation and political polarization. The coming months may reveal whether this movement gains further traction or faces pushback from within the Republican party and the broader electorate.
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Governor Doeden will order a “Clear Skies Doctrine” over South Dakota being a Chemtrail free zone enforced by the South Dakota Air National Guard and repurposed SD Civil Air Patrol equipped with
newly purchased and refurbished surplus fighter jets. The “Clear Skies Doctrine” will align with the legal, economic and other walls put up surrounding South Dakota. Press release provided by Press Secretary Shad Olson
What about all the jobs lost by eliminating chemtrails? It is estimated that 10K government employees (EPA, NOAA, FAA) would be looking for new work. It is estimated that 50K pilots, chemical fillers, etc. would be eliminated, then around 5K chemical engineers, and up to 20K throughout the supply chain with dispersal and aircraft retrofits, additional support staff for these people as well. So we could be looking at 100k+ jobs being killed by these people, I guess Republicans hate jobs?
*I hope this is obvious sarcasm to highlight how many people would have to keep this as a major secret and not leak one bit of evidence. Meanwhile, we have eight people on a national security group chat, and that gets leaked. Yeah, totally plausible…..
“This is not a ‘brain’ thing.” I think we can all agree on that.
Definitely a ‘brain worm’ thing though.
I belong to that Facebook group. Not because I believe in “chem trails” but because it’s highly entertaining.
Lots of pictures of clouds!
The best posts are the pictures of an overcast sky claiming it’s soooo many chem trails that it’s 100% coverage.
Pat you moron.
You can watch these aircraft go back and forth across the sky releasing these chemtrails as if they’re painting the side of a house..
And contrails don’t linger in the sky for hours at a time.
Educate yourself by Googling “Geoengineering”.
er, yeah. You might want to educate yourself by googling “I didn’t write this,” as well as “conspiracy theories on the internet”
The irony of posting this nonsense and calling someone else a moron….
I have an app on my phone which tracks flights, kind of fun, if I see an aircraft overhead I can see what it is. Right now there is a Boeing 737-900 flying from Detroit to Sacramento overhead, Delta 2180. And going the other way is an Embraer E175, going from San Francisco to Minneapolis, United 5909.
It’s terribly sinister.
Hope that Governor Rhoden appoints someone sane for the empty slot in District 1. Rep. Manhart needs some balance.
MAGA = Idiocracy.
It happened faster than we thought.
Not MAGA when these fools are opposing Trump and his policies at every turn.
Exactly. They only buy into the rhetoric but not the policy.
Sadly, I’m not surprised. I heard Dylan speak in Sioux Falls–errr reiterate the talking points of whatever org he’s part of. Poor misguided soul needs to find better mentors.
He needs to get out of politics PERIOD.
He’s been around one too many chem trails
How many of these morons signed the declaration of intent to murder civilians? Is there impeachment in the SD legislature?
There’s no such thing as “chemtrails.” Jet CONTRAILS (short for condensation trails) are caused by the exhaust from aircraft engines mixing with cold air at high altitudes. The primary factors behind their formation include:
Water Vapor Emission – Jet engines burn fuel, producing water vapor as a byproduct. This vapor is expelled into the cold upper atmosphere.
Weather conditions affect contrails:
Cold Temperatures – At high altitudes (above 26,000 feet), the air is very cold (often below -40°F or -40°C). When the hot exhaust gases mix with this cold air, the water vapor rapidly condenses into tiny ice crystals.
Humidity Levels – If the upper atmosphere has sufficient moisture, the condensed water droplets quickly freeze, forming visible ice-crystal trails. In drier conditions, contrails may dissipate quickly.
These factors affect how persistent jet contrails are:
Short-lived contrails – Appear briefly and disappear quickly if the surrounding air is dry.
Persistent contrails – Stay visible for long periods and can spread out, forming cirrus-like clouds, especially during colder winter weather.
You’re assuming that chemtrail-believers can reason or have a grasp of basic science. Or can read.
The Republican Party is going nuts. From MTG to chemtrail theory, to drunk kids wearing guns, the party is going nuts.,