There's an alarmingly common pattern in politics. Step 1: Some non-mainstream view will be labeled a dangerous conspiracy theory and suppressed. Step 2: Those who think of themselves as heterodox defend the theory to the death.
Step 2: Those who think of themselves as heterodox defend the theory to the death. Step 3: Popular support builds for that view, until it's the majority view. Even after most people believe it, the view is still considered edgy, heterodox, and non-mainstream.
Even after most people believe it, the view is still considered edgy, heterodox, and non-mainstream. The view shambles along, zombie-like, no matter how weak the case for it is. Two recent examples of this are the lab-leak theory of COVID origins and the Hunter Biden laptop story.