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What is the term for someone who is trying to create controversy out of nothing?

For example, a politician attempting to cause outrage over a very minor thing done by a member of an opposing party.

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  • 3
    Well there's troublemaker, of course, and in some contexts, rabblerouser. But my personal favorite is molehillmountainizer.
    – Sven Yargs
    May 27, 2015 at 5:33
  • 1
    "Stirring the pot" is a common expression for trying to make a bad situation worse.
    – Hot Licks
    May 27, 2015 at 11:34
  • And, of course, "witch hunting" almost an exact match for trying to create a controversy out of nothing.
    – Hot Licks
    May 27, 2015 at 11:37
  • It's not a single word, but bomb-thrower is used in that way, and fairly commonly too when referencing people involved in politics. May 29, 2015 at 2:10

8 Answers 8

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As a verb I suggest to polemicize which is a rather formal term but It may fit in the context you are describing:

  • to practice the art of disputation; engage in polemics or controversy.
  • The noun is polemicist.

The Free Dictionary

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How about muckraker?

muckrake

to search for and expose real or alleged corruption, scandal or the like, especially in politics

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If you want a colloquial term, such a person is known in Britain as a stirrer.

Someone who stirs trouble, largely for their own amusement.

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Well there's troublemaker, of course, and in some contexts, rabblerouser. But my personal favorite is molehillmountainizer.

– Sven Yargs May 27, 2015

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One of these terms may fit:

  • propagandist
  • narcissistic chaos
  • instigator
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  • I think instigator (along with fomenter, perhaps) may be the most accurate one-word match for what the poster is trying to describe. I'm less sold on propagandist, and narcissistic chaos seems... odd. But I would happily upvote your answer on the strength of instigator if you gave it more authority by citing (and, if possible, linking to) a supporting definition from a respectable dictionary.
    – Sven Yargs
    May 27, 2015 at 17:42
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A few noun forms, I proffer-

bad hat/troublemaker/mischief-maker.

Someone who deliberately stirs up trouble. (vocabulary.com)

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There are many ways to name this, and it is very based on how the person does it.

If the politician is arguing about the person, not the argument, it's an "ad hominem" (literal: about the man).

Person: "I think the war in Iraq was unjust."
Politician: "Well that's obvious coming from a communist hippie."

If the politician is willfully twisting the subject out of scope, it's a "straw man".

Person: "I think the war in Iraq was unjust."
Politician: "China also objected to the war in Iraq. You cannot make our country into a communist society. Communism is clearly inferior."

There are many, many differences.

Although I didn't vet them all, the list on this webpage seems to be a good starter resource for differentiating between different types.

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  • A so want to upvote this. It's not everyday you meet someone familiar with logical fallcy types. But the OP is looking for a term that describes the person, not the process. You might have been misled by the title, which I have edited.
    – Tushar Raj
    May 27, 2015 at 13:15
  • @TusharRaj Its my honest opinion the world would be a better place if these things were taught to everyone. You see so many problems arise from people using these devices (sometimes unintentionally). Anyway, I did misinterpret it from the title. Will think on a general word for the person, although I think "politician" is already aptly put :)
    – Flater
    May 27, 2015 at 13:23
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mud-slinger or mudslinger

(noun) derived from:

mud-slinging (informal noun): the use of insults and accusations, especially unjust ones, with the aim of damaging the reputation of an opponent.

Politicians seem to rely on mud-slinging instead of argument.

[Sources] Wiki. Oxford Dict.

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