Icke argues that he has developed a moral and political worldview that combines spiritualism with a passionate denunciation of what he sees as totalitarian and Orwellian trends in the modern world, a position that has been described as "New Age conspiracism."

At the heart of Icke's theories is the view that the world is ruled by a secret group referred to as the "Global Elite" or "Illuminati," which he has linked to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, while not denying that these are an anti-semitic hoax.  In 1999, he published The Biggest Secret, in which he wrote that the Illuminati are a race of reptilian humanoids known as the Babylonian Brotherhood, and that many prominent figures are reptilian, including George W. Bush, Queen Elizabeth II, Kris Kristofferson, and Boxcar Willie.

According to Political Research Associates, 

Icke's speaking engagements can draw a substantial audience in Canada, with his organisers claiming as many as 1000 people attending one in Vancouver.  During an October 1999 speaking tour there, he received a standing ovation from students after a four-hour speech at the University of Toronto, while his books were removed from the shelves of Indigo Books across Ontario after protests from the Canadian Jewish Congress.