QAnon[a] (/ˈkjuːənɒn/ CUE-ə-non, or /ˈkjuːænɒn/ CUE-an-on) is a far-right American political conspiracy theory and political movement that originated in 2017.[1][2] QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as "Q". Those claims have been relayed and developed by online communities and influencers. Their core belief is that a cabal of Satanic,[3][4][5] cannibalistic child molesters is operating a global child sex trafficking ring that conspired against President Donald Trump.[9] QAnon has direct roots in Pizzagate, an Internet conspiracy theory that appeared one year earlier, but also incorporates elements of many different conspiracy theories and unifies them into a larger interconnected conspiracy theory.[10] QAnon has been described as a cult.[10][11]
Followers believe the Trump administration secretly fought the cabal of pedophiles, and would conduct arrests and executions of thousands of cabal members on a day known as "the Storm" or "the Event".[12] QAnon conspiracy believers have named Democratic politicians, Hollywood actors, high-ranking government officials, business tycoons, and medical experts as members of the cabal.[13] QAnon has also claimed that Trump stimulated the conspiracy of Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election to enlist Robert Mueller to join him in exposing the sex trafficking ring, and to prevent a coup d'état by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and George Soros.[14][15] QAnon is described as antisemitic or rooted in antisemitic tropes, due to its fixation on Jewish financier Soros and conspiracy theories about the Rothschild family, a frequent target of antisemites.[16][17]
Although it has its origins in older conspiracy theories, the first post by Q was in October 2017 on the website 4chan. Q claimed to be a high-level government official with Q clearance, with access to classified information about the Trump administration and its opponents.[18] Q soon moved to 8chan, making it QAnon's online home.[19] Q's often cryptic posts became known as "drops", and were collected by aggregator apps and websites. QAnon became a viral phenomenon beyond the internet and turned into a political movement. QAnon followers began to appear at Trump campaign rallies in August 2018,[20] and Trump amplified QAnon accounts on Twitter.[21] QAnon's conspiracy theories have also been relayed by Russian and Chinese state-backed media, social media troll accounts,[26][22][27] and the far-right Falun Gong–associated Epoch Media Group.[33]
Since its emergence in American politics, QAnon spawned movements around the world. The exact number of QAnon adherents is unclear.[5][34] After increased scrutiny of the movement, social media platforms such as Twitter[35] and Facebook[36] began taking action to stop the spread of the conspiracy theory. QAnon followers have perpetrated acts of violence.[37] Members of the movement took part in the 2020 United States presidential election, during which they supported Trump's campaign and waged information warfare to influence voters.[38][39] After Joe Biden won, they were involved in efforts to overturn the results of the election. Associates of Trump, such as Michael Flynn,[43] Lin Wood[48] and Sidney Powell,[54] have promoted QAnon-derived conspiracy theories. When these tactics failed, Trump supporters – many of them QAnon followers – attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Capitol attack led to a further, more sustained social media crackdown on the movement and its claims.[55][56]
Background
Pizzagate
According to QAnon researcher Mike Rothschild, "while Q has a number of precursor conspiracy theories and scams ... no conspiracy theory feeds more immediately into Q than Pizzagate".[57] The Pizzagate theory began in March 2016 with the leak of Clinton campaigner John Podesta's emails, which promoters of the theory believed contained a secret code detailing child sexual abuse.[58] Pizzagate followers said that high-profile Democrats were sexually abusing children at a Washington, D.C. pizzeria, which led to an armed attack on the establishment by a gunman who believed the conspiracy theory.[59]
The allegations of child sexual abuse and the centrality of the Clinton family to this abuse became a key part of the QAnon belief system,[58] but in time the Clintons' centrality was de-emphasized in favor of more general conspiratorial claims of an alleged worldwide elite of child sex traffickers.[60] Q referred to Pizzagate claims without using the term.[58] QAnon followers often used the hashtag #SaveTheChildren to promote the Pizzagate conspiracy theory.[61] This caused protest from the unrelated non-governmental organization Save the Children.[62]
Influence of 4chan culture
The investigative journalism website Bellingcat called /htg/ or "Human Trafficking General" threads on the /pol/ board of 4chan "the missing link" between Pizzagate and QAnon. Instead of focusing on a limited supply of email material to comb through, the /htg/ culture allowed users to actively participate in the imagined storylines. A key /htg/ poster was Anonymous 5 (also known as "Frank"), who claimed to be a child prostitution investigator. But the lack of a coherent narrative was a constraint on the /htg/ trend, and it never achieved Pizzagate's popularity.[63]
The main tenets of the QAnon ideology were already present at 4chan before Q's appearance, including claims that Hillary Clinton was directly involved in a pedophile ring, that Robert Mueller was secretly working with Trump, and that large-scale military tribunals were imminent. His posts specifically targeted individuals who were hated in the community beforehand, namely Clinton, Barack Obama, and George Soros. Bellingcat says that the idea of the "Storm" was copied from another poster named Victory of the Light, who predicted the "Event", in which mass, televised arrests of the "Cabal" were forthcoming.[63]
Previous "anons"
In its most basic sense, an "anon" is an anonymous or pseudonymous Internet poster.[64] The concept of anons "doing research" and claiming to disclose otherwise classified information, while a key component of the QAnon conspiracy theory, is not exclusive to it. Q was preceded by so-called anons who also claimed to have special government access. On July 2, 2016, the anonymous poster "FBIAnon", a self-described "high-level analyst and strategist" who claimed to have "intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the Clinton case", began posting false information about the 2016 investigation into the Clinton Foundation and claimed that Hillary Clinton would be imprisoned if Trump became president. Around that time, "HLIAnon", standing for "High-Level Insider Anon", hosted long question-and-answer sessions, dispensing various conspiracy theories, including that Princess Diana was murdered after trying to stop the September 11 attacks. Soon after the 2016 United States elections, two anonymous posters, "CIAAnon" and "CIAIntern", falsely claimed to be high-ranking Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers, and in late August 2017, "WHInsiderAnon" offered a supposed preview that something that was "going to go down" regarding leaks that would affect the Democratic Party.[65]
Origin and spread
A 4chan user named "Q Clearance Patriot" first appeared on the site's /pol/ board on October 28, 2017, posting in a thread titled "Calm Before the Storm",[1] a phrase Trump had previously used to describe a gathering of American military leaders he attended.[1] "The Storm" later became QAnon parlance for an imminent event in which thousands of alleged suspects would be arrested, imprisoned, and executed for being child-eating pedophiles.[12] The poster's username implied that they held Q clearance,[66][67] a United States Department of Energy security clearance required to access Top Secret information on nuclear weapons and materials.[68]
Q's first post said that Hillary Clinton was about to be arrested, which would cause massive unrest and be followed by numerous other arrests. A second message was posted a few hours later, saying that Clinton was being "detained" though not arrested yet and that Trump was planning to remove "criminal rogue elements". The post also alluded cryptically to George Soros, Huma Abedin and Operation Mockingbird.[69]
Q's activity surged in November, with most posts expanding upon previous theories about Hillary Clinton. Other conspiracy theories were added involving Barack Obama, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.[70] An Internet community developed around analyzing posts attributed to Q, and several conspiracy theorists became minor celebrities in the community.[71][72] Followers started looking for "clues" to confirm their beliefs, including common phrases and occurrences. In November 2017, Trump sipping water from a bottle was interpreted as a secret sign that the mass arrests would soon take place.[73]
QAnon went further than Pizzagate by implying a worldwide cabal and incorporating elements from other conspiracies. One of the earlier rumors QAnon followers spread was that such figures as Hillary Clinton, her daughter Chelsea, and Senator John McCain had already been arrested and indicted, and were wearing ankle monitoring bracelets during their public appearances.[73] In the following months, the QAnon community helped spread other rumors such as the "Frazzledrip" theory, which purported the existence of a "snuff" video showing Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin murdering a child, drinking her blood and taking turns wearing the skin from her face as a mask.[74][75]
In November 2017, two 4chan moderators, Paul Furber (also known as "BaruchtheScribe",[65] a South African conspiracy theorist with an interest in U.S. politics)[76] and Coleman Rogers (also known as "Pamphlet Anon"),[65] worked with YouTuber Tracy Diaz to promote QAnon to a wider audience.[77][78] This involved setting up the r/CBTS_Stream subreddit, where subscribers came to talk about QAnon. The subreddit was permanently closed in March 2018 due to incitement of violence and posting private information.[65] QAnon spread to other social media, including Twitter and YouTube.[71] Rogers and his wife, Christina Urso, launched Patriots' Soapbox, a YouTube livestream dedicated to QAnon, which they used to solicit donations. Future U.S. representative Lauren Boebert was a guest on Patriots' Soapbox during her 2020 congressional campaign.[77] Posts by Q moved to 8chan, with Q citing concerns that the 4chan board had been "infiltrated".[65] Thereafter, Q posted only on 8chan.[19] In August 2019, 8chan was shut down after it was connected with the El Paso shooting and other violent incidents. Followers of QAnon then moved to Endchan, until 8chan was restored under the name 8kun.[79][39]
Mainstream attention
QAnon first received attention from the mainstream press in November 2017. Newsweek called it "Pizzagate on steroids".[73] Gossip columnist Liz Crokin, a Pizzagate follower, was one of the first public figures to embrace QAnon. She went on to become one of the movement's most prominent influencers.[81] Fox News personality Sean Hannity and comedian Roseanne Barr spread the news about it to their social media followers in early 2018,[82] and the conspiracy theory gained traction on the mainstream right.[83] At this time, InfoWars host and far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones claimed to be in personal contact with Q. This led to the presence of QAnon followers at a July 2018 Trump rally for the midterm elections in Tampa, Florida, the first visible presence of the QAnon movement at Trump rallies.[84]
Some Christian pastors introduced their congregations to QAnon ideas. The Indiana-based Omega Kingdom Ministry tried to combine QAnon and Christianity, with Q posts and Bible quotes both read during church services.[85] Some Christians, such as pastor Derek Kubilus, call QAnon heresy,[86] but most U.S. pastors have not taken a stand against it.[87] More generally, QAnon's rise coincided with increasing radicalization and violent episodes in American far-right movements.[88]
QAnon-related merchandise was widely available on Amazon's online marketplace in 2018.[89] QAnon: An Invitation to the Great Awakening, a book said to be authored by a group of 12 QAnon followers, neared the top of Amazon's bestsellers list in 2019, possibly through algorithmic manipulation.[90][91] Also in 2019, QAnon blogger Neon Revolt (an alias of former aspiring screenwriter Robert Cornero Jr.) self-published the book Revolution Q: The Story of QAnon and the 2nd American Revolution, which became an influential text among the QAnon community and was also distributed by Amazon.[92] In 2020, Politico noted that 100 titles associated with QAnon were available on Amazon Marketplace, in many different languages and with generally positive reviews.[93]
Sites dedicated to aggregating the Q posts, also called "drops"[94] or "Q drops",[95][79] became essential for their dissemination and spread. QMap was the most popular and famous aggregator, run by a pseudonymous developer and overall key QAnon figure known as "QAPPANON".[96][97] QMap shut down shortly after the British fact-checking organization Logically published a September 2020 report[98] that identified QAPPANON as a New Jersey-based security analyst named Jason Gelinas.[97][99] Multiple online communities were created around QAnon: in 2020, Facebook conducted an internal investigation that revealed that the social network hosted thousands of QAnon-themed groups and pages, with millions of members and followers.[100]
According to Reuters, Russian-backed social media accounts promoted QAnon claims as early as November or December 2017.[24] Russian government-funded state media such as RT and Sputnik have amplified the conspiracy theory since 2019, citing QAnon as evidence that the United States is divided by internal strife.[22] In 2021, a report from the Soufan Center, a research group focused on national security, found that one-fifth of 166,820 QAnon posts in the United States between January 2020 and February 2021 originated in foreign countries, primarily Russia and China, and that China was the "primary foreign actor touting QAnon-narratives online".[27][101][102] The far-right Falun Gong-associated Epoch Media Group, including The Epoch Times, has also been a major promoter of the conspiracy theory.[33]
University of Southern California professor and data scientist Emilio Ferrara found that about 25% of accounts that use QAnon hashtags, retweet InfoWars or had retweeted One America News Network were bots.[103]
International following
Marc-André Argentino, a researcher of the movement, noted in August 2020 that QAnon-dedicated Facebook pages existed in 71 countries worldwide.[104] In January 2021, researcher Joel Finkelstein told The Washington Post that the German and Japanese QAnon movements were "strong and growing",[105] though according to a later New York Times report, the Japanese version (also known as "JAnon" [Japanese: Jアノン])[106] remains a fringe belief even among conspiracy theorists.[107] Three pro-QAnon groups in Japan are known to exist as of 2022: J-Anon, QArmyJapanFlynn and YamatoQ.[108][109] In April 2022, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested several members of YamatoQ for breaking into a health clinic which provided COVID-19 vaccinations.[110]
Between March and June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, QAnon activity nearly tripled on Facebook and nearly doubled on Instagram and Twitter.[111] By that time, QAnon had spread to Europe, from the Netherlands to the Balkan Peninsula.[112]
In Germany, far-right activists and influencers have created a German audience for QAnon on YouTube, Facebook, and Telegram, estimated at 200,000 in 2020. German Reichsbürger groups adopted QAnon to promote its belief that modern Germany is not a sovereign republic but rather a corporation created by Allied nations after World War II, and expressed hope that Trump would lead an army to restore the Reich.[112] A March 2022 study by the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy, a German think tank, found that more than one in ten people in Germany agreed with QAnon's theories and that Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) voters were more likely to believe in QAnon.[113][114]
In Russia, a similar conspiracy theory, the "Soviet Citizens"—which claims the Russian Federation is a Delaware-based LLC that occupies the legal territory of the Soviet Union—also became susceptible to QAnon beliefs.[115]
According to a 2020 survey, one in four Britons believed in QAnon-related theories, though only 6% supported QAnon.[116] In October 2020, anti-racist advocacy group Hope not Hate said that British influencer Martin Geddes ran "one of the most popular QAnon Twitter accounts in the world".[117] In October 2021, Rémy Daillet-Wiedemann, a French QAnon-associated conspiracy theorist,[118][119] was charged with terrorism for having planned a coup against the French government. Various associates of Daillet-Wiedemann were also arrested and charged in late 2021[120] and early 2022.[121]
Many Canadians have also promoted QAnon.[122][123][124] In July 2020, a gunman and QAnon follower drove a vehicle into the grounds of Rideau Hall, the temporary residence of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, to "arrest" Trudeau over COVID-19 restrictions and firearm regulations.[125][126][127] A February 8 article in The Guardian described the 2022 convoy protests in Canada as the result of coordination between QAnon, conspiracy theorists, anti-vaccine and anti-government organizations.[128] Romana Didulo, a Philippines-born Canadian woman claiming to be Canada's rightful "Queen", built an online following in the course of 2021, creating a cultlike organization using QAnon and sovereign citizen concepts. Because of Didulo's network of followers and calls for violence, researchers identified her in 2022 as one of the most dangerous QAnon influencers in Canada.[129][130][131]
Cam Smith, an Australian researcher tracking far-right activity online, noticed mentions of QAnon in Australia's local communities as early as 2018.[132] In 2020, when lockdown measures were imposed in Melbourne to contain an outbreak of COVID-19, a group of QAnon adherents from Queensland traveled there to protest, promoting QAnon as they went.[133][132] A 2020 paper by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue revealed that Australia was the fourth largest producer of QAnon content, after the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.[132]
The movement has spread to Spain and Latin America,[134] with countries like Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay and Brazil having an online presence.[135] La Nación reported in 2020 that the Facebook page "QAnon Costa Rica" was spreading misinformation and fake news, called to depose President Carlos Alvarado and praised right-wing figures such as far-right presidential candidate Juan Diego Castro Fernández, and controversial deputies Dragos Dolanescu Valenciano and Erick Rodríguez Steller.[136] In Spain, the far-right Vox party was accused of endorsing anti-Biden conspiracy theories linked to QAnon in its Twitter account by claiming that Biden was the candidate "preferred by pedophiles".[137] An RTVE news report found that most Spanish QAnon supporters identified Vox as their preferred political party.[138]
Pastel QAnon
Pastel QAnon, identified by Concordia University researcher Marc-André Argentino,[139][140] is a collection of techniques aimed predominantly at indoctrinating women into the conspiracy theory, mainly on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and YouTube.[141] It co-opts the aesthetics and language of social media influencers, often using personal anecdotes and gateway issues (i.e. child sex-trafficking) to frame QAnon beliefs as reasonable.[142]
Claims
Q's posts
Q made thousands of posts on 4chan and 8chan/8kun.[94] These "drops" were often allusive, cryptic, and impossible to verify;[143] some included strings of characters that are allegedly coded messages.[144] Q used a conspiratorial tone, with phrases like "I've said too much" or "Some things must remain classified to the very end". To sustain faith in a final victory over the "cabal", Q used recurring phrases such as "Trust the plan", "Enjoy the show", and "Nothing can stop what is coming".[79] Q's messages typically claimed that everything was going as planned, that Trump was in control, and that all his adversaries would end up in prison.[69] Q also encouraged followers to do their own research by telling them to "Follow the White Rabbit".[c] QAnon followers used the "White Rabbit" reference both as a hashtag[145][73] and as the name of a Facebook group that had around 90,000 members in 2020.[146]
Many early posts advanced claims about "deep state" collusion with foreign powers. In 2018, Q mentioned geopolitical conspiracies such as the Obama administration having planned to send technology to Iran and North Korea. Later, Q found new targets such as Planned Parenthood, which they accused of harvesting fetuses for profit, or Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who they said was a member of the cabal. Over the years, other topics of interest included Russian interference, child trafficking, Jeffrey Epstein, Antifa and Hunter Biden.[70] Becoming increasingly vague over time, Q's posts allowed followers to map their own beliefs onto them and develop new variations of the theory.[147]
The author Walter Kirn has described Q as an innovator among conspiracy theorists by enthralling readers with "clues" rather than presenting claims directly: "The audience for internet narratives doesn't want to read, it wants to write. It doesn't want answers provided, it wants to search for them."[148] But Q often made specific predictions that did not prove correct:[149]
- Hillary Clinton was about to be arrested and would attempt to flee the country[d]
- John Podesta would be arrested on November 3, 2017, and public riots would be organized to try and prevent the arrest of other public officials[69]
- A major event involving the Department of Defense would take place on February 1, 2018
- People targeted by Trump would commit suicide en masse on February 10, 2018
- There would be a car bombing in London around February 16, 2018
- A "smoking gun" video of Hillary Clinton would emerge in March 2018
- Something major would happen in Chongqing on April 10, 2018
- There would be a "bombshell" revelation about North Korea in May 2018
- The Trump military parade would "never be forgotten"[e]
- The Five Eyes "won't be around much longer"
- Mark Zuckerberg was going to leave Facebook and flee the United States[f]
- Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey would be forced to resign "next" (in the context of the prediction of Zuckerberg's resignation)[g]
- Pope Francis would have a "terrible May" in 2018
On multiple occasions, Q has dismissed these incorrect predictions as deliberate, claiming that "disinformation is necessary".[151][152][153] This has led Australian psychologist Stephan Lewandowsky to emphasize the "self-sealing" quality of the conspiracy theory, highlighting its anonymous purveyor's use of plausible deniability and noting that evidence against it "can become evidence of [its] validity in the minds of believers".[150] The numerous false, unsubstantiated claims Q has posted include:
- That the CIA installed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a puppet ruler[154]
- That U.S. Representative and former Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz hired Salvadoran gang MS-13 to murder DNC staffer Seth Rich[155][156][h]
- An apparent suggestion that German chancellor Angela Merkel is Adolf Hitler's granddaughter[161]
- That Obama, Hillary Clinton, George Soros, and others are planning a coup against Trump and are involved in an international child sex-trafficking ring[162][163]
- That the Mueller investigation was a counter-coup led by Trump, who pretended to conspire with Russia to hire Mueller to secretly investigate the Democrats[15] and expose the child sex-trafficking ring[164]
- That the Rothschild family leads a satanic cult,[14] a centuries-old antisemitic trope against the family[165]
After Trump lost the 2020 election, the rate of Q's posts sharply declined[70] and Q stopped posting altogether one month later. The last "drop" for 18 months was on December 8, 2020.[166] Mike Rothschild, author of a book on QAnon, said that he doubted Q would ever come back, as the movement had "outgrown the need for new drops" and Trump's election loss had invalidated the core QAnon prophecy. But he added that Q might resume posting if "the community really needed new drops to keep it moving forward".[167]
On June 24, 2022, Q, or someone who possesses their details, posted on 8kun after an 18-month hiatus.[168][169] The post claimed that Cassidy Hutchinson, who testified at the sixth public hearing on the January 6 Attack, was involved in a plot to disparage Trump.[170][171][needs update]
The cabal and "the Storm"
QAnon's core beliefs are that the world is controlled by a secret cabal of Satan-worshipping child molesters, Trump is secretly battling to stop them, and Q reveals details about the battle online. The cabal is thought to cover up its existence by controlling politicians, mainstream media, and Hollywood.[172] Q's revelations imply that the cabal's destruction is imminent but also that it will be accomplished only with the support of the "patriots" of the QAnon community.[79] This will happen at a time known as "the Event" or "the Storm", when thousands of people will be arrested and possibly sent to Guantanamo Bay prison or face military tribunals. The U.S. military will then take over the country,[173] and the result will be salvation and utopia.[174]
QAnon followers believe the cabal includes Democratic Party politicians like Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, business people like George Soros[10] and Bill Gates,[175] religious leaders like Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama,[10] Anthony Fauci,[79] and entertainers like Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres,[10] Lady Gaga[176] and Chrissy Teigen.[175][177] Tom Hanks is a special target for QAnon believers. When Hanks went into quarantine at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they spread a rumor that he had been arrested on child abuse charges. Other similar allegations followed and in July 2021, some QAnon adherents took seriously an article from Real Raw News, a fake news website, that claimed the U.S. military had executed Hanks.[178][176]
One key tenet in QAnon's narrative until the 2020 election was the recurring prediction that Trump would be reelected in a landslide and spend his second term bringing about "the Storm" by undoing the deep state, disbanding the cabal and arresting its leaders.[179] After Trump lost and Q stopped posting, QAnon followers continued to search for previously unseen clues in old posts or creating new spin-offs of the theory.[167] They subsequently made predictions about Trump remaining president or returning to power, such as:
- Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021, would be an elaborate trap set for the Democrats, who would be arrested en masse and executed while Trump retained power.[180]
- Trump would be inaugurated on March 4, 2021, as the 19th president.[181]
- Trump would be inaugurated again on March 20, 2021. After this did not happen, QAnon adherents predicted it would happen on August 13, 2021.[182]
- The Arizona audit would prove election fraud, handing the state to Trump, and other states would follow suit in a "domino effect", resulting in Trump being reinstated as president.[167]
- The 2021 California gubernatorial recall election result would be proven fraudulent, which would catalyze a national fraud audit, resulting in Trump returning to power.[183]
- John F. Kennedy (the 35th president of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963) or his son John F. Kennedy Jr. (who died in a plane crash in 1999) would appear alive in front of a crowd in Dallas on November 2, 2021, and announce Trump's reinstatement as president and the installation of Kennedy Jr. as vice president.[184]
Child sex trafficking and satanic sacrifice
QAnon effectively merged with Pizzagate by incorporating its beliefs - namely, that children are being abducted in a child trafficking ring, which followers equate with the cabal. They also see Trump as the only person fighting this criminal network.[185] Added to this is the belief that politicians and Hollywood elites engage in "adrenochrome harvesting", in which adrenalin is extracted from children's blood to produce the psychoactive drug adrenochrome.[186][i] This comprises claims that children are tortured, or sacrificed in Satanic rituals, to harvest the adrenaline that comes from fear.[187] The aforementioned "Frazzledrip" video in which Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin allegedly murdered a child was said to depict an "adrenochrome harvest".[75] One version of the QAnon theory posits that the child abusers use adrenochrome as an elixir to remain young.[189] In reality, adrenochrome is synthesized solely for research purposes and has no medical uses.[190][191][192]
In June 2020, a group led by QAnon promoter Timothy Charles Holmseth, which called itself the Pentagon Pedophile Task Force despite having no connection with the Pentagon or any U.S. governmental agency, attracted attention by spreading false claims about tens of thousands of children being held hostage and tortured in New York City.[193][194] Also by 2020, some followers began using the Twitter hashtag #SaveTheChildren (#SaveOurChildren was also used),[195] co-opting a trademarked name for the child welfare organization Save the Children.[196] This led to an August 7 statement by Save the Children on the unauthorized use of its name in campaigns.[197] In September, Facebook and Instagram tried to prevent #SaveTheChildren from being associated with QAnon by redirecting users who searched for the hashtag to the child welfare group.[198] In October, Facebook announced it would try to limit the hashtag's reach.[199]
In the same period, QAnon followers also created a conspiracy theory that falsely accused furniture company Wayfair, a competitor of Overstock in which QAnon promoter Patrick Byrne had been the CEO, of selling expensive furniture to launder money gained from child sex trafficking.[200][201]
Similar groups in both the U.S. and the U.K. helped organize street protests that they say raise awareness of child sexual abuse and human trafficking.[202][203] These protests and hashtags have often avoided social media restrictions[204] and tend to attract more women and a more politically diverse and younger crowd than typical QAnon groups, including people opposed to Trump and his leadership. These groups are considered to be linked to the Pastel QAnon community.[205]
QAnon's child abuse allegations against popular entertainers are based on the unproven claims of the actor Isaac Kappy, who in 2018 accused multiple Hollywood stars of pedophilia.[176][206][207]
Travis View wrote in a Washington Post column that QAnon and Pizzagate conspiracy theorists harm the credibility of the fight against child sexual abuse, as their baseless claims are a distraction from actual crimes. Followers of these theories have also credited themselves for arrests of criminals in which they had no part: QAnon promoter Jordan Sather credited Jeffrey Epstein's arrest to 4chan and 8chan, while none of the investigative reporting nor the indictment referenced these forums.[208] Some of the conspiracy theories about Epstein's death have also brought people to QAnon.[185]
In May 2022, The New York Times reported that QAnon supporters were intercepting child migrants at the Mexico–United States border and collecting information about their families on the premise that they were falling prey to sex-trafficking schemes.[209]
Other QAnon beliefs
QAnon Anonymous, a podcast dedicated to analyzing and debunking the QAnon movement, calls it a "big tent conspiracy theory" due to its ability to evolve and add new claims. QAnon has incorporated elements from many other preexisting conspiracy theories, such as those about the Kennedy assassination, U.F.O.s and 9/11.[10] In 2018, Liz Crokin said that John F. Kennedy Jr. faked his death and that he is Q.[210][211] Other followers adopted variations of the Kennedy conspiracy theory, asserting that a Pittsburgh Trump supporter named Vincent Fusca is Kennedy Jr. in disguise and would be Trump's 2020 running mate.[211] In November 2021, hundreds gathered in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, the site of President Kennedy's assassination, believing they would witness the return of Kennedy Jr., or both Kennedys. Attendees expected the event would herald Trump's reinstatement as president, that Trump would step down to allow Kennedy Jr. to become president, and that Kennedy Jr. would then name Michael Flynn as his vice president.[212][213][214] According to QAnon researcher Will Sommer, about 20% of QAnon followers believe the JFK Jr. theory, while the majority finds it too "farcical on its face".[211]
Due to the overlap between the two movements, some QAnon followers have joined the sovereign citizens, a loose grouping of vexatious litigants and tax protesters whose set of pseudolegal beliefs implies that most laws and taxes are illegitimate and can be safely ignored if one uses the correct procedures.[216][217] In 2022, the Anti-Defamation League reported that sovereign citizen ideology was attracting a growing number of QAnon adherents, as their belief in the Biden administration's illegitimacy meshed well with sovereign citizens' broader anti-government views.[218]
In 2018, Q said that "vaccines [not all]" were part of the Big Pharma conspiracy.[219] Later on, as anxiety and isolation linked to the COVID-19 pandemic fostered a rise of conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine discourse, many in the movement used the pandemic to promote QAnon.[219] Very little of this was directed by Q posts, and Q did not mention the pandemic until March 23, 2020 (when they called COVID-19 the "China virus"),[220] not using the name "COVID-19" until April 8.[70] But influencers in the QAnon community were openly anti-mask[69] and anti-vaccine,[221][222][223][224] and helped spread denialism[81] as well as other misinformation about the pandemic.[225][226][227] QAnon conspiracy theorists touted drinking an industrial bleach (known as MMS, or Miracle Mineral Solution) as a "miracle cure" for COVID-19.[228][229][230] Q suggested that hydroxychloroquine, endorsed by Trump at the time, was a cure for the disease, and accused Democrats of forcing infected patients into nursing homes, deliberately causing most COVID-related deaths in the U.S.[70] Some QAnon followers have said that the pandemic is fake; others have claimed that the "deep state" created it.[79] QAnon adherents also helped promote the conspiratorial video Plandemic.[69]
In March 2022, CNN, France 24, and Foreign Policy reported that QAnon promoters were echoing Russian disinformation that created conspiracy theories about United States-funded laboratories in Ukraine.[231][232][233] Russian state media falsely claimed that "secret United States biolabs" were creating weapons, a claim refuted by the U.S., Ukraine, and the United Nations.[232] In reality, the laboratories were first established to secure and dismantle the remnants of the Soviet biological weapons program, and since then have been used to monitor and prevent new epidemics. The laboratories are publicly listed, not secret, and owned and operated by host countries such as Ukraine, not the U.S.[231][232][234] QAnon followers have claimed to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an effort by Putin and Trump to destroy "military" laboratories in Ukraine.[231][232]
Until the invasion of Ukraine, QAnon-adjacent groups were hostile to China. In March 2022, analyst Elise Thomas wrote in a report for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue: "The dynamics of the invasion are shifting their views. In an astoundingly short space of time, Xi Jinping appears to have been recast from a villain to a hero in the QAnon conspiracy pantheon."[235][236]
Supporters have also become invested in the NESARA economic conspiracy theory. In 2022, Bellingcat reported that many QAnon-related Telegram channels were becoming increasingly devoted to NESARA content.[237]
Some adherents expressed belief in the reptilian conspiracy theory, asserting that the Satanic cabal alleged to be in power consists of shapeshifting reptilian humanoids. According to multiple news reports, this led some to kill suspected "lizard people". A California father attempted to kill his children for fear that they had inherited "serpent DNA" from their mother, while a Seattle-based member of the far-right Proud Boys who frequently alluded to and promoted QAnon-linked material on Facebook, sought to murder his brother on suspicion of reptilian ancestry.[238]
Analysis
Identity of Q
The Q persona is claimed to be that of a well-connected individual with access to highly sensitive government information, who put themself at risk by disclosing the information online. Q used a calm, authoritative tone, rarely interacted with other posters, and never argued with those who disagreed with their claims. In 2021, Bellingcat analyzed several little-known posts published by Q during the days that followed the first "drops". While containing text identical to later messages unambiguously authored by Q, these also showed Q being "out of character" and behaving in a manner similar to 4chan's other anonymous posters. Bellingcat's theory is that the author of these messages[j] had not yet perfected the Q persona and was still settling into the voice of their online alter ego, which implies that Q was originally one 4chan poster among many instead of a powerful government insider.[239]
Multiple people
By 2020, it became accepted among researchers that the pseudonymous entity known as Q has been controlled by multiple people in cooperation.[77] A stylometric analysis has suggested that two people likely wrote Q's posts, and that their "distinct signatures clearly correspond to separate periods in time and different online forums".[240][241] An analysis of metadata of images posted by Q found that they were likely posted by someone in the Pacific Time Zone.[242]
By design, anonymous imageboards such as 4chan and 8chan obscure their posters' identities.[77][243] Those who wish to prove a consistent identity between posts while remaining anonymous can use a tripcode, which associates a post with a unique digital signature for any poster who knows the password.[79][244] There have been thousands of posts associated with a Q tripcode.[79] The tripcode associated with Q has changed several times, creating uncertainty about the poster's continuous identity.[79] Passwords on 8chan are also easy to crack, and the Q tripcode has been repeatedly compromised and used by people pretending to be Q.[245] When 8chan returned as 8kun in November 2019 after several months of downtime, the Q posting on 8kun posted photos of a pen and notebook that had been pictured in earlier 8chan posts to show the continuation of the Q identity, and continued to use Q's 8chan tripcode.[79]
Paul Furber and the Watkins family
Before Q's 2021 reappearance, 8kun changed its salt, meaning it would have been impossible for a user to have the same tripcode as before. Yet Q's tripcode remained the same as it was in 2020. Soon after, 8kun changed its salt back to the original. Jim Watkins also confirmed the new Q drops' authenticity within hours of their publication.[246] Fredrick Brennan, the original owner of 8chan, said in June 2020 that "Q either knows Jim or Ron Watkins or was hired by Jim or Ron Watkins".[79][247] He later said that "If [Jim Watkins is] not 'Q' himself, he can find out who 'Q' is at any time. And he's pretty much the only person in the world that can have private contact with 'Q'."[248]
In September 2020, Brennan speculated that the Q account was initially run by another person, with Jim and Ron Watkins taking over in late 2017[247] or early 2018. Brennan's theory is that the original 'Q' poster was Johannesburg resident Paul Furber,[249] a 4chan and 8chan moderator and one of the first online commentators to promote QAnon.[77][76] Evidence for this theory includes that Q's first password ("Matlock")[250] was cracked on New Year's Day 2018[251] and, due to the nature of tripcodes,[250] Furber was asked to verify that the new Q (with a new password/tripcode)[252] was the same IP address as the old Q. Furber described this as "a lot of work", but something he'd been "called to do".[250] Brennan further suspects that Ron Watkins seized control of the account from Furber by using his login privileges as 8chan's administrator.[252] Furber has denied ever being Q.[249] Both Jim and Ron Watkins have said they do not know Q's identity and have denied being Q.[79][253][247]
The documentary filmmaker Cullen Hoback spent three years investigating the origins of QAnon and its connection to 8chan, conducting extensive interviews with Jim and Ron Watkins and Brennan. In the last episode of Q: Into the Storm, the 2021 HBO docuseries he produced from this research, Hoback showed his final conversation with Ron Watkins, who stated on camera:
I've spent the past ... almost ten years, every day, doing this kind of research anonymously. Now I'm doing it publicly, that's the only difference. ... It was basically ... three years of intelligence training teaching normies how to do intelligence work. It was basically what I was doing anonymously before but never as Q. [Watkins then laughed and added:] Never as Q. I promise. Because I am not Q, and I never was.[254][255]
Hoback viewed this as an inadvertent admission by Watkins, and concluded from this interview and his other research that Watkins is Q.[256] Watkins again denied being Q shortly before the series premiered.[257]
On February 19, 2022, The New York Times reported that analysis of the Q posts by two independent forensic linguistics teams using stylometry techniques indicated that Paul Furber was the main author of the initial Q posts, and Ron Watkins took over in 2018. Furber said Q's writing style had influenced his own, not the other way around.[76]
Slogans and vocabulary
The spread of QAnon has been accompanied by a series of slogans, catchphrases, buzzwords and hashtags that helped boost its popularity and online presence. Terms like the cabal or the Storm, and Q's recurring phrases like "Trust the plan" or "Enjoy the show" are among the most popular.[79][189] Q's "drops" are also known as "crumbs" (Q has used the term)[95] or "breadcrumbs".[258] In turn, followers of the conspiracy who analyze these posts have called themselves "bakers" who assemble the "crumbs" to make "dough", or "bread", as they weave the clues into a better understanding of the narrative.[95]
One early rallying cry among QAnon followers was "Follow the White Rabbit".[73] A popular QAnon slogan is "Where we go one, we go all" (frequently abbreviated as "WWG1WGA"),[k] first used by Q in April 2018.[70] The phrase "Do your own research" (or "Do the research") encourages people to look for "clues" that will confirm QAnon narratives. "Q sent me" has been a declaration of "allegiance" to Q.[189]
Other common phrases in QAnon parlance include "white hat" (a Trump supporter), "black hat" (someone in league with the deep state),[258] "Great Awakening" (the point at which the public wakes up to the truth), "red pill"[l] ("taking the red pill" means achieving QAnon awareness), or "sheeple" (a disparaging term for people who believe the mainstream media narrative).[259] "17anon" has sometimes been used as an alternative spelling of QAnon (Q being the 17th letter of the alphabet) and a way of circumventing social media algorithms.[189]
Derivative elements
As it incorporates elements from many other conspiracy theories, QAnon displays similarities with previous narratives, imagery and moral panics, whether political or religious in nature. In Salon, Matthew Rozsa wrote that QAnon may best be understood as an example of what historian Richard Hofstadter called "The Paranoid Style in American Politics", the title of his 1964 essay on religious millenarianism and apocalypticism.[5][172] Like Pizzagate,[260] QAnon has some resemblance to the Satanic panic of the 1980s, when hundreds of daycare workers were falsely accused of abusing children.[261][262][263][264]
Christian themes
QAnon's "explicitly Christian" vocabulary[265] echoes Christian tropes, such as the "Storm" (the Genesis flood narrative or Judgment Day), the "Great Awakening" (evoking the reputed historical religious Great Awakenings of the early 18th century to the late 20th century), and an emphasis on prophecy,[5][265] leading it to be sometimes construed as an emerging religious movement.[79][266] QAnon followers, while seeing Trump as a flawed Christian, also view him as a messiah sent by God "who will triumph over Satan through a series of cataclysmic events".[267][4] According to one QAnon video, the battle between Trump and "the cabal" is of "biblical proportions", a "fight for earth, of good versus evil". Some QAnon supporters say the coming reckoning will be a "reverse rapture": "a revelation that means not only the end of the world but a new beginning", according to American political author Alexander Reid Ross.[174]
The movement "strikingly builds on Christian dualism".[267] Theological frameworks such as presuppositionalism, which claims that all true knowledge is revealed by God as opposed to faulty human reason, have been argued to lead to dualistic us–versus–them thinking which easily expands from the theological sphere to the political in QAnon.[268]
Religious studies scholar Julie Ingersoll argues that evangelicals have "helped make widespread acceptance of QAnon possible by weaving their theological commitments to apocalypticism, conspiracies and persecution narratives into the larger American culture."[269] Messianic, apocalyptic, and spiritual warfare themes popular in evangelical media beginning in the 1970s – as well as conspiracy theories popularized among the demographic such as the New World Order – have been described as influences on the QAnon belief system, as well as aspects of QAnon that appeal to evangelicals.[270][271] The apocalyptic stories are seen by Christians as fictional depictions of real future events, giving them real-world significance.[272][270] American studies scholar S. Jonathon O'Donnell argues that QAnon, which sees Trump as fighting a demonic deep state, has significant commonalities with Christian spiritual warfare – and their followers overlap as well.[273] "QAnon is, in effect, one part Frank Peretti spiritual warfare, one part Left Behind series apocalypticism, and one part Elders of Zion antisemitic conspiracy theory, packaged together in a tantalizing, self-involving variation on Celebrity Apprentice reality television and social media", writes one scholar.[270]
Antisemitism
According to the Anti-Defamation League, while "the vast majority of QAnon-inspired conspiracy theories have nothing to do with anti-Semitism", "an impressionistic review" of QAnon tweets about Israel, Jews, Zionists, the Rothschilds, and Soros "revealed some troubling examples".[17] Ethan Zuckerman and Mike McQuade have argued that QAnon "is more anti-elite than explicitly anti-Semitic".[8] The Washington Post and The Forward magazine have called QAnon's targeting of Jewish figures like George Soros and the Rothschilds "striking anti-Semitic elements" and "garden-variety nonsense with racist and anti-Semitic undertones".[15][274] A Jewish Telegraphic Agency article in August 2018 asserted: "Some of QAnon's archetypical elements—including secret elites and kidnapped children, among others—are reflective of historical and ongoing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories."[16]
QAnon's adrenochrome-harvesting claims have been linked to blood libel by the followers (who believe in the truthfulness of both)[275] and people who have researched QAnon. Blood libel is a medieval antisemitic myth that says Jewish people murder Christian children and use their blood to make matzo for Passover.[186][276][277][261] In February 2022, social media users shared images of a sculpture of Simon of Trent, whose death was falsely blamed on the town's Jewish population, as evidence that elites harvest adrenochrome from children's blood.[278][279]
Genocide scholar Gregory Stanton has called QAnon a "Nazi cult rebranded", and a version of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a fabricated antisemitic text published in 1903, deriving from antisemitic canards.[280][281] Republican QAnon follower Mary Ann Mendoza was noted for her reference to the antisemitic text. She retweeted a Twitter thread about the Rothschild family, Satanic High Priestesses, and American presidents saying, "The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion is not a fabrication. And, it certainly is not anti-Semitic to point out this fact."[282][m] An April 2021 Morning Consult poll found that 49% of Americans who believe in QAnon agree with the Protocols, and that 78% of Americans who agree with the Protocols also believe in QAnon.[285]
In 2021, the Anti-Defamation League reported that neo-Nazis were exploiting the absence of leadership among QAnon adherents on Telegram to promote antisemitic conspiracy theories.[286] QAnon conspiracy theorists have promoted Europa: The Last Battle, a neo-Nazi propaganda film which promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories, including Holocaust denial.[287][288][289] They have also promoted content from Disclose.tv,[290] a German disinformation outlet with a following that includes Holocaust deniers and neo-Nazis.[291][292][289]
Appeal
Experts have classified QAnon's appeal as comparable to those of religious cults.[11] According to an expert in online conspiracy, Renee DiResta, QAnon's pattern of enticement is similar to that of cults in the pre-Internet era where, as the targeted person was led deeper and deeper into the group's secrets, they become increasingly isolated from friends and family outside the cult.[293] Online support groups developed for those whose loved ones were drawn into QAnon, notably the subreddit r/QAnonCasualties, which grew from 3,500 participants in June 2020 to 28,000 by October.[294] QAnon virtual communities have little "real world" connection with each other, but online they can number in the tens of thousands.[293] Rachel Bernstein, an expert on cults who specializes in recovery therapy, said, "What a movement such as QAnon has going for it, and why it will catch on like wildfire, is that it makes people feel connected to something important that other people don't yet know about. ... All cults will provide this feeling of being special." There is no self-correction process within the group, since the self-reinforcing true followers are immune to correction, fact-checking, or counter-speech, which is drowned out by the cult's groupthink.[293] QAnon's cultish quality has led to its characterization as a possible emerging religious movement.[79][295][296][297][298] It has also been called a syncretic movement.[299]
Travis View, a researcher who studies QAnon, says that it is as addictive as a video game, and offers the "player" the possibility of being involved in something of world-historical importance. According to View, "You can sit at your computer and search for information and then post about what you find, and Q basically promises that through this process, you are going to radically change the country, institute this incredible, almost bloodless revolution, and then be part of this historical movement that will be written about for generations." View compares this to mundane political involvement in which one's efforts might help to get a state legislator elected. QAnon, says View, competes not in the marketplace of ideas, but in the marketplace of realities.[301] The belief in "The Plan" that Q alleged was in place to defeat the deep state and the cabal boosted the confidence of QAnon followers, who were told that things were happening behind the scenes and that victory would inevitably follow if they trusted Trump and the secret plan.[189] QAnon believers try to solve riddles presented in Q's posts by connecting them to Trump speeches and tweets and other sources.[65] The New Yorker has likened QAnon to "a form of interactive role-playing".[302] Some followers used a "Q clock" consisting of a wheel of concentric dials to decode clues based on the timing of Q's posts and Trump's tweets.[79]
American sociologist Mark Juergensmeyer says he "find[s] QAnon consistent with many other extremist religiopolitical movements ... including those that have arisen in response to the recent global crises of mass migration, economic globalization, and now a global pandemic".[303] Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, said QAnon has "the visceral appeal of an anti-elite message that is elastic enough to capture a lot of folks who feel fear and disenfranchisement from the current political system".[304] Scholar Mia Bloom describes it as "unique among conspiracy theories in its ability to mutate and adapt to its environment," stating "[i]t has successfully absorbed local grievances abroad and takes on whatever local issues are central". She also argues that QAnon's acceptance of movements such as vaccine skepticism have helped it spread into unexpected demographics that share those commonalities.[305]
Survey data showed in late 2020 that a quarter of those who knew about QAnon thought there was some truth to it. In a conspiracy theory environment, primary institutions of society that once served as trusted impartial authorities are easily rejected if they contradict the theory, making it difficult to counter the thinking of QAnon followers.[306]
Disillusionment
Travis View says:
People in the QAnon community often talk about alienation from family and friends. ... Though they typically talk about how Q frayed their relationships on private Facebook groups. But they think these issues are temporary and primarily the fault of others. They often comfort themselves by imagining that there will be a moment of vindication sometime in the near future which will prove their beliefs right. They imagine that after this happens, not only will their relationships be restored, but people will turn to them as leaders who understand what's going on better than the rest of us.[307]
Disillusionment can also come from the failure of the theories' predictions. Q predicted Republican success in the 2018 US midterm elections and claimed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was involved in secret work for Trump and that despite outward tension, the two were allies. When Democrats made significant gains and Trump fired Sessions, many in the Q community were disillusioned.[308] Further disillusionment came when a predicted December 5 mass arrest and imprisonment in Guantanamo Bay detention camp of Trump's enemies did not occur, nor did the dismissal of charges against Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn. For some, these failures began a separation from QAnon, while others urged direct action in the form of an insurrection. Psychologist Robert Lifton said such a response to a failed prophecy is not unusual: apocalyptic cults such as Heaven's Gate, the People's Temple, the Manson Family, and Aum Shinrikyo resorted to mass suicide or mass murder when their expectations did not materialize. Lifton called this "forcing the end".[307] View echoed the concern that disillusioned QAnon followers might take matters into their own hands[174] as Pizzagate follower Edgar Maddison Welch did in 2016, Matthew Phillip Wright did at Hoover Dam in 2018, and Anthony Comello did in 2019, when he murdered Mafia boss Frank Cali, believing he was under Trump's protection.[309] In February 2019, Liz Crokin said that she was losing patience waiting for Trump to arrest the supposed members of the child sex ring, and warned that people might conduct "vigilante justice".[310]
The inauguration of Joe Biden as president was a disappointment for QAnon followers, who were convinced that Biden had won the election through voter fraud and his victory would be invalidated. Many QAnon adherents believed that something momentous would happen during the ceremony, and Trump would remain in power. The inauguration ultimately went on as planned.[311] According to a book on the psychology of QAnon followers, Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon, "The inauguration was a particularly difficult prophecy to get wrong, and the result has been that some QAnon believers experienced deep melancholy, suicidal ideation, or engaged in self-harm".[312] On inauguration day, Ron Watkins wrote in a message board post: "We gave it our all, now we need to keep our chins up and go back to our lives as best we are able. We have a new president sworn in and it is our responsibility to respect the Constitution."[313][314] Other QAnon followers believed Biden's inauguration was "part of the plan".[314][n] Conservatives such as Steve Bannon and Bill Still denounced QAnon, calling it a psyop created by U.S. intelligence or the FBI.[320][321] In a leaked conversation, Michael Flynn, once among the highest-profile QAnon supporters, called it a "disinformation campaign to make people look like a bunch of kooks", suggesting that it might have been conducted by "the Left" or the CIA.[322]
After Biden's inauguration, analysts expressed concern that the disillusionment could lead hardline QAnon adherents to be recruited by groups such as the alt-right, white nationalists or neo-Nazis.[323]
A group of Telegram channels called the Sabmyk Network has been promoting a variation of QAnon by targeting followers of the conspiracy theory who have been disillusioned by Q's failures in prediction.[324] Set up by German artist Sebastian Bieniek, the network (described as a new religion or cult) shares QAnon beliefs[325] but also believes in a leader-prophet, Sabmyk, who will lead humanity's "awakening".[324] The network has tried to link Trump to Sabmyk.[325]
Demographics
According to an August 2018 Qualtrics poll for The Washington Post, 58% of Floridians were familiar enough with QAnon to have an opinion about it. Of those who had an opinion, most were unfavorable. The average score on the feeling thermometer was just above 20, a very negative rating, and about half of what other political figures enjoy.[326][327] Positive feelings toward QAnon were strongly correlated with susceptibility to conspiracy thinking.[327]
According to a March 2020 Pew survey, 76% of Americans had never heard of QAnon, 20% had heard "a little about it", and 3% said they had heard "a lot".[328][329] In September 2020, a Pew survey of the 47% of respondents who said they had heard of QAnon found that 41% of Republicans and those who lean Republican believed QAnon was good for the country, compared to 7% of Democrats and those who lean Democratic.[330]
An October 2020 Yahoo-YouGov poll found that even if they had not heard of QAnon, a majority of Republicans and Trump supporters believed top Democrats were engaged in sex-trafficking rings and more than half of Trump supporters believed he was working to dismantle the rings.[331]
In February 2021, an American Enterprise Institute poll found that 29% of Republicans believe the central claim of QAnon, that "Donald Trump has been secretly fighting a group of child sex traffickers that include prominent Democrats and Hollywood elites."[332] A March 2021 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and Interfaith Youth Core survey found similar results: Republicans (28%) were twice as likely as Democrats (14%) to agree that the "elites" would soon be swept from power by a coming "storm"; Republicans (23%) were three times as likely as Democrats (8%) to agree that "Satan-worshipping pedophiles" control the government and media; and Republicans (28%) were four times as likely as Democrats (7%) to agree that "true American patriots may have to resort to violence" to resolve the situation.[333]
Surveys have found that conspiracy theories such as QAnon are most popular among white Americans, especially evangelicals. A May 2021 PRRI survey confirmed that white evangelicals are among QAnon's strongest supporters, but also found that Hispanic Protestants are drawn to the movement in even larger proportions.[334] According to the PRRI's figures, the core QAnon belief that global elites form a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles and child sex traffickers is held in the U.S. by 26% of Hispanic Protestants, 25% of White evangelical Protestants, 24% of other Protestants of color, 18% of Mormons, 16% of Hispanic Catholics, 14% of African American Protestants, 14% of other Christians, 13% of non-Christian religious people, 11% of White Catholics, 11% of religiously unaffiliated people, 10% of white mainline Protestants, and 8% of Jews.[335]
An analysis of four 2021 PRRI surveys showed that belief in QAnon increased in the U.S. after Trump left office. In March 2021, 14% of Americans considered themselves QAnon believers, increasing to 17% by October. In the average of the four surveys, about 22% of Americans believed that there was a "storm coming soon that will sweep away the elites in power", and 16% shared the core QAnon belief that the government, the media and the financial elite are controlled by Satanic pedophiles.[336][337]
Incidents
QAnon's followers have been part of controversial, sometimes violent events.[37] In 2020, QAnon followers were involved in the presidential election, during which they supported Trump's campaign. QAnon personalities moved to dedicated message boards, where they organized to wage information warfare to influence the election.[38][39] One in 50 tweets about voting in the 2020 United States presidential election came from QAnon accounts. Two in 25 accounts using the hashtag #voterfraud, which spread unsubstantiated allegations of voting fraud, were QAnon accounts.[338]
Attempts to overturn the 2020 U.S. election
QAnon followers supported the efforts of Trump's legal team to overturn the election through multiple lawsuits and submitted conspiracy theories of their own. They theorized that voting machines made by Dominion Voting Systems had deleted millions of votes for Trump. This was repeated on the far-right cable news outlet One America News Network, and Trump tweeted the segment to his followers.[339][340]
One specific QAnon-affiliated conspiracy theory, known as Italygate and pushed in the last weeks of Trump's presidency, alleged that the American election had been rigged using technology from the United States Embassy in Rome with the help of an Italian hacker, an Italian general and the Vatican.[341][342][343]
Several elected leaders, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Arizona House Election Chairwoman Kelly Townsend were well known QAnon adherents before the 2020 election and who helped lead attempts to overturn the election in the aftermath.[344][345][346] In June 2020, Townsend posted a QAnon video with a flaming "Q" to her social media and follows high-profile QAnon accounts.[344] Some local Arizona politics reporters have referred to Townsend as the QAnon Queen of the Legislature.[347]
Based on a misinterpretation of the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 by the sovereign citizen movement,[348] according to which it transformed the federal government into a corporation and rendered illegitimate every president elected thereafter, some QAnon followers claimed that the 18th president (Ulysses S. Grant, in office from 1869 to 1877) was the last legitimate president. They believed that Trump would be sworn in as the 19th president on March 4, 2021. The original inauguration date until the Twentieth Amendment changed it to January 20 in 1933, and that he would restore the federal government.[349] Based on intelligence that an identified but undisclosed militia group might attempt an attack on the Capitol on that date, the U.S. Capitol Police issued an alert on March 3. House leadership subsequently rescheduled a March 4 vote to the previous night to allow lawmakers to leave town.[350]
The Anti-Defamation League, British security firm G4S, and nonpartisan governance watchdog Advance Democracy Inc, studied QAnon posts and warned of the potential for violence on January 6, 2021.[351][352][353] Violence did occur that day, as the attempts to overturn the election culminated with the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Multiple QAnon-affiliated protesters participated in the disturbance. Rioters were either seen wearing clothing with Q-related emblems or identified as QAnon followers from video footage.[354][355] One participant whose attire and behavior attracted worldwide media attention was Jake Angeli, a QAnon supporter nicknamed the "QAnon Shaman".[356] Ashli Babbitt, a rioter who was shot dead by police as she was trying to break into the Speaker's Lobby, was a committed follower of QAnon.[357][358] The day before the attack, she had tweeted: "the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours".[359]
The attack led to a crackdown on QAnon content on social media.[360][55] On April 19, 2021, the Soufan Center reported that Russia and China had amplified and "weaponized" QAnon at the time of the Capitol attack "to sow societal discord and even compromise legitimate political processes."[361][362]
German coup attempt
Several QAnon adherents were charged with participation in the 2022 coup d'état plot in Germany, which involved groups of far-right activists and conspiracy theorists, such as the Reichsbürger movement.[363]
Reactions
Media, advocacy groups, and public figures
Journalists have debunked QAnon's basic tenets.[364] In 2018, The Washington Post called its proponents "a deranged conspiracy cult"[15] and "some of the Internet's most outré Trump fans".[326]
In December 2017, the Russian television network RT aired a segment discussing "QAnon revelations", calling the anonymous poster a "secret intelligence operative inside the Trump administration known by QAnon".[67] On March 13, 2018, Cheryl Sullenger, vice president of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, called QAnon a "small group of insiders close to President Donald J. Trump" and called their posts the "highest level of intelligence to ever be dropped publicly in our known history".[365][366] On March 15, Kyiv-based Rabochaya Gazeta, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Ukraine, published an article calling QAnon a "military intelligence group".[367] On March 31, actor Roseanne Barr appeared to promote QAnon, covered by CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.[368][369][370][371] Radio talk show host Lionel became an outspoken QAnon supporter.[372] In April and October 2021, actor Jim Caviezel appeared at conservative conferences and endorsed aspects of the QAnon.[373][374]
In June 2018, a Time magazine article listed Q among the 25 Most Influential People on the Internet in 2018. Counting more than 130,000 related discussion videos on YouTube, Time cited the wide range of the conspiracy theory and its more prominent followers and news coverage.[375] On July 4, the Hillsborough County Republican Party shared on its official Facebook and Twitter accounts a YouTube video on QAnon, calling them a "mysterious anonymous inside leaker of deep state activities and counter activities by President Trump". The posts were soon deleted.[376]
In August 2018, following the presence of QAnon supporters at Trump's Tampa, Florida rally for the midterm elections,[15][377] MSNBC news anchors Hallie Jackson, Brian Williams, and Chris Hayes dedicated portions of their programs to the conspiracy theory.[378][379][380] PBS NewsHour also ran a segment on QAnon the next day.[381] In August, Washington Post editorial writer Molly Roberts wrote, "'The storm' QAnon truthers predict will never strike because the conspiracy that obsesses them doesn't exist. But while they wait for it, they'll try to whip up the winds, and the rest of us will struggle to find shelter."[382]
Commenting in 2022 on the influence of QAnon on public discourses, social scientist Donald Moynihan said that "the most vivid importation of the QAnon worldview" was the use of the term groomers and other phrases associated with the LGBT grooming conspiracy theory. He accused Christopher Rufo, one of its main promoters, of having "construct[ed] a new moral panic using QAnon messaging", which he likened to "the McCarthyite tactic of attaching a negative label" (in that case, pedophilia) to "people holding different beliefs".[383]
Official responses
FBI domestic terrorism assessment
In May 2019, an FBI "Intelligence Bulletin" memo from the Phoenix field office identified QAnon-driven extremists as a domestic terrorism threat. The document cited arrests related to QAnon, some of which had not been publicized before.[384] According to the memo, "This is the first FBI product examining the threat from conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists and provides a baseline for future intelligence products. ... The FBI assesses these conspiracy theories very likely will emerge, spread, and evolve in the modern information marketplace, occasionally driving both groups and individual extremists to carry out criminal or violent acts."[384][385]
According to FBI's counterterrorism director Michael G. McGarrity's testimony before Congress in May, the FBI divides domestic terrorism threats into four primary categories, "racially motivated violent extremism, anti-government/anti-authority extremism, animal rights/environmental extremism, and abortion extremism", which includes both abortion-rights and anti-abortion extremists. The fringe conspiracy theory threat is closely related to the anti-government/anti-authority subject area.[384][385] On December 19, 2018, a Californian man whose car contained bomb-making materials he intended to use to "blow up a satanic temple monument" in the Springfield, Illinois, Capitol rotunda to "make Americans aware of Pizzagate and the New World Order, who were dismantling society" was arrested.[384] The FBI said another factor driving the intensity of anti-government extremism is "the uncovering of real conspiracies or cover-ups involving illegal, harmful, or unconstitutional activities by government officials or leading political figures".[384]
Congressional resolution
In August 2020, two U.S. Representatives, Democrat Tom Malinowski and Republican Denver Riggleman, introduced a bipartisan simple resolution (H. Res. 1154) condemning QAnon.[386][387] Malinowski said the resolution's aim was to repudiate "this dangerous, anti-Semitic, conspiracy-mongering cult that the FBI says is radicalizing Americans to violence".[386] The resolution urged law enforcement and homeland security agencies "to continue to strengthen their focus on preventing violence, threats, harassment, and other criminal activity by extremists motivated by fringe political conspiracy theories" and encouraged the U.S. intelligence community "to uncover any foreign support, assistance, or online amplification QAnon receives, as well as any QAnon affiliations, coordination, and contacts with foreign extremist organizations or groups espousing violence".[387]
In September 2020, Malinowski received death threats from QAnon followers after being falsely accused of wanting to protect sexual predators. The threats were prompted by a National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) campaign advertisement that falsely claimed that Malinowski worked against plans to increase registration for sex offenders in a 2006 crime bill while he was working as a lobbyist for Human Rights Watch.[388][389]
The resolution passed on October 2, 2020, in a 371–18 vote.[387][388] Seventeen Republicans (including Steve King, Paul Gosar, and Daniel Webster) and one independent (Justin Amash) voted no; Republican Andy Harris voted "present".[387][388] According to Will Sommer in The Daily Beast, the resolution does not have the force of law.[390] Before the vote, Malinowski told Slate magazine, referencing the NRCC ad: "I don't want to see any Republicans voting against fire on the House floor this week and then continuing to play with fire next week by running these kinds of ads against Democratic candidates."[391]
Republican politicians and organizations
In 2019, two Republican congressional candidates expressed support for QAnon theories.[392][393] In early 2020, Jim Watkins created the "Disarm the Deep State" super PAC, whose stated aim was to "mobilize a community of patriots in order to remove power from Deep State members".[394] In November 2020, it was reported that the PAC had raised just $4,736, including a $500 loan from Watkins's lawyer.[395]
In 2020, there were 97 QAnon followers in the primaries, of whom 22 Republicans and two independents ran in the elections of that year.[396] Businesswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene won an August 2020 runoff to become the GOP nominee in the 14th Congressional District in Georgia. In 2020, she said many of Q's claims "have really proven to be true".[397] Months into the Trump presidency, she stated in a video: "There's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles out, and I think we have the president to do it".[398][399] Jo Rae Perkins, the 2020 Republican Senate candidate in Oregon, tweeted a video on the night of her May primary victory showing her holding a WWG1WGA sticker and stating that she "[stood] with Q and the team. Thank you Anons, and thank you patriots." She expressed regret at having later deleted the video on the advice of a political consultant.[400] The next month she took the "digital soldiers oath" that Q had requested followers to do three days earlier.[401][402]
On June 30, 2020, incumbent Republican U.S. representative Scott Tipton lost a primary for Colorado's 3rd congressional district to Lauren Boebert in an upset. Boebert expressed tentative support for QAnon in an interview, but after winning the primary, attempted to distance herself from those statements, saying "I'm not a follower."[403][404] Boebert was elected to Congress that November.[405] Angela Stanton-King, a Trump-backed candidate running for the Georgia House seat of the late congressman John Lewis, posted on Twitter that Black Lives Matter is "a major cover up for pedophilia and human trafficking" and "the storm is here". Stanton-King told a reporter that her posts did not relate to QAnon, asserting, "It was raining that day." Weather records did not show precipitation in her area on the day of the post.[406]
In August 2020, The New York Times said that the Texas Republican Party's new slogan ("We Are the Storm") was taken from Q. Texas Republican Party officials denied this, saying it was inspired by a biblical passage and has no connection to QAnon.[407][408] In May 2021, representative Louie Gohmert and Texas Republican Party chairman Allen West attended the "For God & Country: Patriot Roundup" conference organized by QAnon followers in Dallas.[42]
Also in August 2020, representative Liz Cheney became the highest-ranking House Republican to take a stand against QAnon, which she called a "dangerous lunacy that should have no place in American politics". Other Republican Party members who have spoken out against QAnon include senator Ben Sasse, former Florida governor Jeb Bush[409] and senator and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney.[410] In March 2021, representative Peter Meijer said that the Republican Party should unequivocally condemn QAnon and other conspiracy theories, and commented: "The fact that a significant plurality, if not potentially a majority, of our voters have been deceived into this creation of an alternate reality could very well be an existential threat to the party". Representative Adam Kinzinger launched a PAC called "Country First", aimed at countering conspiracy theories and Donald Trump.[411]
In April 2024, the Washington Post published an article saying that since 2021 QAnon had "mostly evaporated" after Q stopped posting new messages, but that the movement and its worldview had "largely been folded into the broader Republican Party".[412]
Connected individuals
Donald Trump
According to Media Matters for America, as of August 2020, Trump had amplified QAnon messaging at least 216 times by retweeting or mentioning 129 QAnon-affiliated Twitter accounts, sometimes multiple times a day.[413][21] QAnon followers came to refer to Trump as "Q+".[79] On August 24, 2018, Trump hosted Michael William "Lionel" Lebron, a leading QAnon promoter, in the Oval Office for a photo op.[414] Shortly after Christmas 2019, Trump retweeted over a dozen QAnon followers.[415]
On August 19, 2020, Trump was asked about QAnon during a press conference; he replied: "I don't know much about the movement, other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate."[416][417] An FBI Field Office in Phoenix has called QAnon a potential domestic terror threat, but Trump called QAnon followers "people who love our country".[416][418] When a reporter asked Trump if he could support a notion that suggests he "is secretly saving the world from this satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals", he responded: "Well, I haven't heard that, but is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing?" Presidential candidate Joe Biden responded that Trump was aiming to "legitimize a conspiracy theory that the FBI has identified as a domestic terrorism threat".[419][420]
On October 15, 2020, when given the opportunity to denounce QAnon at a "town hall"-style campaign event, Trump refused to do so and instead pointed out that QAnon opposes pedophilia.[421] He said he knew nothing else about QAnon and told his questioner, Savannah Guthrie of NBC News, that no one can know whether the premise of QAnon's conspiracy theory is true. "They believe it is a satanic cult run by the deep state," Guthrie informed him. When Guthrie asserted that the conspiracy was not true, Trump responded, "No, I don't know that. And neither do you know that."[422]
In September 2022, an Associated Press analysis found that Trump was embracing QAnon more openly than before. Trump was reposting Q drops and QAnon memes on Truth Social, and more than a third of the accounts he had reposted in the last month had themselves shared QAnon slogans, videos or imagery. Trump has played the song Mirrors at public events. The song has been associated with QAnon since it was re-published as WWG1WGA by a YouTube user named "Richard Feelgood". The song's author, Will van de Crommert, has disavowed Trump and QAnon.[423][424][425]
Mike Pence
On August 21, 2020, Vice President Mike Pence said that he did not "know anything about" QAnon except that it was a conspiracy theory that he "dismisse[d] out of hand".[426] When asked whether he would acknowledge the administration's role in "giving oxygen" to the belief, Pence shook his head and said, "Give me a break."[426] Pence also commented that the media giving attention to QAnon amounted to "[chasing] shiny objects".[427]
After the election, as the date of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count approached and Pence showed no intention of blocking the certification of Biden's win, QAnon figures vilified him as a traitor.[428] After Pence's lawyers fought a lawsuit that aimed to make him refuse to count electoral votes for Biden, Lin Wood said that Pence would "face execution by firing squad" for "treason".[429] A few hours before the count started on January 6, Wood tweeted that Pence should resign immediately and that charges should be brought against him.[430] After the attack on the Capitol, Wood called Pence a "child molester" on Twitter.[431] After his Twitter account was suspended, Wood used Parler to call again for Pence's execution by firing squad.[432]
Michael Flynn
Former lieutenant general and head of the Defense Intelligence Agency Michael Flynn, who served as Trump's National Security Advisor, became popular among QAnon followers, who took a 2016 quote from Flynn about Trump having been elected by an "army of digital soldiers"[433] and started calling themselves "digital soldiers".[434] QAnon followers also adopted three stars as a symbol to display solidarity with Flynn, as a reference to Flynn having been a three-star general in the U.S. army.[435][436]
In August 2019, a "Digital Soldiers Conference" was announced for the next month in Atlanta. The stated purpose was to prepare "patriotic social media warriors" for a coming "digital civil war" against "censorship and suppression". The announcement of the event prominently displayed a Q spelled in stars on the blue field of an American flag, with the three stars making up the tail of the "Q" being highlighted separately to reference Flynn's military status.[437][438] Scheduled speakers for the event, which was hosted by Yippy CEO Rich Granville,[439] included Flynn and George Papadopoulos, as well as Gina Loudon, a Trump friend and member of his campaign media advisory board, singer Joy Villa, and Bill Mitchell, a radio host and ardent Trump supporter.[437][438]
On July 4, 2020, Flynn posted to his Twitter account a video of himself leading a small group in an oath with the QAnon motto, "Where we go one, we go all".[440] Analysts said the oath was part of QAnon's attempt to organize "digital soldiers" for the political and social apocalypse they see coming. Flynn's apparent declaration of allegiance to QAnon made him the most prominent former government official to endorse the conspiracy theory.[40] Member of Trump's legal team and Flynn's representative Sidney Powell denied that the oath was related to QAnon.[o] During the preceding days, numerous QAnon followers took the same "digital soldier oath" on Twitter, and used the same #TakeTheOath hashtag Flynn did.[443][444]
After his November 2020 pardon and the election results, Flynn became more closely associated with QAnon, endorsing a website that sold QAnon merchandise,[434] creating a Digital Soldiers media company,[41] and saying he planned to launch a news media outlet also called "Digital soldiers".[434] He appeared on various far-right media, pushing QAnon-affiliated conspiracy theories. Flynn's activism fueled speculation among QAnon followers that he would help them take control,[41] or that he was Q himself.[434] QAnon supporters expressed their commitment in social media posts by using the phrase "Fight like a Flynn" or variations thereof.[189]
In February 2021, several weeks after the Capitol riot, Flynn distanced himself from QAnon theories by saying in an interview: "There's no plan. There's so many people out there asking, ‘Is the plan happening?’ We have what we have, and we have to accept the situation as it is." But he did not outright disavow the QAnon movement.[41] In May 2021, Flynn was a keynote speaker at the "For God & Country: Patriot Roundup" conference organized in Dallas, Texas by QAnon influencer John Sabal.[42][445] At the end of the year, though, Flynn appeared to have rejected QAnon as a whole.[322]
In March 2021, Flynn's brother, retired lieutenant general Jack Flynn, and his wife filed a $75 million defamation suit against CNN, alleging the network had falsely accused them of being QAnon followers. They asserted that the video Flynn had posted in July 2020, which CNN had broadcast, depicted their pledging an oath to the Constitution, not to QAnon. The suit claimed Flynn alone had recited the QAnon motto, "where we go one, we go all", though the video showed all the other participants had done so. The plaintiffs also said they "are not followers or supporters of any extremist or terrorist groups, including QAnon".[446][447][40] In December 2021, federal district court judge Gregory Howard Woods largely rejected CNN's motion to dismiss the case, allowing it to proceed to determine whether the Flynns had been portrayed in a false light.[448]
Lin Wood
Attorney Lin Wood, who worked with Trump's reelection campaign and participated in the election lawsuits, promoted QAnon conspiracy theories. His Twitter profile included the hashtag #WWG1WGA, a slogan associated with QAnon.[44] Among other baseless QAnon-associated claims, he accused Chief Justice John Roberts of child rape and murder. Wood also claimed that QAnon supporter Isaac Kappy was murdered for attempting to transmit information to Trump.[45] On January 11, 2021, Delaware Superior Court Judge Craig A. Karsnitz cited Wood's social media postings in his reasons for an order revoking Wood's right to appear before the court.[46] Karsnitz said that he had "no doubt" that Wood's tweets played a role in inciting the attack on the Capitol.[47]
Sidney Powell
Attorney Sidney Powell, a member of Trump's legal team, denied knowledge of QAnon in January 2020,[53] though in the following months she retweeted major QAnon accounts and catchphrases and appeared on QAnon channels on YouTube.[52]
After leaving Trump's team, Powell remained involved in post-election lawsuits and was embraced by QAnon followers, discouraged that predictions of a Trump landslide victory and coming revelations about his enemies had not materialized.[51] Powell's evidence in the lawsuit she filed in Georgia to overturn the election result included an affidavit from Ron Watkins. In this document, Watkins stated that his reading of an online user guide for Dominion Voting Systems software led him to conclude that election fraud might be "within the realm of possibility". Watkins did not provide any evidence of fraud.[50]
In May 2021, Powell asserted that Trump "can simply be reinstated", that "a new inauguration date is set". The date for this was supposedly August 13 of the same year.[49]
Kelly Townsend
Former Arizona State Senator Kelly Townsend is a longtime conspiracy theorist, feeding conspiracies such as the Obama birther conspiracy to Trump before he was elected.[449][450][451] She posted the QAnon "Q" symbol to her social media account in 2018 and has consistently aligned with QAnon theories, including calling all vaccines "communist".[452] In 2021, Townsend supported activists active in the election denial movement in a spirit similar to the events that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, urging parents to take control of school board meetings related to COVID-19 restrictions and mask mandates.[453] Throughout the process of securing the Arizona audit conducted by QAnon conspiracy theorist Doug Logan from Cyber Ninjas, Townsend worked closely with QAnon adherent Liz Harris, who rented one of her condos to QAnon board owner Ron Watkins so he could run for office in Arizona in 2022.[454][455]
Along with Roger Stone associate Jerome Corsi, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and 2020 Maricopa County Sheriff candidate and then chief Arpaio staffer Jerry Sheridan, Townsend worked with informant Dennis Montgomery.[456] In 2020, she worked with Corsi again, claiming the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and emailing Corsi a document of Arizona senators endorsing Trump electors in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election.[457] In the lead-up to January 6, 2021, Townsend sponsored a bill that would designate Trump electors from Arizona and promoted the Arizona audit and stolen election claims.[458][459]
Liz Harris
After Arizona legislative QAnon adherent Kelly Townsend was voted out of office in the 2022 midterms, Liz Harris, also a prominent QAnon influencer, was elected for a short time before being expelled for lying during an ethics investigation.[460][461]
Online
QDrops app
QDrops, an app that promoted the conspiracy theory, was published on the Apple App Store and Google Play.[462] It became the most popular paid app in Apple's online store's "entertainment" section in April 2018, and the tenth-most popular paid app overall. It was published by Tiger Team Inc, a North Carolina couple, Richard and Adalita Brown.[463][464][465] On July 15, 2018, Apple pulled the app after an inquiry from NBC News.[466]
In mid-May 2020, Google removed three other apps – QMAP, Q Alerts! and Q Alerts LITE – from the Android app store for violating its terms of service.[467][468]
Anti-QAnon subreddits
Some social media forums, such as the subreddits r/QAnonCasualties and r/ReQovery, aim to assist either former followers and supporters of QAnon conspiracies or those whose family members engaged in the conspiracy.[306]
Removal of content
In March 2018, Reddit banned one of its communities discussing QAnon, /r/CBTS_Stream, for "encouraging or inciting violence and posting personal and confidential information".[469] Some followers moved to Discord.[470] Several other communities were formed for discussion of QAnon, leading to further bans on September 12, 2018, in response to these communities "inciting violence, harassment, and the dissemination of personal information", which led to thousands of followers regrouping on Voat,[471] a Switzerland-based Reddit clone that has been described as a hub for the alt-right.[472][473] In early 2019, Twitter removed accounts suspected of being connected to the Russian Internet Research Agency that had disseminated a high volume of QAnon-related tweets that used the #WWG1WGA slogan.[23]
In May 2020, Facebook announced its removal of five pages, 20 accounts, and six groups linked to "individuals associated with the QAnon network" as part of an investigation into "suspected coordinated inauthentic behavior" ahead of the 2020 United States election.[474][475] On August 19, Facebook expanded its Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy to address "growing movements that, while not directly organizing violence, have celebrated violent acts, shown that they have weapons and suggest they will use them, or have individual followers with patterns of violent behavior". As a result of this increased vigilance, Facebook reported having already "removed over 790 groups, 100 Pages and 1,500 ads tied to QAnon from Facebook, blocked over 300 hashtags across Facebook and Instagram, and additionally imposed restrictions on over 1,950 Groups and 440 Pages on Facebook and over 10,000 accounts on Instagram".[476][477][478] In the month after its August announcement, Facebook said it deleted 1,500 QAnon groups; such groups by then had four million followers. In October 2020, Facebook said it would immediately begin removing "any Facebook Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts representing QAnon, even if they contain no violent content". The company said it would immediately ban any group representing QAnon.[479][480][481]
In July 2020, Twitter announced it was banning more than 7,000 accounts connected to QAnon for coordinated amplification of fake news and conspiracy theories. In a press release, Twitter said, "We've been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has the potential to lead to offline harm. In line with this approach, this week we are taking further action on so-called 'QAnon' activity across the service." It also said that the actions could apply to over 150,000 accounts.[482][483]
Facebook banned all QAnon groups and pages in October 2020. That day, QAnon followers speculated that the action was part of a complex Trump administration strategy to begin arresting its enemies, or that Facebook was attempting to silence news of this occurring; neither is true. Some followers speculated that a Justice Department "national security" news conference scheduled for the next day would relate to charges against Democrats, including Hillary Clinton. The Justice Department actually announced the investigation and arrest of Islamic State members.[484] Etsy also announced that it would remove all QAnon-related merchandise from its online marketplace.[485] The products were still available there as of January 2021.[486]
In an interview with CNN, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said much QAnon material was "borderline content" that did not explicitly break its rules, but that changes in the site's methodology for recommendations had reduced views of QAnon-related content by 80%.[487] Three days later, YouTube announced that it had modified its hate and harassment policies to bar "content that targets an individual or group with conspiracy theories that have been used to justify real-world violence", such as QAnon and Pizzagate.[488][489] It would still allow content discussing QAnon if it did not target individuals.[490]
Hashtags and accounts associated with QAnon have since been banned by numerous social networks including Facebook,[491][492] Twitter,[493] TikTok,[494] and Instagram.[495] In particular, the 2021 United States Capitol attack led to a crackdown on QAnon-related content on social media platforms during the days that followed. Twitter suspended Lin Wood's account on January 7[496] and those of Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn and other high-profile QAnon figures the next day.[497] On January 12, Facebook and Twitter announced that they were removing "Stop the Steal" content and suspending 70,000 QAnon-focused accounts, respectively.[360][55] More waves of deletions followed on various platforms.[56] Amazon removed a pro-QAnon book after the Capitol riots, and many platforms took action against QAnon-related content after the incident.[498] In May 2021, a report published by the Atlantic Council concluded that QAnon content was "evaporating" from the mainstream web.[167]
Migration to alt-tech
The mass deletions of QAnon-related accounts on the most popular social media outlets led many members of the movement to migrate to alt-tech platforms. Notably, Parler grew in popularity among QAnon followers and conservatives in general in early 2021.[p] Gab also became increasingly popular in these environments, especially after Parler went offline for several weeks following the Capitol attack.[504]
In the course of 2021, various alt-tech platforms allowed QAnon influencers and adherents to regroup, with Gab and Telegram becoming particularly important hubs of QAnon communities.[505][506][286]
Return to Twitter/X
In April 2022, QAnon followers celebrated Elon Musk's proposed purchase of Twitter, believing that Musk's free speech approach would allow them back onto the platform.[507] After Musk acquired the platform in October of the same year, various QAnon-related accounts were reinstated and resumed posting about the conspiracy theory.[508] By December the conspiracy theory began to make a comeback on Twitter.[509][510] Suspected Q author Ron Watkins was subsequently reinstated on the platform in January 2023[511] while in March Musk defended the "QAnon shamon" by calling for Jacob Chansley to be freed.[512][513] In May, the Anti-Defamation League documented a surge of QAnon content on Twitter, now X, described as a resurgence.[514]
See also
- Apophenia, the tendency to perceive connections and meaning between unrelated things
- Cult of personality
- List of conspiracy theories
- Secret decoder ring, a promotional item that taps into a common fascination with secret codes
- Sound of Freedom, 2023 film with alleged ties to the QAnon movement
- "Epstein didn't kill himself"
- Boogaloo movement
- Mike Cernovich
- Jesselyn Cook
Further reading
- Badham, Van (2022). QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of the Internet Conspiracy Cults: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults. Melbourne: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 9781743797877. OCLC 1285976834. Excerpt.
- Beverley, James A. (2020). The QAnon Deception: Everything You Need to Know about the World's Most Dangerous Conspiracy Theory. EqualTime Books. ISBN 979-8582465898.
- Bleakley, Paul (2021). "Panic, Pizza and Mainstreaming the Alt-Right: A Social Media Analysis of Pizzagate and the Rise of the QAnon Conspiracy". Current Sociology: 00113921211034896. doi:10.1177/00113921211034896.
- Breland, Ali (August 20, 2020). "The Summer QAnon Went Mainstream". Mother Jones. Foundation for National Progress. Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- Enders, Adam M.; Uscinski, Joseph E.; Klofstad, Casey A.; Wuchty, Stefan; Seelig, Michelle I.; Funchion, John R.; Murthi, Manohar N.; Premaratne, Kamal; Stoler, Justin (2022). "Who Supports QAnon? A Case Study in Political Extremism". The Journal of Politics. 84 (3). University of Chicago Press: 1844–1849. doi:10.1086/717850. S2CID 232161773.
- Forberg, Peter L. (2022). "'No Cult Tells You to Think for Yourself': Discursive Ideology and the Limits of Rationality in Conspiracy Theory QAnon" (subscription required). American Behavioral Scientist. doi:10.1177/00027642221091199.
- Hodwitz, Omi, Steff King, and Jordan Thompson (2022). "QAnon: The Calm Before the Storm". Society: 1–12. doi:10.1007/s12115-022-00688-x.
- Sommer, Will (2023). Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America. New York: Harper. ISBN 9780063114487.
- Westmark, Colton; Adam, McMahon (2022). "Identifying QAnon Conspiracy Theory Adherent Types". New Political Science. 44 (4). Taylor & Francis: 607–627. doi:10.1080/07393148.2022.2129927. S2CID 252980185.
Notes
- ^ The term originally referred to the anonymous poster "Q", but the media soon used the compound "QAnon" as a collective term for either the conspiracy theory or the far-right community driving and discussing it.
- ^ The other circular patch is the SWAT team emblem. Regulations forbid wearing either.[80]
- ^ After a line of dialogue from the film The Matrix, which in turn referenced Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
- ^ "HRC extradition already in motion effective yesterday with several countries in case of cross border run. Passport approved to be flagged effective 10/30 @ 12:01 am. Expect massive riots organized in defiance and others fleeing the US to occur. US M's will conduct the operation while NG activated. Proof check: Locate an NG member and ask if activated for duty 10/30 across most major cities." —QAnon's first post on the /pol/ message board of 4chan, on October 28, 2017[150]
- ^ The parade was canceled.
- ^ A claim made in April 2018
- ^ Dorsey remained CEO of Twitter until November 2021, when he was replaced by Parag Agrawal.
- ^ This is a version of the Seth Rich murder conspiracy theory, which is connected to the broader Clinton body count conspiracy theory, that had developed in the 1990s.[157] The claims of this conspiracy theory were propagated from the same venues as Pizzagate,[158] and both shared common attributes.[159][160]
- ^ Adrenochrome has become the subject of a number of myths since Hunter S. Thompson mentioned it in his 1971 book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.[187][188]
- ^ That author being the "Original Q" under the multiple individuals hypothesis
- ^ Derived from the 1996 film White Squall and sometimes misattributed to John F. Kennedy.[258]
- ^ A reference to The Matrix, like the "Follow the White rabbit" slogan.
- ^ Mendoza sits on the advisory board of Women for Trump and was scheduled to speak at the 2020 Republican convention until news of her Twitter activity came out;[283] she later denied knowing the content of the thread.[284]
- ^ Some thought that Biden's inauguration was pre-recorded, with Trump being sworn in as President in a secret ceremony away from the cameras.[315] Others thought that the inauguration was illegitimate because Biden was sworn in on a leather-bound bible (which Q supporters incorrectly say meant he didn't actually swear on the Bible),[316] or that the Bible he was sworn in on was related to the Freemasons or the Illuminati in preparation for a New World Order (it was actually a Catholic Bible).[317] Others thought the inauguration was legitimate, a part of a ruse by Trump to entrap Biden and the deep state.[316] Some posited that Trump would actually rule as "shadow President" during Biden's term, and others that Biden had been part of QAnon all along and would be the one bringing down the cabal.[318] Many focused on the idea that there were 17 flags on the dais that Trump gave his farewell address on, and the fact that Q is the 17th letter of the alphabet.[319]
- ^ She said it was engraved on a bell on John F. Kennedy's sailboat. This is not true, although the quote has been attributed to Kennedy by Q. Kennedy's sailboat, Victura, did not have a bell, and the phrase does not appear on the Kennedy family's yacht, the Honey Fitz. The phrase is shown on a boat in the 1996 movie White Squall, and screenshots from this movie have been spread by QAnon followers as supposed proof of their claims.[441][442]
- ^ A lot of Parler's content related to QAnon or far-right extremist ideologies,[499][500] and it was taken down by Amazon Web Services in the days following the Capitol attack.[501] Although mentions of QAnon or related hashtags on Parler were lower than mainstream platforms' slowest days,[502] Parler conversations were less critical of the movement, and tended to focus on support for Trump.[503]
References
- ^ a b c Martineau, Paris (December 19, 2017). "The Storm Is the New Pizzagate – Only Worse". New York. ISSN 0028-7369. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- ^ Wendling, Mike (July 22, 2020). "QAnon: What is it and where did it come from?". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^
- Guglielmi, Giorgia (October 28, 2020). "The next-generation bots interfering with the US election". Nature. 587 (7832): 21. Bibcode:2020Natur.587...21G. doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03034-5. PMID 33116324.
- Collins, Ben; Zadrozny, Brandy (August 10, 2018). "The far right is struggling to contain Qanon after giving it life". NBC News. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- Rosenberg, Eli (November 30, 2018). "Pence shares picture of himself meeting a SWAT officer with a QAnon conspiracy patch". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- Iannelli, Jerry (November 30, 2018). "South Florida Cop Wore "QAnon" Conspiracy Patch With Mike Pence". Miami New Times. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- Moore, McKenna (August 1, 2018). "What You Need to Know About Far-Right Conspiracy QAnon". Fortune. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- Roose, Kevin (July 10, 2019). "Trump Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Right-Wing Social Media Trolls". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c Bracewell, Lorna (January 21, 2021). "Gender, Populism, and the QAnon Conspiracy Movement". Frontiers in Sociology. 5. Cardiff, UK: Frontiers Media: 615727. doi:10.3389/fsoc.2020.615727. ISSN 2297-7775. PMC 8022489. PMID 33869533. S2CID 231654586.
- ^ a b c d e Crossley, James (September 2021). "The Apocalypse and Political Discourse in an Age of COVID". Journal for the Study of the New Testament. 44 (1). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications: 93–111. doi:10.1177/0142064X211025464. ISSN 1745-5294. S2CID 237329082.
- ^ Kunzelman, Michael; Slevin, Colleen (February 9, 2020). "'QAnon' conspiracy theory creeps into mainstream politics". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ "QAnon: The conspiracy theory embraced by Trump, several politicians, and some American moms". Vox. October 9, 2020. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Zuckerman, Ethan (July 2019). "QAnon and the Emergence of the Unreal" (PDF). Journal of Design and Science (6). London: Taylor & Francis: 1–5. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Multiple sources:[4][5][6][7][8]
- ^ a b c d e f Roose, Kevin (September 3, 2021). "What Is QAnon, the Viral Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theory?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Description of QAnon as a cult:
- Stanton, Gregory (September 9, 2020). "QAnon is a Nazi Cult, Rebranded". Just Security. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- Polantz, Katelyn (January 15, 2021). "US takes back its assertion that Capitol rioters wanted to 'capture and assassinate' officials". CNN. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
Prosecutors accuse Chansley of being a flight risk who can quickly raise money through non-traditional means as 'one of the leaders and mascots of QAnon, a group commonly referred to as a cult (which preaches debunked and fictitious anti-government conspiracy theory)'.
- Davies, Dave (January 28, 2021). "Without Their 'Messiah,' QAnon Believers Confront A Post-Trump World". Fresh Air. NPR. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
Washington Post national technology reporter Craig Timberg ... tells Fresh Air[,] 'Some researchers think it's a cult ...'
- Mulkerrins, Jane (January 15, 2021). "Life inside QAnon, the cult that stormed the Capitol". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
To hear Rein Lively describe her experiences with QAnon, it sounds, I say, very much like a cult... "It is a decentralised online conspiracy theory cult," agrees Joseph Uscinski, professor of political science at the University of Miami and author of Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them.
- ^ a b Rothschild 2021, pp. 9, 28, 175.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, p. 21.
- ^ a b Laviola, Erin (August 1, 2018). "QAnon Conspiracy: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Stanley-Becker, Isaac (August 1, 2018). "'We are Q': A deranged conspiracy cult leaps from the Internet to the crowd at Trump's 'MAGA' tour". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ a b Dunst, Charles (August 3, 2018). "Is QAnon, the Latest pro-Trump Conspiracy Theory, anti-Semitic?". Haaretz. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ^ a b "Quantifying Hate: A Year of Anti-Semitism on Twitter". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ Griffin, Andrew (August 24, 2020). "What is Qanon? The Origins of the Bizarre Conspiracy Theory Spreading Online". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ a b Thomas, Elise (February 17, 2020). "Qanon Deploys 'Information Warfare' to Influence the 2020 Election". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Bank, Justin; Stack, Liam; Victor, Daniel (August 1, 2018). "What Is QAnon: Explaining the Internet Conspiracy Theory That Showed Up at a Trump Rally". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Nguyen, Tina (July 12, 2020). "Trump isn't secretly winking at QAnon. He's retweeting its followers". Politico. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c Menn, Joseph (August 24, 2020). "Russian-backed organizations amplifying QAnon conspiracy theories, researchers say". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ a b Collins, Ben; Murphy, Joe (February 2, 2019). "Russian troll accounts purged by Twitter pushed Qanon and other conspiracy theories". NBC News. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ a b Menn, Joseph (November 2, 2020). "QAnon received earlier boost from Russian accounts on Twitter, archives show". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ "Congressman Krishnamoorthi Requests Information From DNI Ratcliffe On Russian Use QAnon In Disinformation Efforts" (Press release). Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. October 19, 2020. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ Multiple sources:[22][23][24][25]
- ^ a b Cohen, Zachary (April 19, 2021). "China and Russia 'weaponized' QAnon conspiracy around time of US Capitol attack, report says". CNN. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ Zuylen-Wood, Simon van (January 13, 2021). "MAGA-land's Favorite Newspaper". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ Alba, Davey (March 9, 2021). "Epoch Media Casts Wider Net to Spread Its Message Online". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ Zadrozny, Brandy; Collins, Ben (August 20, 2019). "Trump, QAnon and an impending judgment day: Behind the Facebook-fueled rise of The Epoch Times". NBC News. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ Callery, James; Goddard, Jacqui (August 23, 2021). "Most-clicked link on Facebook spread doubt about Covid vaccine". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
Facebook's data on the first quarter of this year shows that one of its most popular pages was an article by The Epoch Times, a far-right newspaper that has promoted QAnon conspiracy theories and misleading claims of voter fraud related to the 2020 US election.
- ^ Perrone, Alessio; Loucaides, Darren (March 10, 2022). "A key source for Covid-skeptic movements, the Epoch Times yearns for a global audience". Coda Media. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Multiple sources:[28][29][30][31][32]
- ^ Shanahan, James (March 5, 2021). "Support for QAnon is hard to measure – and polls may overestimate it". The Conversation. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Conger, Kate (July 21, 2020). "Twitter Takedown Targets QAnon Accounts". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Donie (October 6, 2020). "Three years later, Facebook says it will ban QAnon". CNN. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ a b Beckett, Lois (October 16, 2020). "QAnon: a timeline of violence linked to the conspiracy theory". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Tollefson, Jeff (February 4, 2021). "Tracking QAnon: how Trump turned conspiracy-theory research upside down" (PDF). Nature. Vol. 590. pp. 192–193. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00257-y. ISSN 1476-4687. LCCN 12037118. PMID 33542489. S2CID 231818589. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c Thomas, Elise (February 17, 2020). "Qanon Deploys 'Information Warfare' to Influence the 2020 Election". Wired. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ a b c Cohen, Marshall (July 7, 2020). "Michael Flynn posts video featuring QAnon slogans". CNN. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Robins-Early, Nick (February 21, 2021). "Michael Flynn's Wild Ride Into The Heart Of QAnon". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Gilbert, David (May 31, 2021). "QAnon's Wildest Moments From Their Massively Disturbing Conference". Vice News. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Multiple sources:[40][41][42]
- ^ a b References:
- Johnson, Larry (November 24, 2020). "Cobb County Responds To Second Video Circulated By Lin Wood". Cobb County Courier. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- Thomas, David (November 27, 2020). "Meet the lawyers behind the 'Kraken' election conspiracy lawsuits". Reuters. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ a b References:
- Gilbert, David (January 5, 2021). "Pro-Trump Lawyer Lin Wood Is Doing a Helluva Job Convincing People He's Not Insane". Vice News. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- Goforth, Clair (January 4, 2021). "Trump-aligned attorney says he's teamed with 'Lizard Squad' to prove Supreme Court harbors pedophiles". The Daily Dot. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ a b References:
- Chase, Randall (January 12, 2021). "Judge boots Trump attorney from Carter Page defamation suit". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- Memorandum and Order following the Issuance of a Rule to Show Cause (Page v. Oath, Inc.), S20C-07-030 CAK (Super. Del. January 11, 2021), via bloomberglaw.com.
- ^ a b Thomas, David (January 12, 2021). "Del. judge blocks Lin Wood as repercussions grow for lawyers who pressed election claims". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Multiple sources:[44][45][46][47][42]
- ^ a b References:
- Relman, Eliza (May 31, 2021). "Ex-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell showed up to a QAnon conference in a biker vest and falsely claimed Trump could be 'reinstated' as president". Business Insider. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- Subramaniam, Tara (June 2021). "Fact check: No, Trump can't 'simply be reinstated' as president". CNN. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Harwell, Drew (December 1, 2020). "To boost voter-fraud claims, Trump advocate Sidney Powell turns to unusual source: The longtime operator of QAnon's Internet home". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ a b References:
- O'Sullivan, Donie (November 24, 2020). "Sidney Powell is a beacon of hope to sad Qanon supporters". CNN. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- Alba, Davey (November 17, 2020). "'Release the Kraken,' a catchphrase for unfounded conspiracy theory, trends on Twitter". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Gilbert, David (November 20, 2020). "Trump's Lawyer Sidney Powell Is Hardcore QAnon". Vice. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ a b Kloor, Keith (January 17, 2020). "The #MAGA Lawyer Behind Michael Flynn's Scorched-Earth Legal Strategy". Politico. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Multiple sources:[49][50][51][52][53]
- ^ a b c "Twitter blocks 70,000 QAnon accounts after US Capitol riot". Associated Press. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Roose, Kevin (January 17, 2021). "A QAnon 'Digital Soldier' Marches On, Undeterred by Theory's Unraveling". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, p. 34.
- ^ a b c Rothschild 2021, pp. 34–35.
- ^ Miller, Michael E. (February 16, 2021). "The Pizzagate gunman is out of prison. Conspiracy theories are out of control". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Kang, Cecilia; Frenkel, Sheera (June 27, 2020). "'PizzaGate' Conspiracy Theory Thrives Anew in the TikTok Era". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020.
- ^ Funke, Daniel (August 12, 2020). "QAnon, Pizzagate conspiracy theories co-opt #SaveTheChildren". PolitiFact. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Fairfield, Conn (August 7, 2020). "Save the Children Statement on use of its Name in Unaffiliated Campaigns". Save the Children. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022.
- ^ a b "The Making of QAnon: A Crowdsourced Conspiracy". Bellingcat. January 7, 2021. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ^ Rothschild, Mike (September 15, 2019). "What Are Anons? How the Term Has Gone Mainstream". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Zadrozny, Brandy; Collins, Ben (August 8, 2018). "How three conspiracy theorists took 'Q' and sparked Qanon". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ Colburn, Randall (December 19, 2017). "There's a new, insane conspiracy theory tearing up 4chan". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Gander, Kashmira (January 15, 2018). "What is The Storm? Conspiracy theory that mysterious White House official leaks secrets". International Business Times. Archived from the original on September 7, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ "Departmental Personnel Security FAQs". U.S. Department of Energy. Archived from the original on July 8, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Coaston, Jane (August 21, 2020). "QAnon, the scarily popular pro-Trump conspiracy theory, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Tian, Edward (January 21, 2021). "The QAnon Timeline: Four Years, 5,000 Drops and Countless Failed Prophecies". Bellingcat. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Rothschild, Mike (October 29, 2018). "One year later, had the QAnon movement finally passed?". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ Bump, Philip (August 1, 2018). "Why the QAnon conspiracy is the natural culmination of the Trump era". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Le Miere, Jason (November 20, 2017). "Hillary Clinton, Pedophilia and Ankle Bracelets; New Trump-Supporter Conspiracy Theory Is Pizzagate on Steroids". Newsweek. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Coaston, Jane (December 14, 2018). "YouTube's conspiracy theory crisis, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ a b Emery, David (April 16, 2018). "Is a Hillary Clinton 'Snuff Film' Circulating on the Dark Web?". Snopes. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c Kirkpatrick, David D. (February 19, 2022). "Who is behind QAnon? Linguistic detectives find fingerprints". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Stuart, Gwynedd (August 17, 2020). "Inside QAnon, the Conspiracy Cult that's Devouring America". Los Angeles. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ Evon, Dan (August 21, 2020). "Qurious About QAnon? Get the Facts About This Dangerous Conspiracy Theory". Snopes. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q LaFrance, Adrienne (June 2020). "The Prophecies of Q". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Altman, Howard (December 5, 2018). "Double trouble for Broward deputy: One patch for QAnon conspiracy, another for his SWAT team". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ a b McClatchey, Emma (May 4, 2021). "How UI grad Liz Crokin became one of QAnon's biggest influencers". Little Village. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ López G., Cristina; Martinez, Natalie; Lavin, Talia; Kaplan, Alex (August 2, 2018). "A list of the right-wing amplifiers of the QAnon conspiracy theory". Media Matters for America. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ Peltz, Madeline; Horowitz, Justin (August 21, 2020). "The definitive guide to Fox News' treatment of the QAnon conspiracy theory". Media Matters for America. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ Sullivan, Margaret (August 1, 2018). "As the bizarre QAnon group emerges, Trump rallies go from nasty to dangerous". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Burke, Daniel (October 15, 2020). "How QAnon uses religion to lure unsuspecting Christians". CNN. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
- ^ Stahl, Lesley; Kubilus, Derek (February 22, 2021). "QAnon's corrosive impact on the U.S." CBS News. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ Bloom & Moskalenko 2021, p. 152, Chapt. 5.
- ^ Francescani, Chris (September 22, 2020). "QAnon's growth mirrors sharp spike in far-right extremist violence in US: Experts". ABC News. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ Zadrozny, Brandy; Collins, Ben (July 18, 2018). "Like the fringe conspiracy theory Qanon? There's plenty of merch for sale on Amazon". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ^ Collins, Ben (March 5, 2019). "On Amazon, a Qanon conspiracy book climbs the charts — with an algorithmic push". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (March 6, 2019). "How a conspiracy theory about Democrats drinking children's blood topped Amazon's best-sellers list". Vox. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Backovic, Nick (January 11, 2021). "Failed Screenwriter from New Jersey Behind One of QAnon's Most Influential Personas". Logically. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ Scott, Mark (December 22, 2020). "Conspiracy theories run wild on Amazon". Politico. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Stokel-Walker, Chris (July 29, 2021). "QAnon posts by figurehead Q may be written by more than one person". New Scientist. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ Ondrak, Joe; Backovic, Nick (September 10, 2020). "QAnon Key Figure Revealed as Financial Information Security Analyst from New Jersey". Logically. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ a b Turton, William (September 11, 2020). "QAnon Website Shuts Down After N.J. Man Identified as Operator". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Ondrak, Joe; Backovic, Nick (September 10, 2020). "QAnon Key Figure Revealed as Financial Information Security Analyst from New Jersey". Logically. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- ^ Rothschild, Mike (August 28, 2020). "Did an IP address accidentally reveal QAnon's identity?". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
- ^ Sen, Ari; Zadrozny, Brandy (August 10, 2020). "QAnon groups have millions of members on Facebook, documents show". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ "Quantifying The Q Conspiracy: A Data-Driven Approach to Understanding the Threat Posed by QAnon". The Soufan Center. April 19, 2021. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ Cohen, Zachary (April 19, 2021). "China and Russia 'weaponized' QAnon conspiracy around time of US Capitol attack, report says". CNN. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ Guglielmi, Giorgia (October 28, 2020). "The next-generation bots interfering with the US election". Nature. 587 (7832): 21. Bibcode:2020Natur.587...21G. doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03034-5. PMID 33116324.
- ^ Bloom & Moskalenko 2021, p. 157, Table 5.1.
- ^ Harwell, Drew; Timberg, Craig (January 20, 2021). "QAnon believers grapple with doubt, spin new theories as Trump era ends". Houston Chronicle. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
He and other researchers have also chronicled an increasingly global QAnon movement that could outlast its potential weakening in the United States as events and an aggressive crackdown by social media platforms limit the ideology's reach among Americans. The QAnon followings in Germany and Japan are particularly strong and growing, said Finkelstein, whose research group tracked a surge in QAnon terms the morning of the January 6 Capitol attack, including one that said "qarmyjapanflynn".
- ^ 藤倉善郎 (Yoshirō Fujikura) (December 30, 2020). "日本で繰り返されるトランプ応援デモの主催者・参加者はどんな人々なのか" [What kind of people are the organizers and participants of the repeated pro-Trump demonstrations in Japan?]. Harbour Business Online (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Alt, Matt (March 26, 2021). "Why QAnon Flopped in Japan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
But it flopped in Japan, a country that's no stranger to conspiracy theories. Even as Western media has portrayed otherwise, there are hardly any Q followers among the Japanese and it has failed the test for the nation's conspiracy connoisseurs. "It's too naïve for our readership," Takeharu Mikami, the editor of Mu since 2005, told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper last month.
- ^ Jozuka, Emiko; Wang, Selina; Ogura, Junko (April 27, 2022). "Japan's QAnon disciples aren't letting Trump's loss quash their mission". CNN. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- ^ Montgomery, Hanako (April 22, 2022). "Japanese QAnon Leader Arrested for Entering COVID-19 Vaccination Site to 'Save Kids'". Vice.
- ^ "Members tied to QAnon arrested over break-in at vaccine center". The Asahi Shimbun. April 7, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ "QAnon conspiracies go global in pandemic 'perfect storm'". France 24. Agence France Presse. October 6, 2020. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Bennhold, Katrin (October 11, 2020). "QAnon Is Thriving in Germany. The Extreme Right Is Delighted". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ "CeMAS study: QAnon movement gains popularity in the German-speaking world". Alfred Landecker Foundation. March 31, 2022. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ Holnburger, Josef; Tort, Maheba Goedeke; Lamberty, Pia (March 31, 2022). "Q Vadis? The spread of QAnon in the German-speaking world". CeMAS. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ Light, Felix (November 30, 2020). "QAnon Gains Traction in Russia". The Moscow Times. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Quinn, Ben (October 21, 2020). "One in four Britons believe in QAnon-linked theories – survey". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Lawrence, David; Davis, Gregory (October 2020). "QAnon in the UK: The Growth of a Movement" (PDF). Hope not Hate: 24–26. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Paolini, Esther (April 20, 2021). "Affaire Mia: ce que contiennent les vidéos du complotiste Rémy Daillet-Wiedemann". BFM TV. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Laurent, Samuel (April 20, 2021). "Rémy Daillet, l'homme au cœur de la " mouvance " conspirationniste impliquée dans l'enlèvement de Mia". Le Monde. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Soullier, Lucie (October 22, 2021). "Rémy Daillet, figure du complotisme, mis en examen pour " association de malfaiteurs terroriste criminelle "". Le Monde. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ "Sept personnes interpellées dans un dossier lié au complotiste Rémy Daillet, figure de l'ultra-droite". France Info. March 23, 2022. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Dryden, Joel (October 25, 2020). "How conspiracies like QAnon are slowly creeping into some Canadian churches". CBC News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ McIntosh, Emma (October 15, 2020). "America's QAnon problem is infecting Canada. What should we do about it?". National Observer. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Kovac, Adam (November 3, 2020). "How Canada became one of the world's biggest hubs for QAnon conspiracy theories". CTV News. Montreal. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Cecco, Leyland (July 3, 2020). "Armed man roamed Justin Trudeau's grounds for 13 minutes after ramming gates". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ Ling, Justin (July 13, 2020). "QAnon's Madness Is Turning Canadians Into Potential Assassins". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ Tunney, Catharine (March 10, 2021). "Corey Hurren sentenced to 6 years in prison for breaching Rideau Hall gates while armed". CBC News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Ling, Justin (February 8, 2022). "5G and QAnon: how conspiracy theorists steered Canada's anti-vaccine trucker protest". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ Lamoureux, Mack (June 17, 2021). "QAnons Are Harassing People at the Whim of a Woman They Say Is Canada's Queen". Vice News. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ^ Cecco, Leyland (August 23, 2022). "'Queen of Canada': the rapid rise of a fringe QAnon figure sounds alarm". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ Lamoureux, Mack (August 23, 2022). "Inside the QAnon Queen's Cult: 'The Abuse Was Non-Stop'". Vice. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c Badham, Van (November 13, 2021). "QAnon: how the far-right cult took Australians down a 'rabbit hole' of extremism". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Gunia, Amy (October 1, 2020). "The U.S. Exported QAnon to Australia and New Zealand. Now It's Creeping Into COVID-19 Lockdown Protests". Time. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Wallace, Arturo (August 28, 2020). "QAnon en América Latina: cómo y por qué grupos asociados a esta polémica teoría conspirativa se han multiplicado en la región" [QAnon in Latin America: how and why groups associated with this controversial conspiracy theory have multiplied in the region]. BBC (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Zimbrón, Andrés (August 31, 2020). "Por qué se ha propagado más el movimiento QAnon en Latinoamérica" [Why the QAnon movement has spread more in Latin America]. Notipress (in Spanish). Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Chinchilla, Sofía (August 24, 2020). "QAnon, la teoría conspirativa, recluta seguidores en Costa Rica" [QAnon, the conspiracy theory, recruits followers in Costa Rica]. La Nación (in Spanish). Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Labrados, Fernando (November 23, 2020). "¿Qué es QAnon?" [What is QAnon?]. EFE (in Spanish). Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
Biden es el ... preferido de los pederastas.
- ^ Verifica RTVE (September 23, 2019). "Qanon: este movimiento conspirativo también te desinforma sobre la pandemia" [Qanon: This conspiratorial movement also misinforms you about the pandemic]. RTVE (in Spanish). Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
No están aparentemente ligados, al menos de modo formal, a ningún partido político español, aunque cuando manifiestan preferencia abierta por uno, es por Vox.
- ^ Argentino, Marc-André (January 7, 2021). "QAnon and the storm of the U.S. Capitol: The offline effect of online conspiracy theories". The Conversation. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Haubursin, Christophe (October 28, 2020). "The Instagram aesthetic that made QAnon mainstream". Vox. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ McGowan, Michael (February 24, 2021). "How the wellness and influencer crowd serve conspiracies to the masses". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, pp. 125–130.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, p. 17.
- ^ Zhou, Marrian (August 14, 2018). "QAnon's coded conspiracy messages look like random typing, says analyst". CNET. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ Kelly, Tiffany (November 21, 2017). "'Follow the White Rabbit' is the most bonkers conspiracy theory you will ever read". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Julie Carrie, Wong (June 25, 2020). "Down the rabbit hole: how QAnon conspiracies thrive on Facebook". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Selk, Avi; Ohlheiser, Abby. "How QAnon, the conspiracy theory spawned by a Trump quip, got so big and scary". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ Kirn, Walter (June 2018). "The Wizard of Q". Harper's Magazine. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ Reed, Jason (April 21, 2020). "Here is every QAnon prediction that's failed to come true". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Coaston, Jane (August 2, 2018). "#QAnon, the scarily popular pro-Trump conspiracy theory, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "QAnon, once a fringe conspiracy theory, edges into the mainstream: 'Things could get much, much worse'". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ "US Capitol police warn of possible militia plot to breach Congress". BBC News. March 4, 2021. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ Holt, Jared (July 9, 2018). "A New Wave Of 'QAnon' Activists Emerge From The Cult Of MAGA". Right Wing Watch. People for the American Way. Archived from the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ^ Caffier, Justin (June 12, 2018). "A Guide to QAnon, the New King of Right-Wing Conspiracy Theories". Vice. ISSN 1077-6788. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- ^ Hayden, Michael Edison (February 1, 2018). "How 'the Storm' Became the Biggest Fake News Story of 2018". Newsweek. ISSN 0028-9604. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Rothschild, Mike (March 19, 2018). "The QAnon Conspiracy Is the Oldest Scam Out There". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
- ^ Guo, Jeff (May 24, 2017). "The bonkers Seth Rich conspiracy theory, explained". Vox.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
- ^ Shalby, Colleen (May 24, 2017). "How Seth Rich's death became an Internet conspiracy theory". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
Despite police statements and Rich's family concluding that his death was the result of an attempted robbery, the rumor spread within the same circles that churned out the bogus 'PizzaGate' story
- ^ Farhi, Paul (May 17, 2017). "A conspiratorial tale of murder, with Fox News at the center". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
The Rich story has taken on elements of the Comet Ping Pong conspiracy, a false and preposterous tale involving Hillary Clinton and her supposed operation of a child-abuse ring at a District pizza restaurant.
- ^ Boehlert, Eric (May 19, 2017), "Fox's Vulgar Coverage Of A Murdered DNC Staffer Is Nothing New", The Huffington Post, archived from the original on June 1, 2017, retrieved June 1, 2017,
Basically, it was the 'alt-right' idiocy of Pizzagate all over again.
- ^ Király, Attila (August 7, 2018). "Trump támogatói között elkezdett terjedni, hogy az elnök az Egyesült Államokat irányító sátánista pedofilok ellen harcol" [Trump supporters have started to spread their belief that the President fights against Satanist pedophiles who govern the United States]. 444 (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ Muncaster, Phil (May 7, 2020). "Facebook Removes Far-Right Conspiracy Theory Content". Infosecurity Magazine. Infosecurity Group. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ Goldberg, Michelle (September 21, 2018). "Conspiracy theory claims Trump is a 'secret genius who pretended to collude with Russia to defeat child sex traffickers'". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ Neiwert, David (January 17, 2018). "Conspiracy meta-theory 'The Storm' pushes the 'alternative' envelope yet again". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- ^ Trickey, Erick (August 4, 2018). "Fact-checking QAnon conspiracy theories: Did J.P. Morgan sink the Titanic?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ "Why are QAnon believers obsessed with 4 March?". BBC News. March 4, 2021. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Brewster, Jack (June 8, 2021). "'Q' Hasn't Posted In Six Months—But Some QAnon Followers Still Keep The Faith". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ Flynn, Sheila (June 25, 2022). "'Q' returns with first new post in 18 months for far-right QAnon conspiracy theorists". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ Sommer, Will (June 25, 2022). "QAnon Creator 'Q' Returns After Nearly Two-Year Hiatus". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, John (July 1, 2022). "New post from QAnon targets Cassidy Hutchinson". CNN. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
- ^ "After 18-Month Hiatus, New QAnon Posts Surface". Anti-Defamation League. June 29, 2022. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
Several QAnon adherents have tried to question 8kun owner Jim Watkins, who had confirmed the new drops were 'real' within hours of them being posted ... Watkins has largely avoided these questions and has attacked some users who've expressed skepticism about the new posts ... Q stopped posting on 8kun in December 2020, shortly after former president Trump's defeat in the 2020 election. Q's unexpected return has reinvigorated the QAnon community ... [But] why would Q return after so many months of silence? Researchers have put forth a range of theories: Perhaps the Watkinses thought new drops would revive 8kun's declining user base, or maybe they felt threatened by an imitator Q account on Trump's new Truth Social platform ...
- ^ a b Rozsa, Matthew (August 18, 2019). "QAnon is the conspiracy theory that won't die". Salon. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, pp. 9, 16, 32, 105–117.
- ^ a b c Ross, Alexander Reid (January 8, 2019). "Apocalypse in America: The Smell of Fascism in the pro-Trump QAnon Conspiracy". Haaretz. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Wong, Julie Carrie (August 25, 2020). "QAnon explained: the antisemitic conspiracy theory gaining traction around the world". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c Dowd, Katie (February 12, 2022). "How QAnon believers became obsessed with Tom Hanks". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ Elfrink, Tim (July 22, 2020). "'You don't have a "right" to coordinate attacks': Chrissy Teigen backs Twitter's QAnon crackdown". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ "Fact Check-False news article about Tom Hanks". Reuters. August 5, 2021. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ Roose, Kevin (November 10, 2020). "Shocked by Trump's Loss, QAnon Struggles to Keep the Faith". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Collins, Ben; Zadrozny, Brandy (January 20, 2021). "Some QAnon followers lose hope after inauguration". Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Rouner, Jeff (February 10, 2021). "Why QAnon Thinks Trump Will Be Inaugurated on March 4". Houston Press. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Silverman, Jacob (August 13, 2021). "Was Donald Trump Reinstated as President Today?". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ Dowd, Katie (September 13, 2021). "'Are we the sheep?': QAnon believers struggle to process Gavin Newsom recall election in California". SFGate. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Pitofsky, Marina (November 2, 2021). "QAnon supporters gather over theory that JFK Jr. will emerge, announce Trump to be reinstated". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ a b Bloom & Moskalenko 2021, pp. 90–91.
- ^ a b Friedberg, Brian (July 31, 2020). "The Dark Virality of a Hollywood Blood-Harvesting Conspiracy". Wired. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ a b Hitt, Tarpley (August 14, 2020). "How QAnon Became Obsessed With 'Adrenochrome,' an Imaginary Drug Hollywood Is 'Harvesting' from Kids". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ Adams J (April 7, 2020). "The truth about adrenochrome". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "QAnon: A Glossary". Anti-Defamation League. January 21, 2021. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Walker-Journey, Jennifer (April 14, 2021). "Untangling the Medical Misinformation Around Adrenochrome". HowStuffWorks. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Schayer, Richard W. (1952). "Synthesis of dl-Adrenalin-β-C14 and dl-Adrenochrome-β-C14". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 74 (9). ACS Publications: 2441. doi:10.1021/ja01129a531. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Method of synthesizing adrenochrome monoaminoguanidine". Google Patents. 1965. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Fact check: 35,000 "malnourished" and "caged" children were not recently rescued from tunnels by U.S. military". Reuters. June 15, 2020. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Sommer, Will (August 16, 2020). "QAnon Promotes Pedo-Ring Conspiracy Theories. Now They're Stealing Kids". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ Iyengar, Rishi (November 1, 2020). "Facebook cracks down on QAnon hashtag #SaveOurChildren". CNN. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Roose, Kevin (August 12, 2020). "QAnon Followers Are Hijacking the #SaveTheChildren Movement". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ "Save the Children Statement on use of its Name in Unaffiliated Campaigns". Save the Children. August 7, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ Seitz, Amanda (October 28, 2020). "QAnon's 'Save the Children' morphs into popular slogan". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Heater, Brian; Hatmaker, Taylor (October 30, 2020). "Facebook is limiting distribution of 'save our children' hashtag over QAnon ties". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Spring, Marianna (July 15, 2020). "Wayfair: The false conspiracy about a furniture firm and child trafficking". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Brown, Matthew (July 22, 2020). "Fact check: Home goods retailer Wayfair is not involved in child sex trafficking". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Zadrozny, Brandy; Collins, Ben (August 21, 2020). "A new phenomenon as QAnon conspiracy spreads: Nationwide #SavetheChildren rallies". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Dias, Shanti (September 20, 2020). "Far-right US cult QAnon finds a ready ear in Britain". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Hern, Alex (November 11, 2020). "Facebook, QAnon and the world's slackening grip on reality". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, pp. 127–132.
- ^ Holmes, Helen (August 6, 2018). "Isaac Kappy, Who Appeared on 'Vanderpump Rules,' Is a Conspiracy Theory Shill". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on March 27, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ Sommer, Will (August 7, 2018). "QAnon's Newest Hero Is D-List 'Vanderpump Rules' Star Isaac Kappy". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ View, Travis (July 10, 2019). "How conspiracy theorists taint the justice they seek". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ Jordan, Miriam (May 9, 2022). "QAnon Joins Vigilantes at the Southern Border". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
- ^ Mantyla, Kyle (August 1, 2018). "Liz Crokin: John F. Kennedy Jr. Faked His Death And Is Now QAnon". Right Wing Watch. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c Vallejo, Justin; Thomas, Phil (January 18, 2022). "Why some QAnon believers think JFK Jr is still alive – and about to be vice president". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ "QAnon supporters gather in downtown Dallas expecting JFK Jr. to reappear". Dallas News. November 2, 2021. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ Dasgupta, Sravasti (November 23, 2021). "Qanon supporters gather at JFK assassination site in belief JFK Jr will return". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ Reimann, Nicholas (November 22, 2021). "QAnon Supporters Pack Site Of JFK Assassination In Hopes JFK Jr. (And Maybe His Dad) Will Return". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ "How a Custody Fight Plus QAnon Turned Deadly". The Wall Street Journal. April 2, 2021. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ Sovereign Citizens Movement, Southern Poverty Law Center, archived from the original on January 7, 2022, retrieved January 6, 2022
- ^ "How the far-right group 'Oath Enforcers' plans to harass political enemies". The Guardian. April 6, 2021. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ "Sovereign Citizen Ideology Increasingly Seeping into QAnon". Anti-Defamation League. January 19, 2022. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Rothschild 2021, pp. 122–123.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, p. 122.
- ^ "China coronavirus: Misinformation spreads online about origin and scale". BBC News. January 30, 2020. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ Elliott, Josh K. (September 13, 2021). "Anti-vax activist dies of COVID-19 amid QAnon demands for ivermectin". Global News. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ Dowd, Katie (January 9, 2022). "Popular QAnon promoter dies of COVID in California". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Russell, Andrew; Bell, Stewart (December 1, 2021). "Self-declared 'Queen of Canada' detained by RCMP after alleged threats to health-care workers". Global News. Toronto ON. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ Goodman, Jack (June 18, 2020). "Coronavirus: How a false rumour led to hate online". BBC News. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Spring, Marianna; Wendling, Mike (September 3, 2020). "How Covid-19 myths are merging with the QAnon conspiracy theory". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Ross, James (September 21, 2021). "'It's almost like grooming': how anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, and the far-right came together over COVID". The Conversation. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Putterman, Samantha (January 30, 2020). "No, drinking bleach will not ward off coronavirus". PolitiFact. Archived from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Porter, Tom (January 29, 2020). "QAnon conspiracy theorists are telling people to drink bleach as a cure against the deadly Wuhan coronavirus". Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Stieb, Matt (January 28, 2020). "QAnon Influencers Are Encouraging Followers to Drink Bleach to Avoid Coronavirus". Intelligencer, New York. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c O'Sullivan, Donie (March 10, 2022). "Analysis: Russia and QAnon have the same false conspiracy theory about Ukraine". CNN. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "China and QAnon embrace Russian disinformation justifying war in Ukraine". France 24. March 12, 2022. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Ling, Justin (March 2, 2022). "False Claims of U.S. Biowarfare Labs in Ukraine Grip QAnon". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ "Ukraine, US Biolabs, and an Ongoing Russian Disinformation Campaign". Snopes.com. February 24, 2022. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Cockerell, Isobel (March 25, 2022). "British homegrown conspiracies get Beijing's stamp of approval". Coda Media. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Thomas, Elise (March 23, 2022). "QAnon goes to China – via Russia". Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "As QAnon Falters, European Followers Flock to a Financial Conspiracy". Bellingcat. December 21, 2022. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- Madani, Doha; Blankstein, Andrew; Collins, Ben (August 12, 2021). "California dad killed his kids over QAnon and 'serpent DNA' conspiracy theories, feds claim". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- Parramore, Lynn Stuart (January 12, 2021). "Like QAnon's Capitol rioters, the Nashville bomber's lizard people theory is deadly serious". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- Sommer, Will (January 9, 2019). "Qanon-Believing Proud Boy Accused of Murdering 'Lizard' Brother With Sword". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "How Q's 'Lost Drops' Undermine the QAnon Myth". Bellingcat. April 22, 2021. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ Gilbert, David (December 16, 2020). "QAnon's Mysterious Leader 'Q' Is Actually Multiple People". Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ "Style analysis by machine learning reveals that two authors likely shared the writing of QAnon's messages at two different periods in time". OrphAnalytics. December 15, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Xavier, Abigail W.; Amour, Robert; Q Origins Project (May 10, 2021). "Where in the World is Q? Clues from Image Metadata". bellingcat. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ "A parent's guide to the secret language of internet extremists". CBS News. March 16, 2020. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ Roose, Kevin (August 28, 2020). "What Is QAnon, the Viral Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theory?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Vogt, PJ (September 18, 2020). "Country of Liars". Reply All (Podcast). Gimlet Media. Event occurs at 24:20. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ "After 18-Month Hiatus, New QAnon Posts Surface | ADL". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ a b c Stieb, Matt (October 28, 2021). "Who Is Ron Watkins, the QAnon Celebrity Running for Congress?". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ Fancescani, Chris (September 22, 2020). "The men behind QAnon". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ a b Mak, Aaron (September 25, 2020). "Was the Identity of Q Really Just Revealed? Here's Everything We Know". Slate. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ a b c Vogt, P.J.; Goldman, Alex (September 18, 2020). "#166 Country of Liars". Reply All. Gimlet Media. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- ^ Petersen, Line Nybro (2022). Mediatized fan play : moods, modes and dark play in networked communities. Abingdon, Oxon. ISBN 9781351001823.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b Mak, Aaron (September 25, 2020). "Was the Identity of Q Really Just Revealed? Here's Everything We Know". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- ^ Farley, Donovan (May 17, 2020). "The True Threat". Playboy. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- ^ Hoback, Cullen (April 6, 2021). "Filmmaker says he potentially uncovered man behind QAnon" (Video). Interviewed by Anderson Cooper. CNN. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Gonzalez, Oscar (April 5, 2021). "QAnon docuseries Q: Into the Storm has an answer on who is Q". CNET. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Harwell, Drew; Timberg, Craig (April 5, 2021). "A QAnon revelation suggests the truth of Q's identity was right there all along". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Palmer, Ewan (March 19, 2021). "Ron Watkins denies he is QAnon leader ahead of "Into the Storm" HBO show". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c Rahn, Will; Patterson, Dan (September 29, 2020). "What is the QAnon conspiracy theory?". CBS News. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Crimando, Steven (January 13, 2021). "Q-Speak: The Language of QAnon". ASIS International. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Lancaster, Roger (December 8, 2016). "What the Pizzagate conspiracy theory borrows from a bogus satanic sex panic of the 1980s". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Lavin, Talia (September 29, 2020). "QAnon, Blood Libel, and the Satanic Panic". The New Republic. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, p. 61.
- ^ Caldwell, Noah; Shapiro, Ari; Jarenwattananon, Patrick; Venkat, Mia (May 18, 2021). "America's Satanic Panic Returns — This Time Through QAnon". NPR. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ Jennings, Rebecca (September 25, 2020). "We're in the middle of another moral panic. What can we learn from the past?". Vox. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ a b Bloom & Rollings 2022, p. 3.
- ^ Ingersoll 2022, p. 74–75.
- ^ a b Miotto, Nicolò; Droogan, Julian (January 30, 2024). "'Stand Against the Wiles of the Devil': Interpreting QAnon as a Pseudo-Christian Extremist Movement". Critical Sociology. doi:10.1177/08969205241228744. ISSN 0896-9205.
- ^ Ingersoll 2022, pp. 79–80.
- ^ Ingersoll 2022, p. 73.
- ^ a b c Springs, Jason (June 16, 2021). "QAnon, Conspiracy, and White Evangelical Apocalypse". University of Notre Dame: Contending Modernities. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "Michael Flynn's flying circus". The Economist. Vol. 449, no. 9368. London. October 21, 2023. p. 36. ProQuest 2878852300. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Ingersoll 2022, p. 81.
- ^ O'Donnell, S. Jonathon (September 14, 2020). "Demons of the deep state: how evangelicals and conspiracy theories combine in Trump's America". The Conversation. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Pink, Aiden (August 1, 2018). "Explained: What's Anti-Semitic About QAnon, The Trump Base's Latest Pet Theory?". The Forward. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ^ Bloom & Moskalenko 2021, pp. 30–31, Chapt. 1.
- ^ Sales, Ben (September 20, 2020). "QAnon is an old form of anti-Semitism in a new package, say experts". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- ^ Ohlheiser, Abby (August 26, 2020). "Evangelicals are looking for answers online. They're finding QAnon instead". MIT Technology Review. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Lee, Ella (February 3, 2022). "Fact check: Sculpture is evidence of antisemitic blood libel, not false QAnon conspiracy theory". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Lee, Ella (February 3, 2022). "Fact check: Sculpture is evidence of antisemitic 'blood libel,' not false QAnon theory". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Stanton, Gregory (September 9, 2020). "QAnon is a Nazi Cult, Rebranded". Just Security. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Sales, Ben (September 18, 2020). "QAnon is an old form of anti-Semitism in a new package, experts say". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
- ^ Millhiser, Ian (August 25, 2020). "The RNC yanked a speaker who promoted an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. Trump often highlights Mary Ann Mendoza as an advocate for harsh immigration policies. She has some other strange beliefs". Vox. Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ Deliso, Meredith; Steakin, Will (August 26, 2020). "Mary Ann Mendoza pulled from RNC lineup after retweeting anti-Semitic QAnon conspiracy". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Matthew Choi (August 25, 2020). "Republican convention speaker out of lineup after retweeting anti-Semitic rant. Mary Ann Mendoza shared a thread that includes nearly every anti-Semitic trope of the last century". Politico. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ "Not Every QAnon Believer's an Antisemite. But There's a Lot of Overlap Between Its Adherents and Belief in a Century-Old Antisemitic Hoax". June 28, 2021. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Patterson, Dan (September 24, 2021). "QAnon power vacuum on Telegram is being exploited by antisemitic extremists, ADL says". CBS News. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ Gilbert, David (October 18, 2021). "QAnon Is Becoming Even More Antisemitic". Vice. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Gilbert, David (November 5, 2021). "Meet the Antisemitic QAnon Leader Who Led Followers to Dallas to Meet JFK". Vice. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Thomas, W. F. (February 11, 2022). "Telegram: The Social Network Where Conspiracies Meet". Logically. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
Similarly, in the group for Disclose.tv, a sketchy news aggregator site that began as a paranormal and conspiracy theory forum, users shared links to other channels filled with neo-Nazi propaganda.
- ^ Marland, Tori; Piper, Ernie; Backovic, Nick (June 28, 2022). "QAnon Crypto Trading Scheme Lost Investors Millions". Logically. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Thomas, W. F. (January 12, 2022). "Disclose.tv: Conspiracy Forum Turned Disinformation Factory". Logically. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
On the Discord and Telegram group message for Disclose.tv, anti-vax conspiracies, antisemitism, racism, and transphobia are easy to find. On these platforms, messages run the gamut from moderate political beliefs and chatting about aliens to outright Holocaust denial and Nazism.
- ^ Schumacher, Elizabeth (February 8, 2022). "Disclose.TV: English disinformation made in Germany". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
Piper and Thomas found what they described as "hate speech and Holocaust denial" flourishing in Disclose.TV's groups on the Discord app and Russia-based messaging service Telegram.
- ^ a b c Diresta, Renee (November 13, 2018). "Online Conspiracy Groups Are a Lot Like Cults". Wired. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Andrews, Travis (October 12, 2020). "QAnon is tearing families apart". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ Nyce, Caroline Mimbs (May 14, 2020). "The Atlantic Daily: QAnon Is a New American Religion". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ Argentino, Marc-André (May 18, 2020). "The Church of QAnon: Will conspiracy theories form the basis of a new religious movement?". The Conversation. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ Lee, Morgan (September 9, 2020). "Why Someone You Love Might Join QAnon". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ Walker, Jesse (May 16, 2021). "Cult Country". Reason. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ "All Hail Q! The forging of a right-wing religion and its extreme threat to security". openDemocracy. March 11, 2021. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ Bloom & Moskalenko 2021, p. 40, Chapt. 2.
- ^ Rosenberg, Alyssa (April 17, 2020). "I understand the temptation to dismiss QAnon. Here's why we can't". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Alt, Matt (September 26, 2020). "The Flashing Warning of QAnon". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, p. 179.
- ^ Stepansky, Joseph (October 16, 2020). "In QAnon-linked US candidates, populism meets conspiracy". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Bloom & Rollings 2022, p. 4.
- ^ a b Romano, Aja (November 18, 2020). "Conspiracy theories, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- ^ a b Weill, Kelly (December 23, 2018). "Christmas Is the Loneliest Time for Qanon Fans". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Rothschild, Mike (November 9, 2018). "Jeff Sessions, the 2018 midterms, and the continued grift of QAnon". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Allyn, Bobby (July 22, 2019). "Lawyer: Shooter Wasn't Trying To Kill A Mob Boss. He Was Under 'QAnon' Delusion". NPR. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Mantyla, Kyle (February 4, 2019). "Liz Crokin Warns of 'Vigilante Justice' if QAnon's Promised Mass Arrests Don't Happen Soon". Right Wing Watch. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Jack, Brewster (January 20, 2021). "'We All Got Played': QAnon Followers Implode After Big Moment Never Comes". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Bloom & Moskalenko 2021, p. 34, Chapt. 1.
- ^ Amore, Samson (January 20, 2021). "QAnon in Meltdown After Biden Inauguration: 'We Need to Go Back to Our Lives'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ a b Harwell, Drew (January 20, 2021). "QAnon believers grapple with doubt, spin new theories as Trump era ends". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Link, Devon (January 28, 2021). "Fact check: No basis for claims that President Joe Biden's inauguration was faked". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ a b Bloom & Moskalenko 2021, p. 114, Chapt. 4.
- ^ "Fact check: Biden family Bible used during his oath is historically Roman Catholic, not connected to Illuminati or Freemasons as posts claim". Reuters. January 27, 2021. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ Orecchio-Egresitz, Haven (January 20, 2021). "Stages of defeat: Die-hard Trump supporters range from being deflated over Biden's inauguration to believing their twice-impeached leader will be running the government as a shadow president for the next 4 years". Insider. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Carrie Wong, Julia (January 21, 2021). "QAnon's 'Great Awakening' failed to materialize. What's next could be worse". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ Goforth, Claire (January 28, 2021). "Here's why prominent conservatives now are calling QAnon a 'psyop'". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ Horowitz, Justin (January 26, 2021). "After embracing QAnon, Steve Bannon now presents the conspiracy theory as an "FBI psyop"". Media Matters for America. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ a b MacGuill, Dan (December 2, 2021). "'Total Nonsense': QAnon Hero Mike Flynn Appears To Privately Disavow Movement in Leaked Call". Snopes. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ Wong, Julia Carrie (January 21, 2020). "QAnon's 'Great Awakening' failed to materialize. What's next could be worse". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- ^ a b "Founder of bizarre new religion targeting QAnon believers 'unmasked'". The Independent. March 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ a b "Unmasked: man behind cult set to replace QAnon". The Guardian. March 20, 2021. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ a b View, Travis (September 18, 2018). "How conspiracy theories spread from the Internet's darkest corners". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ a b Uscinski, Joseph; Klofstad, Casey (August 30, 2018). "New poll: the QAnon conspiracy movement is very unpopular". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ Cillizza, Chris (April 1, 2020). "76% of Americans have never heard of QAnon". CNN. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ "QAnon's conspiracy theories have seeped into U.S. politics, but most don't know what it is". Pew Research Center. March 30, 2020. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ Mitchell, Amy; Jurkowitz, Mark; Oliphant, J. Baxter; Shearer, Elisa (September 16, 2020). "Political Divides, Conspiracy Theories and Divergent News Sources Heading Into 2020 Election". Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Bump, Philip (October 20, 2020). "Even if they haven't heard of QAnon, most Trump voters believe its wild allegations". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ Sales, Ben (February 15, 2021). "Survey finds 3 in 10 Republicans believe QAnon child sex-trafficking theory". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ PRRI Staff (May 27, 2021). "Understanding QAnon's Connection to American Politics, Religion, and Media Consumption". Prri | at the Intersection of Religion, Values, and Public Life. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ "Hispanic Americans are curious about QAnon too". The Economist. June 10, 2021. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ PRRI Components (May 27, 2021). "Three Components of the QAnon Conspiracy Movement". PRRI. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
- ^ Smith, David (February 24, 2022). "Belief in QAnon has strengthened in US since Trump was voted out, study finds". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ "The Persistence of QAnon in the Post-Trump Era: An Analysis of Who Believes the Conspiracies". Public Religion Research Institute. February 24, 2022. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Collins, Ben (October 16, 2020). "QAnon accounts make a dent in voting discussion on Twitter". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ "QAnon's Dominion voter fraud conspiracy theory reaches the president". NBC News. November 13, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Nicas, Jack (November 11, 2020). "No, Dominion voting machines did not delete Trump votes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ "Fact check: Evidence disproves claims of Italian conspiracy to meddle in U.S. election (known as #ItalyGate)". Reuters. January 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ "Vatican blackout hoax linked to ItalyGate conspiracy theory". Formiche.net. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Molloy, Parker (January 6, 2021). "QAnon backers have a crazy new conspiracy theory about the election: Italy did it". Media Matters. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ a b MacDonald-Evoy, Jerod (September 22, 2020). "Arizona has deep QAnon ties, including its politicians". Arizona Mirror. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Gosar, Townsend lead protests on Arizona vote-counting". November 6, 2020. Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ Kranish, Michael; Thebault, Reis; McCrummen, Stephanie (January 30, 2021). "How Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, promoter of QAnon's baseless theories, rose with support from key Republicans". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ "Read Carpet Bagger, Election Denier, Anti-Vaxxer, QAnon Queen Sen. Kelly Townsend to Run for Congress in So. Arizona District now from Blog for Arizona for Politics from a Liberal Viewpoint". January 17, 2022. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ Multiple soures:
- Himmelman, Kaya (January 28, 2021). "Did Legislation Passed in 1871 Make Washington, D.C., a Foreign Entity?". The Dispatch. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- Spocchia, Gino (January 26, 2021). "QAnon merges with white extremists and spreads new conspiracy Trump will be president again on March 4". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- Wilson, Jason (May 22, 2021). "Trump Hotel raised prices to deter QAnon conspiracists, police files show". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- Gilbert, David (January 25, 2021). "QAnon Thinks Trump Will Become President Again on March 4". Vice. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- "Former WA Attorney General on QAnon theory claiming Trump will be president on March 4". MyNorthwest.com. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- Zidan, Karim (February 10, 2021). "'Hold the Line': QAnon Adherents Claim Trump Will Become President Again on March 4". Right Wing Watch. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- Feeld, Julian (February 10, 2021). "Podcaster explains QAnon belief behind March 4th". CNN. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ Kanno-Youngs, Zolan; Rosenberg, Matthew (March 3, 2021). "Capitol Police Warn of Threat on Thursday, and House Cancels the Day's Session". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Kuznia, Rob; Devine, Curt; Bronstein, Scott; Ortega, Bob (January 8, 2021). "Extremists intensify calls for violence ahead of Inauguration Day". CNN. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "Extremists and Mainstream Trump Supporters Plan to Protest Congressional Certification of Biden's Victory". Anti-Defamation League. January 4, 2021. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "January 2021 Washington, D.C., Security Outlook: Intelligence Report, Part Three". G4S. January 4, 2021. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ Culbertson, Alix (January 8, 2021). "US Capitol: Q-Anon, Confederate flag man, and Baked Alaska – here are the people who stormed the building". Sky News. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Venkataramakrishnan, Siddharth; Manson, Katrina (January 7, 2021). "Who were the Capitol insurrectionists?". Financial Times. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Ruelas, Richard (January 6, 2021). "QAnon supporter from Arizona dressed in fur and horns joins storming of US Capitol". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ Keller, Aaron (January 6, 2021). "Pro-Trump Woman Shot and Killed at U.S. Capitol Retweeted Attorney Lin Wood's 'Must Be Done' List Before She Died". Law & Crime. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
A Twitter account linked to Babbitt, which was reviewed extensively by Law&Crime Wednesday night, indicates that Babbitt was a staunch QAnon follower who retweeted dozens of conspiracy-theory-laden missives originally posted by Georgia attorney L. Lin Wood.
- ^ Zadrozny, Brandy; Gains, Mosheh (January 7, 2021). "Woman killed in Capitol was Trump supporter who embraced conspiracy theories". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Woman killed in siege of U.S. Capitol was veteran who embraced conspiracy theories". Reuters. January 7, 2021.
- ^ a b Booker, Brakkton (January 12, 2021). "Facebook Removes 'Stop The Steal' Content; Twitter Suspends QAnon Accounts". NPR. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ "Quantifying The Q Conspiracy: A Data-Driven Approach to Understanding the Threat Posed by QAnon". The Soufan Center. April 19, 2021. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Cohen, Zachary (April 19, 2021). "China and Russia 'weaponized' QAnon conspiracy around time of US Capitol attack, report says". CNN. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Kirby, Paul (December 7, 2022), Germany arrests 25 accused of plotting coup, BBC, retrieved December 14, 2022
- ^ Rothschild 2021, p. 16.
- ^ Blue, Miranda (March 15, 2018). "Operation Rescue Hypes QAnon 'Blockbuster Intel Drop' About Planned Parenthood". Right Wing Watch. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Sullenger, Cheryl (March 13, 2018). "Blockbuster Intel Drop Reveals Trump is Trying to "End" Planned Parenthood – Twitter Attempts Censorship". Operation Rescue. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Gamma, Viktor (May 25, 2018). "Доживают ли Гавайи свои последние дни?" [Are we witnessing the final days of Hawaii?]. Rabochaya Gazeta (in Russian). Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- ^ Cole, Devan (December 19, 2017). "Roseanne tweets support of Trump conspiracy theory, confuses Twitter". CNN. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
- ^ Weigel, David (March 31, 2018). "The conspiracy theory behind a curious Roseanne Barr tweet, explained". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
- ^ Bowden, Tohn (March 31, 2018). "Roseanne Barr faces backlash over Trump conspiracy theory tweet". The Hill. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- ^ Goldberg, Michelle (April 6, 2018). "The Conspiracy Theory That Says Trump Is a Genius". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Weigel, David (August 24, 2018). "Conspiracy theorist shares Oval Office photo with Trump". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ "Star of Mel Gibson's 'Passion of the Christ' Pushes Unhinged QAnon Conspiracy at Conservative Conference". Complex. April 20, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Anglesey, Anders (October 25, 2021). "Jim Caviezel Emulates 'Braveheart' Speech to Cheering Crowd at QAnon Convention". Newsweek. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Chan, Melissa (June 28, 2018). "25 Most Influential People on the Internet". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ March, William (July 16, 2018). "Conspiracy theorist QAnon promoted, then deleted, by Hillsborough County GOP". Tampa Bay Times. ISSN 2327-9052. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ Porter, Tom (August 1, 2018). "QAnon: Conspiracy theorists determined to expose a "deep state" child abuse ring show up to support Trump in Tampa". Newsweek. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ Jackson, Hallie (August 1, 2018). "Who is 'QAnon'? Bizarre conspiracy cult leaps from web to Trump rally". MSNBC Live. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ Williams, Brian (August 2, 2018). "What does the conspiracy group QAnon have to do with Trump?". The 11th Hour with Brian Williams. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- ^ Hayes, Chris (August 1, 2018). "What is QAnon?". All In with Chris Hayes. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- ^ Woodruff, Judy (August 2, 2018). "How the false, fringe 'QAnon' conspiracy theory aims to protect Trump". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- ^ Roberts, Molly (August 2, 2018). "Opinion: QAnon is terrifying. This is why". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ Donald Moynihan (April 7, 2022). "The QAnon catchphrases that took over the Jackson hearings". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Winter, Jana (August 1, 2019). "Exclusive: FBI document warns conspiracy theories are a new domestic terrorism threat". Yahoo! News. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ a b Budryk, Zack (August 1, 2019). "FBI memo warns QAnon poses potential terror threat: report". The Hill. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Beer, Tommy (August 25, 2020). "Bipartisan Lawmakers Introduce House Resolution Condemning QAnon 'Cult'". Forbes. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "H.Res.1154 – Condemning QAnon and rejecting the conspiracy theories it promotes, 116th Congress (2019–2020)". Congress.gov. October 2, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c Cassata, Donna (October 2, 2020). "House votes to condemn baseless QAnon conspiracy theory". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Edmondson, Catie (September 30, 2020). "False G.O.P. Ad Prompts QAnon Death Threats Against a Democratic Congressman". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Sommer, Will (October 2, 2020). "17 Republican Members of Congress Vote Against Condemning QAnon". The Daily Beast. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Mak, Aaron; Malinowski, Tom (October 1, 2020). "QAnon Is Going After Members of Congress Now". Slate. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ Sommer, Will (April 10, 2019). "A QAnon Believer Is Running for Congress and Is Currently Unopposed in His Republican Primary". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Swaine, Jon (July 25, 2019). "Pro-Trump Republican aiming to unseat Ilhan Omar charged with felony theft". The Guardian. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Gilbert, David (March 2, 2020). "QAnon Now Has Its Very Own Super PAC". Vice. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
- ^ Walker, James (November 18, 2020). "The QAnon Super PAC Was a Flop". Washington Monthly. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ Bloom & Moskalenko 2021, p. 2, Chapt. 1.
- ^ Bowden, John (October 15, 2020). "QAnon-promoter Marjorie Taylor Greene endorses Kelly Loeffler in Georgia Senate bid". The Hill. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Domonoske, Camila (August 12, 2020). "QAnon Supporter Who Made Bigoted Videos Wins Ga. Primary, Likely Heading To Congress". NPR. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Lalljee, Jason (August 13, 2020). "Republican lawmaker slams far-right conspiracy theory QAnon. Trump's team fires back". USA Today. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Mapes, Jeff (May 22, 2020). "Oregon Republican US Senate Nominee Defends Her Interest In QAnon". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Sidner, Sara (August 22, 2020). "The US Senate candidate who took a QAnon pledge". CNN. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Rosenberg, Matthew; Steinhauer, Jennifer (July 14, 2020). "The QAnon Candidates Are Here. Trump Has Paved Their Way". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Panetta, Grace (July 1, 2020). "GOP Congressman Scott Tipton was defeated by right-wing primary challenger Lauren Boebert in Colorado's 3rd congressional district". Business Insider. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ Walters, Joanna (July 1, 2020). "Who is Lauren Boebert, the QAnon sympathizer who won a Republican primary?". The Guardian. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Knutson, Jacob (November 4, 2020). "Republican and QAnon supporter Lauren Boebert wins House race in Colorado". Axios. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Laughland, Oliver; Silverstone, Tom (October 15, 2020). "Trump ally running for Congress believes in baseless QAnon sex-trafficking conspiracy". The Guardian. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Rosenberg, Matthew; Haberman, Maggie (August 20, 2020). "The Republican Embrace of QAnon Goes Far Beyond Trump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (August 21, 2020). "The Texas GOP's new slogan echoes a conspiracy group. Its chair says there's no connection". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Fernandez, Marisa (August 20, 2020). "GOP Rep. Liz Cheney calls QAnon "dangerous lunacy"". Axios. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ Rummler, Orion (October 16, 2020). "Romney: Trump's refusal to disavow QAnon is part of "alarming pattern" in politics". Axios. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ Foran, Claire (April 10, 2021). "'An existential threat': The Republicans calling for their party to reject QAnon conspiracy theories". CNN. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ Bump, Philip (April 2, 2024). "What ever happened to QAnon?". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
- ^ Kaplan, Alex (August 1, 2019). "Trump has repeatedly amplified QAnon Twitter accounts. The FBI has linked the conspiracy theory to domestic terror". Media Matters for America. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ Feldscher, Kyle (August 25, 2018). "QAnon-believing 'conspiracy analyst' meets Trump in the White House". CNN. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ^ Itkowitz, Colby (December 28, 2019). "Trump retweets a post naming the alleged whistleblower". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Miller, Zeke; Colvin, Jill; Seitz, Amanda (August 20, 2020). "Trump praises QAnon conspiracists, who 'like me very much'". Associated Press. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ Kevin Breuninger (August 19, 2020). "Trump says he appreciates support from followers of unfounded QAnon conspiracy". CNBC News. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ Rogers, Katie; Roose, Kevin (August 20, 2020). "Trump Says QAnon Followers Are People Who 'Love Our Country'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ Liptak, Kevin (August 20, 2020). "Trump embraces QAnon conspiracy because 'they like me'". CNN. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Itkowitz, Colby; Stanley-Becker, Isaac; Rozsa, Lori; Bade, Rachael (August 20, 2020). "Trump praises baseless QAnon conspiracy theory, says he appreciates support of its followers". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Vazquez, Maegan (October 15, 2020). "Trump again refuses to denounce QAnon". CNN. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ Bump, Philip (October 15, 2020). "Rather than condemn the QAnon conspiracy theory, Trump elevates its dangerous central assertion". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ Klepper, David; Swenson, Ali (September 16, 2022). "Trump openly embraces, amplifies QAnon conspiracy theories". Associated Press. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ Arnsdorf, Isaac; Dawsey, Josh; Scherer, Michael (September 23, 2022). "How a Trump soundtrack became a QAnon phenomenon". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ Feuer, Alan; Haberman, Maggie (September 18, 2022). "Trump Rally Plays Music Resembling QAnon Song, and Crowds React". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Jack Brewster (August 21, 2020). "Pence Dismisses QAnon – But Avoids Criticizing Trump Or His Role In Pushing Theory". Forbes. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ Matthew Choi (August 21, 2020). "Pence denies hearing Trump embrace QAnon". Politico. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ Palmer, Ewan (January 6, 2021), "QAnon Figures Share Parody Fake Emails on Mike Pence 'Conspiring' Against Trump", Newsweek, retrieved February 11, 2022
- ^ Rawnsley, Adam (January 1, 2021). "Trump Team Backs Away From Lin Wood After Pence Tweets". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ Keller, Aaron (January 6, 2021). "Pro-Trump Woman Shot and Killed at U.S. Capitol Retweeted Attorney Lin Wood's 'Must Be Done' List Before She Died". Law & Crime. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Timberg, Craig; Harwell, Drew; Nakhlawi, Razzan; Smith, Harrison (January 7, 2021). "'Nothing can stop what's coming': Far-right forums that fomented Capitol riots voice glee in aftermath". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ Brewster, Jack (January 7, 2021). "Lin Wood—Lawyer Closely Tied To President Trump—Permanently Banned From Twitter After Claiming Capitol Siege Was 'Staged'". Forbes. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ Rondeaux, Candace (June 27, 2021). "The Digital general". The Intercept. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Sommer, Will (December 29, 2020). "Michael Flynn Is Now Selling QAnon Merch". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ "3 stars | ADL". www.adl.org. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Harwell, Drew (January 4, 2022). "Since Jan. 6, the pro-Trump Internet has descended into infighting over money and followers". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Friedman, Dan; Breland, Ali (August 13, 2019). "Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos are scheduled to speak at a conference organized by a QAnon supporter". Mother Jones. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ a b Gardner, Amy; Crites, Alice (July 21, 2019). "Secret donors and Trump allies: Inside the operation to push noncitizen voting laws in Florida and other states". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Friedman, Dan (August 16, 2019). "Michael Flynn wants a judge to allow him to travel to a conference held by a QAnon fan". Mother Jones. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Connolly, Griffin (July 5, 2020). "Former Trump aide Flynn appears to make pledge to QAnon in July 4 video". The Independent. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Cohen, Marshall (July 8, 2020). "Michael Flynn posts video featuring QAnon slogans". CNN Politics. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ Bloom & Moskalenko 2021, p. 21, Chapt.1.
- ^ Jarvis, Jacob (July 6, 2020). "Michael Flynn's Lawyer Denies Ex-Trump Aide Intentionally Used QAnon Slogan". Newsweek. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Chapman, Matthew (June 27, 2020). "GOP Senate candidate films herself taking QAnon 'digital soldier oath'". Raw Story. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Vaughn, Jacob (April 6, 2021). "A QAnon Power Couple Is Behind the For God & Country Patriot Roundup". Dallas Observer. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Moore, Thomas (March 27, 2021). "Michael Flynn's brother sues CNN for $75M over QAnon reports". The Hill. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Takala, Rudy (March 26, 2021). "Michael Flynn's Family Files $75 Million Defamation Suit Against CNN Over Segment Claiming They Support QAnon". Mediaite. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Gerstein, Josh (December 16, 2021). "Judge allows Michael Flynn relatives to proceed with suit against CNN". Politico. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ "Trump Plans Meeting on Arizona Birth Bill". April 7, 2011.
- ^ "How Arizona became ground zero for 'birthers'". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ "Surprise Tea Party Patriots pack hall for Arpaio and Zullo". September 26, 2016.
- ^ Bella, Timothy (March 1, 2019). "'Something is in those vaccines': Lawmaker says mandatory measles shots are 'Communist'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- ^ "Protesting masks and racism education, the 'patriots' take on Arizona's school boards". May 27, 2021.
- ^ "Ron Watkins hopes to move from QAnon to Congress. And he needs Arizona voters to do so". October 21, 2021.
- ^ "They're Hunting Satan Amongst the Ballots in the Election 'Audit' Out in Arizona". May 5, 2021.
- ^ "KJIZ".
- ^ Jaci (March 7, 2022). "In the Documents: New Details About the Origins of the Arizona Senate's Discredited Election 'Audit' – American Oversight". American Oversight.
- ^ "Townsend's bill would give Trump Arizona's 11 electoral votes". January 5, 2021.
- ^ "'You want to see a temper tantrum?': Arizona Republican sides with Democrats, blocks voting bill". NBC News. April 23, 2021.
- ^ "QAnon conspiracy theorist expelled from Arizona House over dangerous lies". MSNBC. April 13, 2023.
- ^ Gilbert, David (April 13, 2023). "The Far Right Is Hailing Expelled Arizona Lawmaker and QAnon Fan as a Hero".
- ^ "QDrops App | Redpill with ease! #QAnon". June 10, 2018. Archived from the original on June 10, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ McKay, Tom (July 17, 2018). "Apple Yanks QAnon-Themed App From App Store After Reporters Notice, Still on Play Store Though". Gizmodo. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Orr, Andrew (July 17, 2018). "Apple Pulls Right-Wing Conspiracy QDrops App From App Store". The Mac Observer. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Silver, Stephen (July 17, 2018). "Apple pulls 'QDrops' from App Store, for-pay app pushed wild conspiracy theory". AppleInsider. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Collins, Ben; Zadrozny, Brandy (July 16, 2018). "Apple, Google cashed in on Pizzagate-offshoot conspiracy app". NBC News. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ Kaplan, Alex (May 21, 2020). "After months of inaction, Google has finally removed QAnon apps that violated terms of service from its store". Media Matters for America. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Nieva, Richard (May 21, 2020). "Google removes QAnon apps from Play Store for violating terms". CNET. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Wyrich, Andrew (March 15, 2018). "Reddit bans popular deep state conspiracy forum for 'inciting violence'". The Daily Dot. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Alexander, Julia (March 15, 2018). "How closely do Discord and Reddit work together?". Polygon. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Stephen, Bijan (September 12, 2018). "Reddit's QAnon ban points to how it's tracking toxic communities". The Verge. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Sinders, Caroline (September 27, 2017). "There's an alt-right version of everything". Quartz. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ Roose, Kevin (December 11, 2018). "The 'alt-right' created a parallel internet. It's a holy mess". CNBC. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "April 2020 Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior Report". About Facebook. May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ Ortutay, Barbara (May 5, 2020). "Facebook removes accounts linked to QAnon conspiracy theory". Associated Press. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ "An Update to How We Address Movements and Organizations Tied to Violence". Facebook. August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Robinson, Olga; Coleman, Alistair; Carmichael, Flora (August 20, 2020). "QAnon: Facebook takes action on conspiracy groups". BBC News. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Ortutay, Barbara (August 20, 2020). "Facebook bans some, but not all, QAnon groups and accounts". ABC News. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- ^ Murphy, Hannah; Venkataramakrishnan, Siddharth (October 6, 2020). "Facebook to remove all QAnon pages ahead of US election". Financial Times. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ Wong, Julia Carrie (October 7, 2020). "Facebook to ban QAnon-themed groups, pages and accounts in crackdown". The Guardian. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ "An Update to How We Address Movements and Organizations Tied to Violence (Update on October 6, 2020)". About Facebook. August 19, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ Iyengar, Rishi (July 21, 2020). "Twitter takes down 7,000 accounts linked to QAnon". CNN. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Collins, Ben; Zadrozny, Brandy (July 22, 2020). "Twitter bans 7,000 QAnon accounts, limits 150,000 others as part of broad crackdown". NBC News. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Frenkel, Sheera (October 7, 2020). "Tracking Viral Misinformation Ahead of the 2020 Election". The New York Times. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Kan, Michael (October 7, 2020). "Etsy to Remove All QAnon Merchandise". PC Magazine. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ Way, Katie (January 13, 2021). "Etsy Is Full of QAnon and Insurrection Merch". Vice News. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Yurieff, Kaya (October 12, 2020). "YouTube CEO won't say if company will ban QAnon". CNN. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ Roose, Kevin (October 15, 2020). "YouTube Cracks Down on QAnon Conspiracy Theory, Citing Offline Violence". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ "Managing harmful conspiracy theories on YouTube". October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ Dwoskin, Elizabeth; Stanley-Becker, Isaac (October 15, 2020). "YouTube joins Silicon Valley peers in preelection QAnon clampdown". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ "Facebook bans QAnon conspiracy theory accounts across all platforms". BBC News. October 6, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Donie; Yurieff, Kaya; Bourdet, Kelly (October 13, 2020). "Facebook cracks down on QAnon hashtag #SaveOurChildren". CNN. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ "Twitter suspends 70,000 accounts linked to QAnon". BBC News. January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Spring, Marianna (July 24, 2020). "QAnon: TikTok blocks QAnon conspiracy theory hashtags". BBC News. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Cohen, David (October 6, 2020). "Facebook and Instagram Aim to Remove All QAnon Content". AdWeek. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Klar, Rebecca (January 7, 2021). "Twitter permanently removes pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood from platform". The Hill. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ Collins, Ben; Zadrozny, Brandy (January 8, 2021). "Twitter bans Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell in QAnon account purge". NBC News. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Rothschild 2021, pp. 70–72.
- ^ Timberg, Craig; Stanley-Becker, Isaac. "QAnon learns to survive – and even thrive – after Silicon Valley's crackdown". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ Sardarizadeh, Shayan (November 9, 2020). "Parler 'free speech' app tops charts in wake of Trump defeat". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ Kessler, Jack (February 11, 2021). "What are Trump's QAnon Twitter mob up to now?". The Standard. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ Culliford, Elizabeth (May 26, 2021). "QAnon slogans disappearing from mainstream sites, say researchers". Reuters. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ Sipka, Andrea; Hannak, Aniko; Urman, Aleksandra (2022). "Comparing the Language of QAnon-Related Content on Parler, Gab, and Twitter". 14th ACM Web Science Conference 2022. pp. 411–421. arXiv:2111.11118. doi:10.1145/3501247.3531550. ISBN 9781450391917. S2CID 244477922.
- ^ Andrews, Travis M. (January 11, 2021). "Gab, the social network that has welcomed Qanon and extremist figures, explained". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ Wildon, Jordan; Argentino, Marc-André (July 28, 2021). "QAnon is not Dead: New Research into Telegram Shows the Movement is Alive and Well". Gnet-research.org. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ Andrews, Travis M. (January 11, 2021). "Gab, the social network that has welcomed Qanon and extremist figures, explained". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ Gilbert, David (April 26, 2022). "QAnon Thinks Elon Musk Is Going to Let Them Back on Twitter". Vice News. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
- ^ Thompson, Stuart A. (December 22, 2022). "Musk Lifted Bans for Thousands on Twitter. Here's What They're Tweeting". The New York Times. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ Harwell, Drew (December 15, 2022). "QAnon, adrift after Trump's defeat, finds new life in Elon Musk's Twitter". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ Woodward, Alex (December 6, 2022). "QAnon, racism and 'informational anarchy': Experts on how Elon Musk changed Twitter". The Independent. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ Ramirez, Nikki McCann (January 10, 2023). "Twitter Reinstates QAnon Kingpin Ron Watkins". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ Roush, Ty (March 11, 2023). "Elon Musk Joins Right-Wing Support For 'QAnon Shaman' Claiming Jan. 6 Footage 'Misleading'". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ Binder, Matt (March 11, 2023). "Elon Musk's latest project: Defending the QAnon Shaman and his role on Jan. 6". Mashable. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ "QAnon is Resurgent on Twitter | ADL". Anti-Defamation League. Center on Extremism. May 22, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
Bibliography
- Bloom, Mia; Moskalenko, Sophia (2021). Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-1503630291.
- Bloom, Mia; Rollings, Rachael (2022). "Introduction to the Special Issue: Losing My Religion: Evangelicalism and the Gospel of Q". Journal of Religion and Violence. 10 (1): 1–15. doi:10.5840/jrv20221011. ISSN 2159-6808.
- Cook, Jesselyn (2024). The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 9780593443255.
- Ingersoll, Julie (2022). "America's Holy Trinity: How Conspiracism, Apocalypticism, and Persecution Narratives Set Us up for Crisis". Journal of Religion and Violence. 10 (1): 73–88. doi:10.5840/jrv202281698. ISSN 2159-6808.
- Rothschild, Mike (2021). The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything. Melville House. ISBN 978-1612199306.
External links
- Dunning, Brian (July 28, 2020). "Skeptoid #738: The QAnon Conspiracy". Skeptoid. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- "QAnon Offenders in the United States" (PDF). University of Maryland. National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) and Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS). May 26, 2021.
