What is QAnon? What We Know About the Conspiracy Theory; A right-wing group that believes President Trump is under assault by Satan worshippers has made its way from social media into U.S. politics
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The conspiracy-theory group known as QAnon has grown in popularity in recent months. It has spread from fringe message boards to mainstream platforms and has increasingly become a political issue . Here is what we know about QAnon, the conspiracy theory behind it and how it started.
What is QAnon?
QAnon is a far right-wing, loosely organized network and community of believers who embrace a range of unsubstantiated beliefs. These views center around the idea that a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles—mainly consisting of what they see as elitist Democrats, politicians, journalists, entertainment moguls and other institutional figures—have long controlled much of the so-called "deep state" government, which they say seeks to undermine President Trump, mostly with aid of media and entertainment outlets.
What is the QAnon conspiracy theory?
QAnon conspiracy theory alleges that there is a battle between good and evil in which the Republican Mr. Trump is allied with the former. QAnon followers are awaiting two major events: the Storm and the Great Awakening. The Storm is the mass arrest of people in high-power positions who will face a long-awaited reckoning. The Great Awakening involves a single event in which everyone will attain the epiphany that QAnon theory was accurate the whole time. This realization will allow society to enter an age of utopia.
Who is "Q"?
Followers believe that "Q" is a high-ranking government insider, presumably with a military or intelligence background, committed to exposing the hidden truth of what they see as an international bureaucracy scheming against Mr. Trump and his supporters. Some followers believe that "Q" often sends coded signals about his or her existence, using the number 17—the letter Q's placement in the alphabet. Online posts surrounding QAnon conspiracy theories have often described "Q" as a patriot or saint.
Where and how did QAnon start?
In October 2017, messages on the anonymous online messaging board 4chan attributed to "Q Clearance Patriot" were posted and signed by a user identified as "Q," referencing the Energy Department's highest level of security clearance for nuclear weapons, or "Q clearance." These cryptic messages would later be referred to as "Q drops" or "breadcrumbs," purportedly clandestine code that often made their way into pro-Trump slogans and messages and were repeated by followers.
The previous year, a man armed with an assault-style rifle fired one or more shots inside Comet Ping Pong, a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant, and was later arrested. Before the shooting, Trump supporters and white supremacists on social media spread a false conspiracy theory asserting that Hillary Clinton and her former campaign chairman, John Podesta, ran a child sex ring in the basement of a pizzeria. (Comet Ping Pong had no basement.) The shooting has since been considered a precursor to QAnon.
How popular is QAnon?
A new analysis finds that groups perpetuating QAnon conspiracy theory have increased in popularity on Facebook and Instagram since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as more people have spent more time at home and in front of screens. One Facebook group known as "QAnon News & Updates-Intel drops, breadcrumbs, & the war against the Cabal" increased its membership by more than 10 times from Jan. 1 to Aug. 1 of this year.
What are Facebook and Twitter doing to address QAnon?
Facebook said it is removing and will limit the spread of accounts associated with QAnon as part of an expanded policy regarding dangerous individuals and organizations.
In a statement on Aug. 19, the social-media giant said it removed more than 790 Facebook QAnon-related groups, 100 Facebook pages and 1,500 QAnon ads. It has also blocked more than 300 hashtags across Facebook and Instagram. And the company said it has restricted more than 1,950 groups and 440 pages on Facebook as well as more than 10,000 accounts on Instagram connected to QAnon.
Twitter has said it would increase enforcement against QAnon conspiracy followers . According to Twitter, the social-media platform has banned more than 7,000 QAnon-related accounts in recent weeks, hoping to limit the reach and distribution of up to 150,000 accounts world-wide. Additionally, the platform will no longer highlight QAnon-related posts in searches or recommendations.
Is QAnon dangerous?
A memo the Federal Bureau of Investigation released in May identified QAnon as a potential domestic terrorism threat, citing at least two incidents connecting QAnon with the planning and execution of violent acts.
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Yesterday President* Trump accepted the support of Q Anon.
He has to. He may be dumber than a rock, but he knows he can't win without his insane conspiracy theorist nut jobs and white supremacist vote. Not all Trump supporters are Qanon nut jobs, Nazi's or white supremacists, but virtually all Qanon nut jobs, Nazi's and white supremacists are Trump supporters. And they aren't just part of his base, they represent a large portion of that 36% immovable support Trump has regardless of what he does. If Trump shot someone on 5th Ave they would be the first ones standing up to defend him claiming whoever he shot must have deserved it, the law be damned.
We have some QAnon supporters on Newstalkers.
It does seem that way.
Was Michael Brown murdered? Was he caught on tape assaulting a convenience store owner the day he died? Let's find out who supports what conspiracies.
Part of the QAnon claim is that John F Kennedy Jr. is alive and secretly working with Trump to protect the world's children from pedophile Democrats.
Can Elvis' involvement on behalf of superhero Trump be far behind?
In a sane world, Trump's acceptance of Q Anon's support would have instantly ended his candidacy. In Trumpworld it doesn't raise a blip.
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Trump believes in dozens of conspiracies. The idea that such a person should lead the most powerful country in the world is absolutely absurd.
He was murdered and he was not caught on tape assaulting a clerk.
You are off topic though.
John, you should mark them off topic.
Don't let them derail your seed like they do to so many others.
ZERO
Terminal lead poisoning brought on by acute stupidity on his part!
I think the cop who murdered Michael Brown was a worthless fuck.
It goes even deeper than that. Even gaia.com has been infiltrated, with new agers and psychics pushing all that. Includes aliens and yes, JFK, jr being alive working with Trump. Its freaking crazy.
Your comments are bizarre, ridiculous [removed]
"About three minutes later and several blocks away, Brown was recorded on camera stealing a box of Swisher Sweets cigars and forcefully shoving a Ferguson Market clerk ."
Believing Michael Brown was murdered is a conspiracy. His death was investigated over and over by federal and local authorities without so much as indictment. To believe he was murdered you have believe to Eric Holder, the Obama DOJ and Missouri Democrats conspired to keep Officer Wilson free. And leading Democrats still claim that he was murdered in defiance of evidence.
I was not equating BLM (founded on a lie as it is) to Qanon, I was pointing out how widespread belief in conspiracies are on the left, which you just demonstrated and this is one example.
I don't know anyone who believes that and certainly not seen anyone post such nonsense here. I'm sure Qanon exists but I doubt they are any more plentiful than then the Larouchies.
What they are is a group that Democrats can exploit for political gain. Scaring voters is always the Democrats best tactic, and publicizing Qanon and equating them with Republicans is just another of those tactics.
When asked a direct question yesterday, in the White House, Trump accepted their support. He also claimed he knows nothing about them, an obvious lie.
He is a disgrace to his office, and now it is probably too late for the GOP to replace him on the ticket. Oh well, you can all go down together.
As evidenced in the DNC unconventional convention speeches...........................
That explains all the crap that's on Amazon Prime Video these days
You've been watching the Democratic Convention????
Depends on who the speaker is. However, the doom and gloom part is a little hard to take. Why so downbeat? While I understand there are no crowds to cheer them on, I did take note of the uncomfortable pause in Ms. Harris' "acceptance" speech. It was almost as though the speech was written for a live audience with allowance for applause/cheers.
"I accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States of America.............[long pause]".
It appeared that the long pause was written into the speech. Found that a bit weird.
I haven't heard any Democrats making that claim.
Now if you replaced that meme with the lines:
"Obama rounded up God fearing conservatives, took their guns away and locked them up in FEMA camps!"
"When did he do that>"
"Not yet, But I know he will!"
That at least makes more sense since that was what some Republicans and 'teabaggers' were claiming.
I thought you meant Black Lives Matter.
Who have burned down ZERO cities.
Since it has been shown several times that the policeman that be shot Brown acted in self defence and therefore did not murder him I don't know who you are talking about.
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Every vote counts.
Like Antifa, they are domestic terrorists who have lit a lot fires and attacked people, especially police.
Talk about living in a parallel universe.
"Talk about living in a parallel universe."
More like an alternate/BizarroWorld/bat****crazy/crazy as a ****houserat universe"
i find it incongruent
Get ready the storm is coming Epstein was just the first lightning strike. The deep state pedophiles are in the hot seat now.
"Photos Allegedly Show Bill Clinton Receiving Massage From Jeffrey Epstein Accuser"
- dirty dishonest scum bag Donald Trump who himself has been accused of raping a 13 year old.
I wonder how the right would react if Bill Clinton had been accused of raping a 13 year old who actually brought the case to court. Oh, wait, I already know how the conspiracy theory nut jobs would react after seeing their hilarious jump to conclusions over a picture of a sitting up dressed Bill Clinton apparently getting his shoulders massaged by a fully clothed and jacketed 22 year old woman. Like I've said many times, I believed Clinton's accusers and didn't vote for him, but there is nothing incriminating in any of the photos the insane Qanon nut jobs are fawning over.
Where's yours? You claim "democrats abuse children" but have presented zero evidence. Should I just make the same claim against Republicans without actual evidence? Is it okay to just claim "Republicans abuse children"?
But you forgot...
Dennis Hastert (child rapist and former Republican speaker of the house)
George Nader (liaison to the Trump transition arrested for child porn)
Roy Moore (accused of child sexual assault by multiple women)
pro-life/anti-gay Republican advocate Howard Heldrith (convicted of raping a child)
GOP Richland County Commissioner David F. Swartz (convicted of raping a 6 year old)
Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich (pleaded no contest to molesting his 10-year-old daughter)
Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency (pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and offering a bounty murder an abortion doctor)
Republican Speaker of the House in Puerto Rico Edison Misla Aldarondo (sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17)
Republican Mayor Philip Giordano (serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls)
Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge (sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old)
Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign (admitted to a sexual affair with a juvenile)
Republican legislator Peter Dibble (pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl)
Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens (found guilty of having sex with a minor)
Republican of the Year Mark A. Grethen (convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children)
Republican state senator Ralph Shortey from Oklahoma (admitted to sodomy with a 17 year old male prostitute and transporting child pornography)
Republican Congressman Mark Foley (resigned from Congress after "sexually explicit" emails surfaced showing him flirting with a 16-year old boy)
Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell (admitted to an incestuous relationship with his stepdaughter)
Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti (arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped)
Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks (charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography)
Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway (accused of having sex with his 12-year old babysitter he withdrew from election)
Republican talk show host Jon Matthews (pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl)
Republican Party leader Paul Ingram (pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison)
Republican Keith Westmoreland (arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16. He committed suicide after being exposed)
And the list goes on and on and on. There's another 16 pages of Republicans caught raping kids.
You would think these Qanon folk would be shocked by the mountain of Republican abuses, but that would only be if they were actually concerned about children which they're obviously not. They simply hate Democrats, nothing more, and will lie through the gaping holes in their rotten teeth just to attack them. Qanon are the scum of the earth and been labeled by the FBI as a domestic terror group.
The amount of teeth in the majority of these supporters is equal to their IQ.
Show us the list of Democrat abusers.
Did you even bother to read your own link?
That was quick!
In less than a half-hour, two members have clearly supported QAnon, and a third kinda-sorta...
they had to show their pride eventually , lol.
Funny how their "pride" is displayed as bright yellow underbellies as Qanon are nothing but slimy cowards.
Are we now to call them Q1 and Q2?
FuhQanon1 and FuhQanon2...
HA! Way good DP!
The usual suspects.
There are more than two Usual Suspects. I was expecting a short dozen.
I think I'll ask them about QAnon, whenever they do show up.
dumber than dirt Republicans sure seem too gullible to believe, yet they prove the are for real, daily. What a BAD JOKE Trump and te GOP B . Damn, this shit is SURREAL .
surprising MORE are NOT EMBARRASSED by the US
Isn't that what Satan Worshipers do, worship Satan? They have their hand full with the fool in the WH.
I don't know if he's Satan... but for sure they worship him!
Haha. What gets me is,
One of them just won a primary. What is wrong with people that they would vote these people in?
The extreme is taking over.
Extreme idiocy
I reserve that for the ones that vote for them.
one of these idiots won a primary in western CO her name is Lauren Boebert.
Congratulated by Trump, of course...
This could be important:
McCarthy Denounces QAnon: There Is ‘No Place’ For Conspiracy Theory In GOP
Republicans who hope to survive the (hopefully) upcoming electoral debacle must decide how to position themselves vis-à-vis the wacko fringe. It the wider American public firmly rejects nutjobs like QAnon, then the Republication Party had best not be too closely identified with them.
The movement is growing and was getting a ton of free publicity from NPR radio yesterday. Many Save The Children rallies are planned for today. Come on people help save the children.
Are you a QAnonBeliever, Dean?
I lack the knowledge to say that I'm a believer but I'm supportive of the movement the same way I'm supportive of what Ken Kesey and the merry pranksters accomplished.
That's not stopping the rest of the Qanon half wits. They have ZERO evidence of their bullshit claims, yet you are still supportive of their "movement". They are murderers yet you still support them. The ANTIFA "movement" hasn't killed anyone yet you rage about them almost daily on other seeds, the Qanon "movement" has killed and you consider them "pranksters". Talk about hypocrisy.
"The FBI intelligence bulletin from the bureau’s Phoenix field office, dated May 30, 2019, describes “conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists ,” as a growing threat, and notes that it is the first such report to do so. It lists a number of arrests, including some that haven’t been publicized, related to violent incidents motivated by fringe beliefs.
The document specifically mentions QAnon , a shadowy network that believes in a deep state conspiracy against President Trump, and Pizzagate, the theory that a pedophile ring including Clinton associates was being run out of the basement of a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant (which didn’t actually have a basement)."
Wow, talk about a false equivalency.
What similarities do you see between these two apparently unrelated phenomena?
They are both pranksters and make people laugh everywhere they go. They both use humor to shine light on the ridiculousness of popular culture and the establishment.
Pretty sure that nothing Qanon does or says makes me laugh.
This brand of hate fueled insanity doesn't even rate my pity.
That's how you see QAnon? Laughable?
I wish I could laugh at them.