QAnon is an American political conspiracy theory and political movement. It originated in the American far-right political sphere in 2017. QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as “Q”. Those claims have been relayed, developed and supplemented by numerous communities and influencers associated with the movement.
The core QAnon conspiracy theory is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic sexual abusers of children operating a global child sex trafficking ring conspired against former U.S. President Donald Trump during his term in office. The QAnon conspiracy theory has direct roots in Pizzagate, an Internet conspiracy theory that appeared one year earlier; it also incorporates elements of many other theories. Some experts have described QAnon as a cult.
The QAnon conspiracy theory has been widely debunked by journalists, fact-checkers, and law enforcement officials. However, it has gained a large following, particularly among Trump supporters. QAnon followers believe that Q is a high-ranking government official with access to classified information. They believe that Q is using cryptic messages to reveal the truth about the cabal and its plans to overthrow Trump.
QAnon has been linked to several acts of violence, including the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The FBI has designated QAnon a domestic terror threat.
Origins of QAnon
QAnon originated in October 2017 on 4chan, an online message board used by the far-right. The first post attributed to Q was made on October 28, 2017. The post claimed that a “high-level government insider” with access to classified information was leaking information about a secret cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles who were running a global child sex trafficking ring. The post also claimed that President Trump was aware of the cabal and was working to take them down.
The Q posts quickly gained popularity on 4chan and other far-right message boards. In early 2018, QAnon began to spread to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. QAnon followers began to use the hashtag #QAnon to spread the conspiracy theory.
Claims of QAnon
The core QAnon conspiracy theory is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic sexual abusers of children operating a global child sex trafficking ring conspired against former U.S. President Donald Trump during his term in office. The QAnon conspiracy theory has direct roots in Pizzagate, an Internet conspiracy theory that appeared one year earlier; it also incorporates elements of many other theories. Some experts have described QAnon as a cult.
QAnon followers believe that Q is a high-ranking government official with access to classified information. They believe that Q is using cryptic messages to reveal the truth about the cabal and its plans to overthrow Trump.
QAnon followers believe that the cabal is made up of powerful people in the government, business, and entertainment industries. They believe that the cabal is involved in a wide range of crimes, including child sex trafficking, pedophilia, and ritualistic abuse. They also believe that the cabal is working to overthrow the U.S. government and establish a totalitarian state.
QAnon followers believe that Trump is the only person who can stop the cabal. They believe that Trump is working with the military to take down the cabal and restore the United States to greatness.
Debunking of QAnon
The QAnon conspiracy theory has been widely debunked by journalists, fact-checkers, and law enforcement officials. There is no evidence to support any of the claims made by QAnon.
In fact, many of the claims made by QAnon have been shown to be false. For example, QAnon followers believe that Hillary Clinton was involved in a child sex trafficking ring that operated out of a pizza parlor in Washington, D.C. However, there is no evidence to support this claim. The pizza parlor in question has been repeatedly investigated by law enforcement, and no evidence of any wrongdoing has been found.
Violence associated with QAnon
QAnon has been linked to several acts of violence, including the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The FBI has designated QAnon a domestic terror threat.
In October 2018, a man in Jacksonville, Florida, shot and killed two people at a pizza parlor that QAnon followers believed was involved in a child sex trafficking ring. The man, who was a QAnon follower, had posted about the pizza parlor on social media before the shooting.
In December 2019, a man in New Jersey was arrested for plotting to kidnap and kill a state official who he believed was part of the cabal. The man, who was a QAnon follower, had posted about his plans on social media.
On January 6, 2021, a mob of QAnon followers stormed the U.S