What is Qanon?

[shunyadragon]

Qanon began in ~2017, and now is major player in the extreme right and the belief of more than 20 Republican candidates, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, at the national level, and a major player in Qanon had audiences with Trump in the White House.

[cite]
QAnon first emerged in the months after President Trump took office, starting on fringe Internet message boards, before spreading to social media.

Adherents allege, among other things, that the president is the target of so-called deep state actors, high-ranking officials plotting against him. The conspiracy quickly took off, and the president's supporters latched on to the mysterious Q.

Signs and T-shirts appeared at Trump's campaign rallies. Last year, the FBI labeled the movement a potential domestic terror threat.

Some congressional candidates, like Lauren Boebert in Colorado, promoted the conspiracy theory to friendly media outlets, before later calling QAnon fake news.

According to Media Matters, a left-leaning watchdog group, 20 candidates, all Republicans, except one independent, with varying levels of support for QAnon conspiracies, have advanced to November's general election.

And now Marjorie Taylor Greene's name will be on the ballot as well.

To look more closely at the rise and spread of the QAnon conspiracy on the campaign trail, I'm joined by Travis View, co-host of the "QAnon Anonymous: podcast.

Travis, welcome to the "NewsHour."

You have been following the QAnon conspiracy theory and its followers for a very long time.

Let's start with the basics, though, for those who haven't been. Just explain to us, where and how did the QAnon conspiracy begin?

Travis View:

The QAnon conspiracy theory originated on 4chan in October of 2017, though it has its origin in Pizzagate.

The basic premise is that a group of high-level military intelligence officials close to President Trump, QAnon followers believe, are sending out secret coded messages on these image boards about this great grand battle of good vs. evil, in which Trump and what they call the Q Team are working to destroy a global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles, which the QAnon community believes is controlling everything. And that includes politician, entertainment and the media.]/cite]

[Ronson]

I worked with someone who was into QAnon. The more he explained it to me, the more I sized him up for a straight jacket.

[mikewhitney]

why is QAnon stuff being called extreme right?

As far as I have heard, there was nothing about racism or overthrowing the country. Instead it is mostly protecting the country from deep state operatives. At least I mean this is the goal on the face of things.

Beyond the article, the deep state is readily evident by the fact that DC has about 99% Democrat voters and government workers. Something wrong was evident by the democrat's conspiracy theory about russian-trump collusion. It took a bunch of Democrats in government to keep this conspiracy movement going for 3 years. And we see the judge would refuses the rule of law in trying to keep Flynn imprisoned.

The QAnon probably is a psyops operation to keep conservative freedom-loving people quiet because they think everything is being fixed by these secret actions to bring justice. The interpreter of Q's questions were interpreting Q's questions as clues that massive indictments and arrests were happening ... even these things happening with no public news coverage on such events.

I never followed the Q stuff. But it does seem that certain things predicted had actually happened. So this suggests there could be some knowledgeable or influential people behind this. Like discussed elsewhere, in another thread, this could not simply have been a guy in the basement making all these clues -- it has to be something more organized. The essential question then is regarding who it was that was behind this scheme. or -- what was the motive and goal?

[Mountain Man]

Qanon is one of those things that liberals claim conservatives are into despite the fact that liberals seem to know far more about it than most conservatives.

[shunyadragon]

Qanon is one of those things that liberals claim conservatives are into despite the fact that liberals seem to know far more about it than most conservatives.

Trump and over 20 national Republican candidates support Qanon. No Democrates do.

[Mountain Man]

Over 20 national Republican candidates support Qanon. No Democrates do.

Which candidates? Why do you mean by "support"?

[mikewhitney]

Trump and over 20 national Republican candidates support Qanon. No Democrates do.

Democrats would hardly support it since the goal is, at least superficially, to expose the evil deeds of the Dems.

Of course, we are talking about the deep state dems, not the general Democrat voters. I have not heard whether Dem voters have followed Q's posts.

[shunyadragon]

Which candidates? Why do you mean by "support"?

I mean support by specifically support. Support includes Marjorie Taylor Greene and Trump gave her enthusiastic support, also Angela Stanton-King.

Source: https://www.axios.com/qanon-nominees-congress-gop-8086ed21-b7d3-46af-9016-d132e65ba801.html

At least 11 Republican congressional nominees have publicly supported or defended the QAnon conspiracy theory movement or some of its tenets — and more aligned with the movement may still find a way onto ballots this year.

Why it matters: Their progress shows how a fringe online forum built on unsubstantiated claims and flagged as a threat by the FBI is seeking a foothold in the U.S. political mainstream.

QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory that purports without proof that posts by an anonymous internet user from within the federal government are alluding to a secret war that the "deep state" is waging against President Trump.
Driving the news: At least two candidates were positioned to win seats in November.

Lauren Boebert, a first-time candidate, gun-rights activist and QAnon supporter, defeated five-term Rep. Scott Tipton in Colorado's June 30 Republican primary for the 3rd congressional district. Trump had endorsed Tipton.

Boebert said in May she hopes QAnon "is real because it only means America is getting stronger and better and people are returning to conservative values," which she supports.
In a statement, the National Republican Congressional Committee said that the district "is a Republican seat and will remain a Republican seat."
Boebert told Axios she does not follow QAnon but is "glad the IG and the AG are investigating deep state activities that undermine the President."

Marjorie Taylor Greene emerged from last month's primary as the frontrunner heading into an August runoff for the Republican nomination for Georgia's 14th Congressional District, which is rated solidly Republican. She called Q a "patriot" in a 30-minute video in which she also professes the theory.

As Politico reported, House Republican leaders distanced themselves from Greene, who also has made Islamophobic, racist and anti-Semitic remarks.

After her rhetoric came under greater scrutiny, establishment Republicans have pushed to shift support to her runoff opponent, John Cowan, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Several other Republican congressional candidates with QAnon ties are running in solidly Democratic districts. Six of them bested competitors in contested primaries.

Angela Stanton-King, Georgia, 5th congressional district: On Instagram, Stanton-King posted a 12-minute video from a well-known QAnon promoter, who states "those who are corrupting our world" will be "permanently eradicated from the Earth." Her primary was uncontested.

She received a pardon from President Trump on Feb. 18, for her 2004 conviction on federal conspiracy charges involving an auto theft ring, the AJC reports.

Mike Cargile, California, 35th congressional district: Cargile's Twitter bio includes the "#WWG1WGA" hashtag, which stands for the QAnon motto “Where We Go One We Go All.” Cargile finished second in California's "top two" primary system to Democratic incumbent Rep. Norma Torres, whom he will face in November. He told Axios: "Only a fool would look at the Washington landscape and conclude that the President has no enemies inside the beltway."

Erin Cruz, California, 36th congressional district: Cruz told NBC News in 2019 that people who believe in the theory have "legitimate concerns." She finished second in the primary and will face Democratic incumbent Rep. Raul Ruiz.
Alison Hayden, California, 15th congressional district: Hayden has promoted the theory on her campaign Twitter account and has repeatedly tweeted the QAnon-connected hashtag “#GreatAwakening.” She defeated five other candidates and finished second in the primary for the right to face incumbent Rep. Eric Swalwell.
Johnny Teague, Texas, 9th congressional district: On a campaign account which has since been deleted, Teague retweeted a video of QAnon supporters reciting an oath associated with the conspiracy theory, according to Media Matters. He defeated two other candidates for the nomination.
Rob Weber, Ohio, 9th congressional district: Weber tweeted congratulations to a Twitter user for being "17’d," a reference to the 17th letter of the alphabet, Q. He defeated three other candidates for the nomination.
Philanise White, Illinois, 1st congressional district: White has tweeted the #WWG1WGA hashtag on multiple occasions. She ran uncontested for the nomination.
Theresa Raborn, Illinois, 2nd congressional district: Raborn retweeted a video of former national security adviser Michael Flynn reciting an oath associated with the conspiracy theory, adding the #WWG1WGA hashtag. She ran unopposed for the nomination.

Billy Prempeh, New Jersey, 9th congressional district: Prempeh uploaded a photo of himself posing with a “Q” flag on his campaign Facebook page, adding the motto "Where We Go One We Go All.” He beat one other candidate for the nomination.

Jo Rae Perkins, Oregon: The Republican U.S. Senate nominee recited the oath in a video posted on her campaign Twitter account. She beat three other candidates for the nomination. She told Axios that she believes QAnon is a news source that she uses for "connecting the dots" and "getting information that the mainstream media, generally, does not post."

Of note: Buzz Patterson, who finished second in the primary for California's 7th congressional district and will face Democratic incumbent Rep. Ami Bera, tweeted "Yep!" in response to whether he supports the Q movement.

Patterson told Axios that he does not recall sending the tweet about the theory and does not "follow or endorse anything he/she/them say."
Axios contacted each campaign and only received responses from Boebert, Cargile, Patterson and Perkins.

Between the lines: Trump has retweeted QAnon Twitter accounts on multiple occasions, while his son Eric Trump has promoted the theory in Instagram posts, Forbes reports.

A number of independent or write-in candidates who have supported the conspiracy theory will also appear on ballots in November.

© Copyright Original Source

[shunyadragon]

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/25/politics/donald-trump-qanon-white-house/index.html

QAnon-believing 'conspiracy analyst' meets Trump in the White House

By Kyle Feldscher,

(CNN)A right-wing conspiracy theorist and QAnon-believer appeared to visit President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, according to a picture posted on his Twitter account.

Michael Lebron, known as Lionel in his online accounts, is a YouTube and social media personality who makes appearances on Russia Today as a political and legal analyst. He is described as "an avowed conspiracy analyst" on his website and cites the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as a "watershed moment" in his life that led to delving into conspiracies.

According to a photo posted on his Twitter account Friday, Lionel met with Trump in the Oval Office. Other photos posted on Lionel's Twitter account show him going through the White House on a tour Thursday.

"There are simply no words to explicate the profound and ineffable honor of meeting @realDonaldTrump in the tabernacle of liberty, the Oval Office. @LynnShawProd and I so appreciate @POTUS' kindness and courtesy. #MAGA," Lionel posted.

© Copyright Original Source

[mikewhitney]

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/25/politics/donald-trump-qanon-white-house/index.html

QAnon-believing 'conspiracy analyst' meets Trump in the White House
(CNN)A right-wing conspiracy theorist and QAnon-believer appeared to visit President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, according to a picture posted on his Twitter account.
...
"There are simply no words to explicate the profound and ineffable honor of meeting @realDonaldTrump in the tabernacle of liberty, the Oval Office. @LynnShawProd and I so appreciate @POTUS' kindness and courtesy. #MAGA," Lionel posted.

© Copyright Original Source

At worst, QAnon is a conservative equivalent of CNN and MSNBC.

What does it matter that Trump met with Lebron? Is CNN making this out to be a conspiracy against fake news?

[KingsGambit]

Qanon is one of those things that liberals claim conservatives are into despite the fact that liberals seem to know far more about it than most conservatives.

The only people I personally know who are into it are conservatives.

[siam]

Qanon began in ~2017, and now is major player in the extreme right and the belief of more than 20 Republican candidates, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, at the national level, and a major player in Qanon had audiences with Trump in the White Hoouse....

B4 Qanon...Bush era neo-cons started a war on the myth of weapons of mass destruction.....

[Sparko]

The only people I personally know who are into it are conservatives.

I never heard of it until hypatia(?) brought it up in another thread. There are fringe groups out there who are liberal also. And some who contain both liberals and conservatives (like UFO, Alien Abductionists, Antivaxxers)

They are all nuts. Some people just need drama in their life to make it more exciting.

[oxmixmudd]

I never heard of it until hypatia(?) brought it up in another thread. There are fringe groups out there who are liberal also. And some who contain both liberals and conservatives (like UFO, Alien Abductionists, Antivaxxers)

They are all nuts. Some people just need drama in their life to make it more exciting.

Again the denial of a truly serious problem to push under the rug a real problem with Trump and Trumpism. The QAnon conspiracy is nutters. The people that believe it are nutters. Yet Trump has supported it and a non trivial number of his followers support it. To the point more of these people are being elected to positions of power.

What happens when people with a fragile grip on reality gain power Sparko? What is the history of that in the wotld?

[Mountain Man]

The only people I personally know who are into it are conservatives.

I don't know anybody personally or online who takes it seriously. The websites I tend visit don't ever mention this nonsense, and one of my favorite sites even has a standing policy that anybody who says anything about "q" or the related conspiracy theories is instantly banned without warning, so in my case, I hear more about "q" from liberals than I do from conservative sources.