The FBI has investigated QAnon for violence and domestic extremism for years, and warns its followers will likely 'act as a catalyst' for future attacks — including against the U.S. government
after years of maintaining a friendly but arms-length relationship with the group? And what are the potential repercussions? USA TODAY conducted research on the organization and interviewed experts about it to decipher what is going on, why it matters – and what might happen next.What did Trump do to openly embrace QAnon?
.” That’s a common reference in QAnon parlance to Trump’s final victory when he regains power and vanquishes his opponents.Trump's veiled QAnon support goes back years That summer, as QAnon began growing in prominence, then-president Trump said he wasn’t really aware of the movement, but that its supporters were patriots who should be credited for backing his administration.
in the United States through August 2021. It found"that while QAnon presents a danger, it is not a traditional terrorist threat" that can easily be monitored or thwarted.In 2018, according to FBI documents, a Nevada man used an armored truck to block traffic at the Hoover Dam and was later arrested with body armor, rifles, ammunition and a flash-bang device inside his vehicle.
“It's one thing when a QAnon personality who has a show or is an influencer is encouraging vigilantism or extra-legal measures. It's another thing though, when Trump himself starts to validate it – and that's what is distinct about this moment,” said Carusone, a longtime Trump and QAnon watcher and authority on right-wing and religious extremism.
The theory has been widely debunked by a range of experts and there is no credible evidence to back it up. Nevertheless, Q became this mysterious online entity who began dropping mysterious clues and messages, known as “Q Drops,” to an increasingly large group of followers and supporters so they could decipher them. “It was portrayed as the ultimate battle between good and evil,” Carusone told USA TODAY.
But Robert Pape, a University of Chicago professor and expert on political violence, believes QAnon has a wide following among Americans, especially those with an anti-government bent who might be inclined to act on it if they believe Trump is asking them to. The FBI said such “fringe political conspiracy theories very likely motivate some domestic extremists to commit criminal, sometimes violent activity.” Trump himself was mentioned in the intelligence bulletin, as being at the center of the QAnon theory and for being the impetus for at least one incident committed by one of the group's followers. of the Capitol.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump signals affinity with QAnon followers in social media post, at ralliesOn Thursday, former President Trump reposted a video originally shared by a QAnon follower that integrated Trump into imagery affiliated with the conspiracy movement.
Read more »
Trump promotes QAnon-related posts on his social media platformFormer President Donald Trump promoted several posts on his social media platform early Friday about the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Read more »
How a Trump soundtrack became a QAnon phenomenonA song’s journey from a Trump video to online forums and back to Trump rallies shows the melding of the MAGA and QAnon movements
Read more »
Trump rally crowd is seemingly asked to stop one-finger QAnon salute: VideoSome have speculated that the salute is a reference to the 'where we go one we go all' motto of the pro-Trump conspiracy theory.
Read more »