QAnon has spent much of its history festering in the darkest corners of the internet, peddling baseless conspiracy theories about the government and Hollywood elites. Despite its nonsensical assertions, it has gained recognition from both members of Congress and the Trump family.
It was only recently that the drivel online began translating into real-life violence. In October, the FBI foiled a plot by six QAnon supporters trying to kidnap Michigan’s governor. On January 6, insurrectionists donning QAnon merchandise, among other Trump supporters, blitzed the Capitol in an attempt to halt the confirmation of president-elect Joe Biden, which resulted in the death of a QAnon supporter, Ashley Babbitt. The events in October and January raises concerns about whether the movement will peter out, and calls for investigation on how it grew to be popular.
The inception of QAnon dates back to November 2017, after a series of cryptic messages were posted to 4chan by someone who went by “Q”. QAnon was just one of the many other “Anon” accounts, posing as an individual with high clearance in the government. “FBIAnon”, “CIAAnon” and “White House Insider Anon” were already functioning before “Q”’s inception.
“Q” was no different. They asserted themself as high-ranking military personnel, fulfilling a moral duty to expose extreme corruption at the crossroads between Hollywood and the US government.
“Q” releases their information in fragments to an audience of conspiracy theorists dying to decipher the next clues. The “drops”, when put together, paint a completely false picture. According to “Q”, Trump is a savior for the American people, crusading against Hollywood and Washington which has been infiltrated by pedophiles who use children’s blood to stay young. President Trump has been tasked with combating the cannibalistic elites, saving the children, all while doing it in silence.
Despite the complete absurdity of what “Q” asserts, these “drops” always attract a large audience. For QAnon believers, this has become something of a game. They enjoy being distanced from reality and becoming absorbed in this narrative. Often, right after a “Q drop”, many of them will flock to chatrooms with other QAnon supporters to decode the drops.
Because QAnon’s predictions are never right, the cryptic online presence of “Q” consistently changes the narrative to fit what is actually happening, suggesting the incorrect information was a part of their elaborate plan. In 2018, “Q” forecasted a landslide midterm win for Republicans—which was very wrong, and the supporters have since ignored it.
QAnon supporters hang onto every word “Q” says, which poses a challenge in bringing these supporters back to reality. The issue is escalating, and the supporters are making their words heard not just on online chat rooms, but through violence in real life.