Today, a bipartisan pair of congressmen introduced a resolution condemning the fringe conspiracy theory QAnon, less than a week after President Donald Trump said he “appreciates” QAnon adherents’ support
The FBI has labeled QAnon a potential domestic terrorism threat, while the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point argues that the group is “no longer simply a fringe conspiracy theory but an ideology that has demonstrated its capacity to radicalize to violence individuals at an alarming speed.”
The resolution points to half a dozen instances in which adherents of the conspiracy theory have been implicated in potentially deadly crimes they say were inspired by their QAnon beliefs, a list that doesn’t include the 2016 incident in which a North Carolina man opened fire inside of a D.C. restaurant that he falsely claimed was a front for a child sex trafficking ring.
“QAnon adherents have been harming legitimate efforts to combat child exploitation and sex trafficking, including by overwhelming anti-trafficking hotlines with false reports,” the resolution notes. It adds that “the conspiracy theories promoted by QAnon undermine trust in America’s democratic institutions, encourage rejection of objective reality, and deepen our nation’s political polarization.”to the halls of Congress.
Over the summer, at least seven QAnon adherents have come out on top in Republican congressional primaries including one, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who is favored to end up in the House. Trump, who rose to political prominence on the back of the false birtherism conspiracy theory against former President Barack Obama, has often flirted with conspiracy theories while in office. But over the past few weeks, he has gone his farthest yet toward embracing QAnon, calling Greene a future GOP star and suggesting he doesn’t see the harm in the group. White House
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