QAnon: What is it and What Does it Mean?

What is QAnon?
QAnon (or “Q”) is a far-right, pro-Trump conspiracy theory that has grown rapidly in popularity since 2018. The theory began with a series of cryptic posts on social media by an unknown individual, assumed to be called “Q”, which hinted at a powerful government operation to remove Donald Trump’s political opponents. Since then, QAnon has grown into a large online movement, with adherents often claiming that the theory is being supported by the president himself. While there is no official QAnon organization or leader, the theory has become a rallying cry for many far-right Trump supporters.

What does it believe?
QAnon adherents generally believe in a range of conspiracy theories, including those about past and present secret government operations. They claim that there is a “deep state” cabal of elites, Hollywood celebrities and political elites who are engaged in activities such as child trafficking, human trafficking and sex crimes against children, and even Satanic ritual abuse. They also claim that these conspirators are responsible for the death of former National Security Advisor John Brennan and have been behind seemingly unrelated disasters, such as the 2018 Las Vegas shooting. Other theories include the baseless claim that Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama, were heavily involved in a paedophile ring.

QAnoners also place great emphasis on the loyalty of President Trump, believing that he is single-handedly trying to restore the justice system and root out the conspirators from within the government. They often cite various pieces of evidence, such as Trump’s frequent retweets of pro-Q posts, to support these views.

What are the consequences of QAnon?
QAnon has become increasingly influential in the far-right, particularly in the US, and its theories have increasingly been embraced by members of Congress and other prominent figures. This has led to a dangerous rise in extremist behavior, with QAnon adherents often engaging in harassment, doxxing and other threats against their political enemies. The movement has also been linked to violence, with several QAnon-affiliated gunmen being involved in shootouts with law enforcement in 2019.

In addition to this, QAnon has harmed public discourse and increased conspiracy-fuelled mistrust in the government and society at large. The UK’s Electoral Commission warned of the dangers of QAnon in 2020 and urged social media companies to take steps to limit the reach and spread of its ideas.

The QAnon phenomenon continues to grow and it remains to be seen if it will remain a fringe conspiracy or if it will become a more mainstream force in the years to come. In either case, it is a cause for alarm and further research is needed to understand its implications for democracy and the public discourse.