Why failing to condemn QAnon is dangerous
MELODY STAINBROOK: If you have heard a lot about QAnon these past few weeks you are not alone. At first glance, the anti-democrat, pro-Trump conspiracy appears to be yet another outlandish but laughable internet conspiracy group. However, QAnon’s following continues to grow at an alarming rate. Strengthened by the failure of high-level Republicans to condemn it, QAnon is becoming a dangerous movement that fosters violence, purveys misinformation, and capitalizes on political polarization and fear.
QAnon is a conspiracy theory which centers around the idea that high-level Democratic politicians are Satan-worshipping pedophiles and that President Trump is secretly working to take them down. Many followers believe that this will end in high-level democrats, such as Hillary Clinton, being arrested and even executed. The conspiracy theory was formed in 2017 when an anonymous person who went by the screen name “Q” made a series of posts to the message board, 4chan. While these posts are devoid of any factual information, the theory has grown in popularity as hundreds of thousands of people have felt it is their duty to spread the “Truth.”
The FBI has condemned the cabal as a domestic terrorist group, identifying it as among the extremist groups “very likely” to instigate violence. Subsequently, a bill condemning QAnon has been introduced by New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski. H.Res. 1154: Condemning QAnon and rejecting the conspiracy theories it promotes, was voted on and passed in the House on October 2nd. While all 225 democrats in the House voted in favor of the bill, 17 Republicans voted against the bill.
Among the 17 Republicans who voted against the bill, four are Texas representatives. Rep. Brian Babin referred to the bill as “silly” and “pointless” in a statement released to the Texas Tribune. Rep. Michael Burgess suggested that the resolution was proposed as a partisan tool to leverage against the Trump administration. But why is condemning a dangerous alt-right conspiracy group seen as an attack on the president?
Perhaps the characterization of H. Res.1154 as an attack on the current administration is due to the fact that President Trump has failed to condemn QAnon and has thanked the organization for their support of his presidency. When asked about the conspiracy group in a White House Briefing, Trump stated, “I don’t know much about the movement, other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate.” When pressed further about the topic Trump said, “And I’ve heard these are people that love our country.”
Trump has also openly supported Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican congressional candidate who promoted and subscribed to QAnon’s baseless theories. In a recently rediscovered 2017 video, Greene referred to the conspiracy leader “Q” as a patriot and said that the organization was, “worth listening to.” When asked about QAnon during her current campaign, Greene reportedly dodged questions from reporters, claiming that she had not heard about the organization.
While many Republicans have embraced this radical ideology, other Republican politicians have tried to distance themselves from members of the party that refuse to condemn QAnon. Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois denounced the conspiracy group via twitter, writing that QAnon theories are “a fabrication” and have “no place in Congress.”
However, these mixed signals from Republican lawmakers are enough to incite and enable members of QAnon to take action. Since its conception, QAnon members have been linked to numerous dangerous crimes all throughout the country. Many members of QAnon found the organization from the 2016 “Pizzagate” conspiracy movement, in which members believed Comet pizza shop in Washington DC was a front for a child trafficking ring led by top democratic leaders, including, then presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. On December 16, 2016, Edgar Maddison Welch fired an assault rifle in the restaurant in an attempt to uncover the “truth” about the restaurant.
In August 2019, QAnon follower Michael Meyer was arrested on felony charges after trespassing and emptying several water barrels that were left for migrants crossing the Mexico-US border. He told authorities that he believed these barrels were connected to a child trafficking operation involving figures such as Hillary Clinton and George Soros.
In April 2020, QAnon supporter Jessica Prim live-streamed her drive to New York, explaining that she needed to “take out” Joe Biden because he was involved in child trafficking. In the live-stream, she references “Frazzledrip,” a fake video QAnon followers claim to show Hillary Clinton murdering a child. Prim was arrested near a ship, the USS Intrepid, where she believed children were being held by prominent Democratic politicians. In reality, the ship was being used to treat COVID-19 patients in the former epicenter of the virus, New York City.
This past week, QAnon members have taken aim at Rep. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, who introduced the House of Representatives resolution to condemn QAnon. After the nebulous Q reportedly attacked the congressman in a series of posts, members of the conspiracy group sent countless death threats to him and his family. One of the posts targeted at Malinowski falsely claimed that the congressman had “lobbied to protect sexual predators.”
The list of dangerous crimes committed in the name of QAnon is seemingly endless. From murders to attempted kidnappings, the fringe conspiracy group has fostered a dangerous and distorted perception of the world, capitalizing on misinformation and confusion to invoke violence. While child trafficking is a very real and very serious problem, it is not a scheme led by Satan worshipping high-level Democratic politicians.
Given the violent acts committed by QAnon members and the misinformation the group spreads, it is astonishing that many Republican politicians have failed to take actionable steps to condemn the group. Instead, some have even suggested that QAnon is a patriotic movement working to protect American children. Clearly, this inaction stems from the fact that QAnon openly supports President Trump and many other Republican politicians. Thus, these lawmakers choose to value politics over the safety and security of their constituents.
With outlandish conspiracy theories such as the anti-vax, flat-earth, PLANdemic, and 5G gaining sizable followings, it is important to call out misinformation now more than ever before. We have seen firsthand the dangers of fake news, alternative facts, and conspiracy groups. From undermining the significance of real problems such as COVID-19 and climate change, to promoting threatening activity through the spread of misinformation, conspiracy theories can have real consequences.
As easy as it is to say that condemning these theories is “silly” or “pointless”, bipartisan efforts to deter conspiracy campaigns are crucial to dismantle the structures that enable them. When politicians fail to take action to effectively condemn violence and misinformation, they are emboldening bad actors to undermine the general well being of the country and the world.
Take Action
To voice your concern about the spread of misinformation and the lack of accountability, please call your congressional representatives and senators. To voice your support for Rep. Tom Malinowski and the resolution to condemn QAnon, you can reach his DC office at (202) 225-5361. If you are interested in supporting his race for reelection you can visit this website. To learn more about QAnon, visit any of the website links throughout this article or visit this website which provides a comprehensive guide to understanding QAnon.
Melody is a freshman in Georgetown College, studying government and environmental studies. She enjoys creative writing, swimming, and teaching water aerobics classes in her hometown of DuBois, Pennsylvania. Melody joined On the Record as a columnist and is also a member of the GU Democrats and GU Moot Court.