“President Trump gave a major boost to the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory, saying Wednesday that he appreciated the support of its followers, calling them “people that love our country.”
Pressed at a White House briefing about the online movement, which the FBI has identified as a potential domestic terrorist threat, he claimed not to know anything about it other than the affection its adherents have for him. But when a reporter outlined the erroneous claims underlying the theory — “that you are secretly saving the world from this Satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals” — Trump seemed to embrace that role for himself.
“I don’t know much about the movement; I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate,” Trump said during a White House press briefing. “I heard these are people that love our country.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-praises-baseless-qanon-conspiracy-theory-says-he-appreciates-support-of-its-followers/2020/08/19/e50f8d46-e25e-11ea-8181-606e603bb1c4_story.html
US Vice-President Mike Pence with members of the Broward County, Florida, SWAT team on November 30, 2018; the officer at the left is displaying a red and black “Q” patch used by believers of the QAnon conspiracy theory. The photo was tweeted, removed, and then substituted in Pence’s feed. (click to enlarge)
Facebook on Tuesday classified the QAnon conspiracy theory movement as dangerous and began removing Facebook groups and pages as well as Instagram accounts that hold themselves out as representatives.
The step escalates an August policy that banned a third of QAnon groups here for promoting violence while allowing most to stay, albeit with content appearing less often in news feeds. Instead of relying on user reports, Facebook staff now will treat QAnon like other militarized bodies, seeking out and deleting groups and pages, the company said in a blog post here. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/07/facebook-bans-all-qanon-groups-as-dangerous-amid-surging-misinformation.html
‘It’s like a parasite’ : How a dangerous virtual cult is going global https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/07/tech/qanon-europe-cult-intl/index.html
(July 2020): “Michael Flynn posts video featuring QAnon slogans” https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/07/politics/michael-flynn-qanon-video/index.html “Flynn — the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency and a retired Army lieutenant general — is now the most prominent former US official to publicly stoke QAnon conspiracies, even though the movement is based on lies and has been linked to several violent incidents.”
DPRK News Service @DPRK_News [‘Official News feed of Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea’] 12:54 AM · Oct 19, 2020: “US senator Susan Collins said to be deeply troubled by revelation that US senator Susan Collins has donated to conspiracy cult QAnon.
Considers issuing stern statement against herself.” https://twitter.com/DPRK_News/status/1318083110173593600
Bangor Daily News, Maine Oct 16, 2020: “U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ political committee was “not aware” two Republican legislative candidates espoused the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon when it donated to them in September, a spokesperson for the Maine senator said on Friday.”
“Susan Collins Backs QAnon Believers for Maine Legislature : Candidates advocate “God-declared executions” for “traitorous” Jews, Catholics, Black Lives Matter and environmental activists” (10/16/20) https://mainernews.com/susan-collins-backs-qanon-believers-for-maine-legislature/
“Kevin Bushey and Brian Redmond, the QAnon believers supported by Collins, are both military veterans who eagerly anticipate a political bloodbath will soon erupt nationwide, ultimately leading to arrests, military trials, and “God-declared executions” for “traitors” like top Democratic politicians and donors, socialists, Planned Parenthood, and Black Lives Matter and Sunrise Movement activists.”
Tony Bobulinski’s Tucker Carlson Interview Has QAnon Supporters Thinking He’s Conspiracy’s Leader https://www.newsweek.com/tony-bobulinskis-tucker-carlson-qanon-conspiracys-leader-1542767 supporters of the theory suggested Bobulinski is the “stealth bomber”—a reference to messages from Q which have appeared online as far back as 2018.
The Stealth Bomber is an apparent figure who will “navigate around installed corrupt” government agencies and expose so-called truths.
The congressional candidates who have engaged with the QAnon conspiracy theory https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/10/politics/qanon-cong-candidates/
There is no factual evidence or foundation for the conspiracy theory. In the three years since the conspiracy was born, QAnon has grown from an American virtual cult to a global phenomenon. QAnon beliefs aren’t just divorced from reality but can instigate real-world violence; The FBI warned last year that QAnon posed a potential domestic terrorist threat.
Nearly two dozen Republicans across the country who have engaged with the QAnon conspiracy will also appear on the ballot this November in their congressional districts — or in two cases, statewide as Senate candidates — as well as one unaffiliated independent candidate and one Independent Party candidate. Every candidate on this list has engaged with QAnon to some degree; some engaged with QAnon content online before they sought political office on their personal accounts and later on their official campaign accounts; others have appeared on QAnon-related shows and talked about the conspiracy theory.
There are also other candidates who have made allusions or coded references to QAnon before — by citing human and child trafficking as a top campaign priority, for instance — but CNN is only including candidates in this list who have explicitly engaged with the conspiracy theory.
“The GOP’s QAnon Faction Is Waging War on Republicans : It’s the conspiracy theories versus those who want to keep a toe, at least, in the world of the real.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-gops-qanon-faction-is-waging-war-on-republicans
“President Donald Trump brought up Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene’s support for the dangerous QAnon conspiracy theory during a meeting on keeping the Senate with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other aides, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN.
This person confirmed that Trump told those present that QAnon consists of people who “basically believe in good government,” which led to silence in the room. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows then said he had not heard the group described as such.
Trump’s comments were first reported by The Washington Post.” https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/03/politics/donald-trump-qanon/index.html
Eideard 
“President Trump gave a major boost to the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory, saying Wednesday that he appreciated the support of its followers, calling them “people that love our country.”
Pressed at a White House briefing about the online movement, which the FBI has identified as a potential domestic terrorist threat, he claimed not to know anything about it other than the affection its adherents have for him. But when a reporter outlined the erroneous claims underlying the theory — “that you are secretly saving the world from this Satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals” — Trump seemed to embrace that role for himself.
“I don’t know much about the movement; I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate,” Trump said during a White House press briefing. “I heard these are people that love our country.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-praises-baseless-qanon-conspiracy-theory-says-he-appreciates-support-of-its-followers/2020/08/19/e50f8d46-e25e-11ea-8181-606e603bb1c4_story.html
QAnon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon
US Vice-President Mike Pence with members of the Broward County, Florida, SWAT team on November 30, 2018; the officer at the left is displaying a red and black “Q” patch used by believers of the QAnon conspiracy theory. The photo was tweeted, removed, and then substituted in Pence’s feed. (click to enlarge)
“QAnon is conspiratorial, dangerous, and growing. And we’re talking about it all wrong.” https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/media/qanon-news-coverage/index.html
“Authorities in Oregon are pleading with the public to only trust and share information verified by official sources about the unprecedented wildfires sweeping the state. The pleas come as law enforcement agencies described 911 dispatchers being overrun with calls about a false online rumor that “Antifa” members had been arrested for setting the fires — a claim promoted by the anonymous account behind the QAnon conspiracy theories.
The incident highlights how online conspiracy theories, a sustained right-wing campaign to create increased fear of anti-fascist groups, and amplification of false claims by QAnon followers, have real consequences.” https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/11/tech/qanon-oregon-fire-conspiracy-theory/index.html
“Researchers say Russian government-supported organizations are playing a small but increasing role amplifying conspiracy theories promoted by QAnon, raising concerns of interference in the November U.S. election.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-qanon-russia/russian-backed-organizations-amplifying-qanon-conspiracy-theories-researchers-say-idUSKBN25K13T
“Interpreting Social Qs: Implications of the Evolution of QAnon” https://graphika.com/reports/interpreting-social-qs-implications-of-the-evolution-of-qanon/ See also https://public-assets.graphika.com/reports/graphika_report_ira_again_unlucky_thirteen.pdf
“The fundamental purpose of dezinformatsiya, or Russian disinformation, experts said, is to undermine the official version of events — even the very idea that there is a true version of events — and foster a kind of policy paralysis.” https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/europe/russia-sweden-disinformation.html
“The Department of Homeland Security’s acting secretary on Sunday said QAnon is not a “significant” threat to the US, but said he does not have “any reason” to disagree with the FBI’s assessment that the group is a domestic terror threat. (8/23/20) https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/23/politics/chad-wolf-qanon-threat-homeland-security-cnntv/index.html
“How Conspiracy Theories Are Shaping the 2020 Election—and Shaking the Foundation of American Democracy” (Time, 9/10/20) https://time.com/5887437/conspiracy-theories-2020-election/ Democracy relies on an informed and engaged public responding in rational ways to the real-life facts and challenges before us. But a growing number of Americans are untethered from that.
“QAnon giving America a scary look at what a ‘Biden resistance’ would look like in 2021” https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/qanon-freedom-for-the-children-rallies-conspiracy-theory-trump-20200823.html
“Trump isn’t secretly winking at QAnon. He’s retweeting its followers.” https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/12/trump-tweeting-qanon-followers-357238
“As of August 20, Trump has amplified QAnon-promoting Twitter accounts at least 216 times” https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/fbi-calls-qanon-domestic-terror-threat-trump-has-amplified-qanon-supporters-twitter-more-20
(9/15/20): Trump pushed QAnon conspiracy theory by retweeting hashtag https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-pushed-qanon-conspiracy-retweeting-hashtag-pedobiden-2020-9 see also “Baseless Trump retweet reflects new campaign low” https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/15/politics/donald-trump-biden-retweet/index.html
“How QAnon Conspiracy Is Spreading In Christian Communities Across The U.S.” https://www.npr.org/2020/08/21/904798097/how-qanon-conspiracy-is-spreading-in-christian-communities-across-the-u-s
“How trafficking in conspiracy theories went from the fringes of U.S. politics into the White House. FRONTLINE examines the alliance of conspiracy entrepreneur Alex Jones, Trump advisor Roger Stone, and the president, and their role in the battle over truth and lies.” https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/united-states-of-conspiracy/
Facebook on Tuesday classified the QAnon conspiracy theory movement as dangerous and began removing Facebook groups and pages as well as Instagram accounts that hold themselves out as representatives.
The step escalates an August policy that banned a third of QAnon groups here for promoting violence while allowing most to stay, albeit with content appearing less often in news feeds. Instead of relying on user reports, Facebook staff now will treat QAnon like other militarized bodies, seeking out and deleting groups and pages, the company said in a blog post here. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/07/facebook-bans-all-qanon-groups-as-dangerous-amid-surging-misinformation.html
‘It’s like a parasite’ : How a dangerous virtual cult is going global https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/07/tech/qanon-europe-cult-intl/index.html
(July 2020): “Michael Flynn posts video featuring QAnon slogans” https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/07/politics/michael-flynn-qanon-video/index.html “Flynn — the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency and a retired Army lieutenant general — is now the most prominent former US official to publicly stoke QAnon conspiracies, even though the movement is based on lies and has been linked to several violent incidents.”
“USPS Special Agents Raided Home of QAnon-aligned Mail Carrier Who Allegedly Hoarded and Threw Out Several Bags of Undelivered Mail” https://lawandcrime.com/2020-election/usps-special-agents-raided-home-of-qanon-aligned-mail-carrier-who-allegedly-hoarded-and-threw-out-several-bags-of-undelivered-mail/
“Pittsburgh-area mail carrier under investigation is apparent QAnon conspiracy theorist” https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pittsburgh-area-mail-carrier-under-investigation-is-apparent-qanon-conspiracy-theorist/Content?oid=18171888
“QAnon groups have millions of members on Facebook, documents show : The preliminary results of an investigation by Facebook shed new light on the scope of activity and content from the QAnon community on the platform.” (10/10/20) https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/qanon-groups-have-millions-members-facebook-documents-show-n1236317
“Facing questions about its use of the slogan “We Are the Storm,” a rallying cry for QAnon adherents, the Texas Republican Party is defending its adoption of the language, saying it was drawn from a poem and had nothing to do with the internet-driven conspiracy theory that claims President Trump was elected to save America from pedophile Satanists.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/22/us/politics/qanon-gop-we-are-the-storm.html
“The 31-day campaign against QAnon : In Georgia, what happened when a ‘nice guy’ named Kevin Van Ausdal ran for Congress against a candidate known for her support of extremist conspiracy theories.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/10/17/kevin-van-ausdal-qanon-marjorie-greene-georgia/?arc404=true
Anchorage Daily News: https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2020/10/18/the-31-day-campaign-against-qanon/
GEORGIA — A New York Times report says Trump campaign lawyers are helping a Congressional candidate from Georgia.
Marjorie Taylor Greene is the Republican House nominee for Georgia’s 14th District, which includes several North Georgia counties in the Newschannel 9 viewing area.
According to the New York Times report, senior lawyers for the president’s campaign set up a small law firm that is working for Greene. https://newschannel9.com/news/local/report-trump-campaign-lawyers-helping-georgia-congressional-candidate
[NYT]: “Trump Campaign Lawyers Are Aiding a Leading Proponent of QAnon : A firm started by a group of Trump lawyers highlights the campaign’s connections to the false conspiracy theory and reinforces how deeply it has taken hold in the Republican Party.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/us/politics/qanon-trump-greene-lawyers.html
DPRK News Service @DPRK_News [‘Official News feed of Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea’] 12:54 AM · Oct 19, 2020: “US senator Susan Collins said to be deeply troubled by revelation that US senator Susan Collins has donated to conspiracy cult QAnon.
Considers issuing stern statement against herself.” https://twitter.com/DPRK_News/status/1318083110173593600
Bangor Daily News, Maine Oct 16, 2020: “U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ political committee was “not aware” two Republican legislative candidates espoused the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon when it donated to them in September, a spokesperson for the Maine senator said on Friday.”
“Susan Collins Backs QAnon Believers for Maine Legislature : Candidates advocate “God-declared executions” for “traitorous” Jews, Catholics, Black Lives Matter and environmental activists” (10/16/20) https://mainernews.com/susan-collins-backs-qanon-believers-for-maine-legislature/
“Kevin Bushey and Brian Redmond, the QAnon believers supported by Collins, are both military veterans who eagerly anticipate a political bloodbath will soon erupt nationwide, ultimately leading to arrests, military trials, and “God-declared executions” for “traitors” like top Democratic politicians and donors, socialists, Planned Parenthood, and Black Lives Matter and Sunrise Movement activists.”
Tony Bobulinski’s Tucker Carlson Interview Has QAnon Supporters Thinking He’s Conspiracy’s Leader https://www.newsweek.com/tony-bobulinskis-tucker-carlson-qanon-conspiracys-leader-1542767 supporters of the theory suggested Bobulinski is the “stealth bomber”—a reference to messages from Q which have appeared online as far back as 2018.
The Stealth Bomber is an apparent figure who will “navigate around installed corrupt” government agencies and expose so-called truths.
Donald Trump Has Promoted QAnon-Linked Twitter Accounts More Than 250 Times https://www.newsweek.com/qanon-trump-twitter-conspiracy-town-hall-pedophiles-1539698
The congressional candidates who have engaged with the QAnon conspiracy theory https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/10/politics/qanon-cong-candidates/
There is no factual evidence or foundation for the conspiracy theory. In the three years since the conspiracy was born, QAnon has grown from an American virtual cult to a global phenomenon. QAnon beliefs aren’t just divorced from reality but can instigate real-world violence; The FBI warned last year that QAnon posed a potential domestic terrorist threat.
Nearly two dozen Republicans across the country who have engaged with the QAnon conspiracy will also appear on the ballot this November in their congressional districts — or in two cases, statewide as Senate candidates — as well as one unaffiliated independent candidate and one Independent Party candidate. Every candidate on this list has engaged with QAnon to some degree; some engaged with QAnon content online before they sought political office on their personal accounts and later on their official campaign accounts; others have appeared on QAnon-related shows and talked about the conspiracy theory.
There are also other candidates who have made allusions or coded references to QAnon before — by citing human and child trafficking as a top campaign priority, for instance — but CNN is only including candidates in this list who have explicitly engaged with the conspiracy theory.
“The GOP’s QAnon Faction Is Waging War on Republicans : It’s the conspiracy theories versus those who want to keep a toe, at least, in the world of the real.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-gops-qanon-faction-is-waging-war-on-republicans
“President Donald Trump brought up Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene’s support for the dangerous QAnon conspiracy theory during a meeting on keeping the Senate with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other aides, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN.
This person confirmed that Trump told those present that QAnon consists of people who “basically believe in good government,” which led to silence in the room. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows then said he had not heard the group described as such.
Trump’s comments were first reported by The Washington Post.” https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/03/politics/donald-trump-qanon/index.html