Mike Rothschild, author of The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult and Conspiracy Theory of Everything, told Newsweek that, while the movement had faltered after 2020, its ideas were now part of the Republican mainstream. "For now, Trump is still the leading Republican contender for the White House, and DeSantis will be very cautious in his own thinking about the path to the White House." He added Republican leaders would act only to rid QAnon from the party should an FBI investigation into Trump find he had broken the law.īeverley told Newsweek: "Republican leaders who hate Trump or dislike MAGA will only push back against QAnon influencers in a strong way if Trump goes to jail, decides not to run, or loses out to DeSantis. "While QAnon fans will be hurt if Trump does not run for President, the only thing that would really hurt QAnon is if Donald Trump explicitly repudiated many of the core QAnon ideas that he knows are not true." Trump himself has reposted content on his social-media platform Truth Social that has included overt QAnon slogans.īeverley, who spoke to Newsweek before Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 election, added: "Millions of people in America identify with QAnon, and the movement is a strong element in the larger Republican world, regardless of it being hated in anti-Trump circles.
Savin, did manage to win his race to be named Indiana's secretary of state.īeverley said that, while QAnon-linked candidates failed to make major breakthroughs in many races, Republicans had absorbed many ideas espoused by the conspiracy movement. However, Diego Morales, backed by QAnon influencer Juan O. Jim Marchant, who lost his race for Nevada secretary of state, also attended Sabal's QAnon conference. Numerous people associated with the movement attended.Īmong those who lost was Mark Finchem, a GOP member of the Arizona House, who lost to Democrat rival Adrian Fontes in the race to become Arizona's secretary of state.įinchem also appeared on a QAnon-supporter podcast hosted by Zak Paine in May 2021 and hosted a fundraiser where a singer performed a QAnon song.Īnother 2020 election denier, Kristina Karamo, who also attended Sabal's event, lost her bid to be Michigan's secretary of state in the midterms. Republican lawmakers and candidates endorsed by Trump attended QAnon influencer John Sabal's For God & Country: Patriot Double Down convention in 2021 in Las Vegas. QAnon influencers rapidly lost influence following the inauguration of Joe Biden in January 2021 when yet more predictions again proved false, pushing some to latch onto Republican politicians to share their message. To motivate followers, influencers shared predictions that would fail to materialize. While the QAnon conspiracy movement shared unfounded claims that Democrats and celebrities are part of a global Satanic child sex-trafficking ring, influencers have pushed their baseless belief that the 2020 election was stolen, a point supported by many Republicans.įormer President Donald Trump is a central figure in the conspiracy theory, and his followers are convinced that he is part of a mission to expose the global cabal and order the execution of its members.
Gettyīut Tyndale University professor and author of The QAnon Deception, James Beverley, told Newsweek, despite the failure of the red wave to materialize, QAnon is "not going away anytime soon."įollowers of the movement, who were at the "Stop the Steal" rally on January 6, 2021, the day of the Capitol riots, had hoped the 2020 election-deniers they backed would find themselves in positions to influence future votes. QAnon candidates did not perform well in the midterm elections. Crowds arrive for the "Stop the Steal" rally on Januin Washington, D.C.
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