vox--2020-08-21--Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the future of the left

This week ’ s Democratic National Convention roused more fuzzy feelings than a Hallmark movie .
From the heartwarming story of a teenager learning to manage his stutter to the endearing testament of Joe Biden finding love after losing his first wife and daughter in a car crash , the Democratic Party ’ s narrative arc inspired millions yearning for a return to American character and civility .
Yet for many progressives , the week was also laced with angst .
A number of Republicans received invitations to speak , while progressive star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was only given a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Hill suggested Democrats might dawdle on pushing for a public option even as a pandemic rages through the nation .
Then the Huffington Post noted that the DNC “ dropped language calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks from its party platform.
” Biden had been making overtures to progressives , but they started to wonder if , as president , he might swap progressive ambition for political austerity .
Thus , it ’ s here , between skeptical support for Joe Biden and overwhelming opposition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future .
For two presidential cycles , Sen. Bernie Sanders ignited and expanded the progressive left .
Now organizers and activists seek to build on that working-class coalition by tapping into the energy of a national anti-racist protest movement and an increasingly diverse citizenry .
It ’ s a political strategy previewed this week by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the DNC .
Ocasio-Cortez ’ s brief speech described the left as a mass movement not only fighting for “ guaranteed health care , higher education , living wages , and labor rights ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repair the wounds of racial injustice , colonization , misogyny , and homophobia.
” AOC — a young , progressive economic populist — stands amid a cohort of movement-based officials and candidates like Ilhan Omar , Rashida Tlaib , Ayanna Pressley , Cori Bush , and Jamaal Bowman ( none besides AOC were invited to speak at the convention ) , who make up a newer , more diverse class of progressive politicians .
Both in 2016 and 2020 , the significant critique of the Sanders left was its shortcomings in mobilizing enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , during America ’ s racial reckoning , progressives are seeking to fix that .
But just as urgent is their desire to get Trump out .
For progressives , Biden is not ideal , but Trump is catastrophic From the Blue Dog Democrats to the democratic socialists , many agree that Donald Trump is an existential threat to American democracy .
It was a consistent theme for the DNC .
“ I am ... asking you to believe in your own ability — to embrace your own responsibility as citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenets of our democracy endure , ” former President Barack Obama said in his remarks .
“ Because that ’ s what ’ s at stake right now .
Our democracy.
” Sanders himself argued that “ at its most basic , this election is about preserving our democracy.
” Likewise , in a debrief following her comments , AOC said voting for Biden was about “ stopping fascism in the United States — that is what Donald Trump represents.
” They are forming an alliance , however uneasy , with establishment Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows us to move from defense to offense , ” says the Working Families Party ’ s national campaign director , Joe Dinkin .
“ Living in Trump ’ s America is living every day to stop the latest attack on constituencies that we care about — on working-class people of color.
” Dinkin describes electing Biden as “ a door , not a destination ” that allows for groups like WFP to grow a movement and make demands for more expansive policies .
“ The very next task is to end the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The political calamity of the Trump administration has unified the party behind Biden for now , the scope of the devastation stretches so wide — a deadly pandemic , lynchings , double-digit unemployment rates — that progressives believe the left will remain highly mobilized even if Biden wins .
“ Some of the richest people in the world are still getting richer , and millions of people are on the cusp of eviction or foreclosure or hunger , ” Dinkin tells Vox .
“ The dramatic crisis that we ’ re facing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the WFP , AOC , and our allies have been working on.
” The left believes its future is in organizing diverse coalitions The Democratic Socialists of America , which stands to the left of the WFP , has a similar theory of the case on holding a future Biden administration accountable and expanding progressives ’ power .
“ It was a myth that you just vote in November and then your work as a political actor is done .
That is not what we see now in DSA , ” says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group ’ s National Political Committee .
“ People are very animated and want to be involved and do more than vote .
So as it relates to whatever administration is coming next — the energy that I see , I don ’ t fear dissipating.
” Following the protests over the police killing of George Floyd , James says DSA has been working to support Black Lives Matter activists and organizations to conduct “ progressive politics in a way that is in genuine solidarity with all communities.
” “ We need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he continues .
“ Showing up to protest is a great step one , but how do we now , as a left , strategize around building coalitions , listening to Black leadership , understanding that there are incredible moments of opportunity for young Black leaders to emerge , but also our consulting elders who ’ ve been in this moment from civil rights and beyond .
This is a crucial moment to understand what genuine solidarity and collective organizing means in creating an antiracist society.
” As groups like DSA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a particularly uncertain environment , however .
Alliances have been drawn and redrawn by Covid-19 , an unpredictable president , and the economic collapse .
These shifting political currents makes a long term organizing a tricky order .
Yet this type of multiracial coalition-building is something that Ocasio-Cortez , whom James describes as “ a really important leader ” for DSA , has excelled at in her congressional career .
Regularly advocating for anti-racism , reparations , police reform on her social media platforms and on the Hill , she has drawn comparisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and politicians like Shirley Chisholm .
Her ease with Black activists and thinkers is a coveted asset for progressives who have long struggled to win over Black voters from mainstream Democrats .
Often progressives are accused of forging a reductive analysis of the role of racism in American society in relation to class .
For all the good Sanders has done the progressive movement , his approach with Black voters did him no favors .
Berkeley law professor Ian Haney López wrote in Merge Left : Fusing Race and Class , Winning Elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ approach to race carries a real cost , creating blind spots regarding how racism works today as well as alienating racial justice activists who form an influential part of the Democratic base.
” Sanders changed his political outreach in 2020 .
In 2016 , the Sanders leadership team was all white , and even Sanders himself conceded that his campaign was too white .
In 2020 , the campaign made a push to diversify and built a leadership team with workers who were Black and of South Asian and Pakistani descent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southwest , the campaign ’ s months of investment in relational organizing led to a huge win in the Nevada caucuses thanks in large part to Latino voters .
Sanders had lost the state to Clinton in 2016 .
When he was still surging at the top of the year , Sanders even overtook Biden in Reuters polling among Black voters in late February .
Yet despite the campaign shifts , Sanders was trounced as the race moved through the South where Black voters revived Biden .
Today , still aiming to diversify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into coalition-building with Black activist organizations .
Thus far , they ’ ve leveraged local chapters to help support Movement for Black Lives agenda items like defunding the police .
“ There ’ s a lot of conversation happening around how we build coalitions across a very stark racial divide in this country , ” James told Vox , adding that right now that looks like investing in campaigns at the local level to reroute municipal funding from police to community safety initiatives and educational opportunities in Black communities .
For years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the progressive left .
He attracted young supporters .
He bolstered political legitimacy .
Yet Sanders will be 79 in September .
It is “ very , very unlikely ” he ’ ll run again .
A new generation of left advocates , who are rooted in the lived experience of discrimination and fluent in the language of racial justice , stand ready to take his place .
In so many ways , the future of Bernie ’ s movement looks a lot like AOC .
In the spring , we launched a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help keep Vox free for everyone , and last week , we set a goal of reaching 20,000 contributors .
Well , you helped us blow past that .
Today , we are extending that goal to 25,000 .
Millions turn to Vox each month to understand an increasingly chaotic world — from what is happening with the USPS to the coronavirus crisis to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resource-intensive work — and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

This week’s Democratic National Convention roused more fuzzy feelings than a Hallmark movie.
From the heartwarming story of a teenager learning to manage his stutter to the endearing testament of Joe Biden finding love after losing his first wife and daughter in a car crash, the Democratic Party’s narrative arc inspired millions yearning for a return to American character and civility.
Yet for many progressives, the week was also laced with angst.
A number of Republicans received invitations to speak, while progressive star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was only given a minute to speak. A story reported in the Hill suggested Democrats might dawdle on pushing for a public option even as a pandemic rages through the nation. Then the HuffPost noted that the DNC “dropped language calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks from its party platform.” Biden had been making overtures to progressives, but they started to wonder if, as president, he might swap progressive ambition for political austerity.
Thus, it’s here, between skeptical support for Joe Biden and overwhelming opposition to Donald Trump, that progressives chart their future. For two presidential cycles, Sen. Bernie Sanders ignited and expanded the progressive left. Now organizers and activists seek to build on that working-class coalition by tapping into the energy of a national anti-racist protest movement and an increasingly diverse citizenry. It’s a political strategy previewed this week by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the DNC.
Ocasio-Cortez’s brief speech described the left as a mass movement not only fighting for “guaranteed health care, higher education, living wages, and labor rights” but also “striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny, and homophobia.”
AOC — a young, progressive economic populist — stands amid a cohort of movement-based officials and candidates like Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, Cori Bush, and Jamaal Bowman (none besides AOC were invited to speak at the convention), who make up a newer, more diverse class of progressive politicians. Both in 2016 and 2020, the significant critique of the Sanders left was its shortcomings in mobilizing enough people of color, particularly Black voters.
Now, during America’s racial reckoning, progressives are seeking to fix that. But just as urgent is their desire to get Trump out.
For progressives, Biden is not ideal, but Trump is catastrophic
From the Blue Dog Democrats to the democratic socialists, many agree that Donald Trump is an existential threat to American democracy. It was a consistent theme for the DNC.
“I am ... asking you to believe in your own ability — to embrace your own responsibility as citizens — to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure,” former President Barack Obama said in his remarks. “Because that’s what’s at stake right now. Our democracy.”
Sanders himself argued that “at its most basic, this election is about preserving our democracy.” Likewise, in a debrief following her comments, AOC said voting for Biden was about “stopping fascism in the United States — that is what Donald Trump represents.”
They are forming an alliance, however uneasy, with establishment Democrats to defeat Trump.
“Electing Biden allows us to move from defense to offense,” says the Working Families Party’s national campaign director, Joe Dinkin. “Living in Trump’s America is living every day to stop the latest attack on constituencies that we care about — on working-class people, people of color.” Dinkin describes electing Biden as “a door, not a destination” that allows for groups like WFP to grow a movement and make demands for more expansive policies.
“The very next task is to end the Trump era,” he continued. The political calamity of the Trump administration has unified the party behind Biden for now, the scope of the devastation stretches so wide — a deadly pandemic, lynchings, double-digit unemployment rates — that progressives believe the left will remain highly mobilized even if Biden wins.
“Some of the richest people in the world are still getting richer, and millions of people are on the cusp of eviction or foreclosure or hunger,” Dinkin tells Vox. “The dramatic crisis that we’re facing is making people embrace the kind of politics that the WFP, AOC, and our allies have been working on.”
The left believes its future is in organizing diverse coalitions
The Democratic Socialists of America, which stands to the left of the WFP, has a similar theory of the case on holding a future Biden administration accountable and expanding progressives’ power.
“It was a myth that you just vote in November and then your work as a political actor is done. That is not what we see now in DSA,” says Maikiko James, who serves on the group’s National Political Committee. “People are very animated and want to be involved and do more than vote. So as it relates to whatever administration is coming next — the energy that I see, I don’t fear dissipating.”
Following the protests over the police killing of George Floyd, James says the DSA has been working to support Black Lives Matter activists and organizations to conduct “progressive politics in a way that is in genuine solidarity with all communities.”
“We need to actively defend Black lives in material ways,” she continues. “Showing up to protest is a great step one, but how do we now, as a left, strategize around building coalitions, listening to Black leadership, understanding that there are incredible moments of opportunity for young Black leaders to emerge, but also our consulting elders who’ve been in this moment from civil rights and beyond. This is a crucial moment to understand what genuine solidarity and collective organizing means in creating an antiracist society.”
As groups like DSA work to expand their appeal, however, they face a particularly uncertain environment. Alliances have been drawn and redrawn by Covid-19, an unpredictable president, and the economic collapse. These shifting political currents make long-term organizing a tricky order.
Yet this type of multiracial coalition-building is something that Ocasio-Cortez, whom James describes as “a really important leader” for DSA, has excelled at in her congressional career. Regularly advocating for anti-racism, reparations, and police reform on her social media platforms and on the Hill, she has drawn comparisons to activists like Martin Luther King Jr. and politicians like Shirley Chisholm.
Her ease with Black activists and thinkers is a coveted asset for progressives who have long struggled to win over Black voters from mainstream Democrats. Often progressives are accused of forging a reductive analysis of the role of racism in American society in relation to class.
For all the good Sanders has done the progressive movement, his approach with Black voters did him no favors. Berkeley law professor Ian Haney López wrote in Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America that Sanders’s “approach to race carries a real cost, creating blind spots regarding how racism works today as well as alienating racial justice activists who form an influential part of the Democratic base.”
Sanders changed his political outreach in 2020. In 2016, the Sanders leadership team was all white, and even Sanders himself conceded that his campaign was too white.
In 2020, the campaign made a push to diversify and built a leadership team with workers who were Black and of South Asian and Pakistani descent, among other ethnicities. In the Southwest, the campaign’s months of investment in relational organizing led to a huge win in the Nevada caucuses thanks in large part to Latino voters. Sanders had lost the state to Clinton in 2016. When he was still surging at the top of the year, Sanders even overtook Biden in Reuters polling among Black voters in late February. Yet despite the campaign shifts, Sanders was trounced as the race moved through the South where Black voters revived Biden.
Today, still aiming to diversify, groups like the DSA have thrown themselves into coalition-building with Black activist organizations. Thus far, they’ve leveraged local chapters to help support Movement for Black Lives agenda items like defunding the police.
“There’s a lot of conversation happening around how we build coalitions across a very stark racial divide in this country,” James told Vox, adding that right now that looks like investing in campaigns at the local level to reroute municipal funding from police to community safety initiatives and educational opportunities in Black communities.
For years, Sanders sustained the organizations like DSA on the progressive left. He attracted young supporters. He bolstered political legitimacy. Yet Sanders will be 79 in September. It is “very, very unlikely” he’ll run again.
A new generation of left advocates, who are rooted in the lived experience of discrimination and fluent in the language of racial justice, stand ready to take his place. In so many ways, the future of Bernie’s movement looks a lot like AOC.
Correction, August 22: This story has been updated to include the correct pronouns for Maikiko James of the DSA.
New goal: 25,000
In the spring, we launched a program asking readers for financial contributions to help keep Vox free for everyone, and last week, we set a goal of reaching 20,000 contributors. Well, you helped us blow past that. Today, we are extending that goal to 25,000. Millions turn to Vox each month to understand an increasingly chaotic world — from what is happening with the USPS to the coronavirus crisis to what is, quite possibly, the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes. Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers, your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work — and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world. Contribute today from as little as $3.


vox--2020-08-21--DHS is holding migrant children in secret hotel locations and rapidly expelling them

The Trump administration is holding unaccompanied migrant children in hotels before rapidly expelling them from the US under a new policy that allows officials to turn away anyone who poses a risk of spreading coronavirus — even if they show no symptoms and are seeking asylum .
Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal judge in Washington , DC , on Thursday to temporarily block the administration from enforcing the policy against unaccompanied migrant children nationwide .
Instead , immigration officials must transfer the children to Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) shelters licensed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to pursue claims for protection in the US with access to a lawyer and a full immigration court hearing , the lawyers argue .
And on Friday , Rep. Veronica Escobar ( D-TX ) called for an investigation of the policy and its effect on unaccompanied children , writing that they are “ one of the most vulnerable populations in our immigration system and can not be denied the protection they are entitled to under the law.
” The Department of Homeland Security doesn ’ t disclose where it is currently holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also often moves children around from facility to facility , making them difficult to track .
But acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told Congress during a hearing earlier this month that the agency is continuing to contract with hotels to hold children , a practice that he said has been going on “ for decades.
” The New York Times and the Associated Press reported that migrants have been detained at a Quality Suites in San Diego ; Hampton Inns in Phoenix and in McAllen and El Paso , Texas ; a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Western in Los Angeles ; and an Econo Lodge in Seattle .
But they are also being held in US Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) facilities near the border , typically in cage-like settings , according to the ACLU ’ s lawsuit .
It ’ s just the latest in a long line of Trump administration policies designed to gut the asylum system on the southern border .
Before the pandemic , officials were turning away tens of thousands of migrants at the southern border through the “ Remain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seekers were forced to wait in Mexico , often for months at a time , for their immigration court hearings in the US .
The new expulsion policy has largely replaced that program as a mechanism for keeping migrants out .
According to court documents , the administration had expelled about 2,000 unaccompanied children under the policy as of June .
Though the government has not released more recent data on unaccompanied children specifically , CBP reported expelling more than 105,000 migrants total under the policy by the end of July .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have legitimate claims for humanitarian protection , ” Steven Kang , an attorney for the ACLU , said Friday .
“ For this country turn them right around is not only wrong — it ’ s not what Congress wanted .
This whole shadow deportation scheme bypasses and ignores all the important rights that Congress gave them.
” The government is skirting long-standing protections for migrant children One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging the policy , a 16-year-old identified only as P.J.E.S .
in court filings , had fled his home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to his father ’ s political opinions and because he refused to join a gang .
He sought to join his father , who is currently living in the US and awaiting deportation proceedings .
But when he arrived at the southern border , he was taken into custody by CBP in McAllen and subjected to the new rapid expulsion program .
Since the ACLU filed its lawsuit , the government voluntarily took P.J.E.S .
out of the rapid expulsion program and sent him to an HHS facility .
But many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held at hotels for multiple days—and frequently for more than 72 hours ” or , alternatively , in CBP facilities near the border while officials arrange for their expulsion , according to the complaint .
The lawsuit argues that the children should be sent to an HHS shelter within 72 hours of their apprehension before being released to their family members in the US or a foster family .
That ’ s required by a decades-old settlement agreement that the administration had unsuccessfully tried to amend such that children could effectively be detained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t specifically licensed to administer care to children .
Though overcrowding of such facilities was a concern at the outset of the pandemic , HHS shelters are now operating at 5-to-10-percent capacity — well below normal , Kang said .
That suggests that there is plenty of room to safely enforce social distancing and quarantine anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 or develops symptoms .
The lawsuit also argues that children have the right to an attorney and a full immigration court hearing to determine whether they are entitled to protections that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act ( TVPRA ) .
The government has argued that it has the authority to reject any migrant who poses a risk of spreading communicable disease under Title 42 , a federal public health provision .
Mark Morgan , the acting CBP commissioner , said earlier this month that the policy helps mitigate the risk of spreading the virus to anyone the migrants might come into contact with while being processed and in HHS shelters .
“ We ’ re trying to remove them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put them in our congregate settings , to not put them into our system , to not have them remain in the United States for a long period of time , therefore increasing the exposure risk of everybody they come in contact with to include the workforce of all those different entities that would be impacted , ” Morgan said .
But those risks have to be weighed against the violations of children ’ s basic rights in immigration proceedings , attorneys say .
The children being held in hotels have little means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new policy .
The children can ’ t effectively advocate for themselves , considering many of them don ’ t speak English and don ’ t have even a basic understanding of the US immigration system and their rights .
They also have limited access to counsel — one Texas Civil Rights Project attorney was thrown out of a Hampton Inn in McAllen last month when he tried to gain access to the children and advocate on their behalf : After the video of the attorney went viral , Hilton , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , denounced the use of its hotels to detain migrant children , saying in a July 24 statement that it was “ not activity that we support or in any way want associated with our hotels.
” “ Our policy has always been that hotels should not be used as detention centers or for detaining individuals , ” the company said .
“ We expect all Hilton properties to reject business that would use a hotel in this way .
We are in the process of contacting all Hilton owners and management companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our policy , and provide guidance on identifying and preventing this type of business.
” That suggests that DHS is no longer working with Hampton Inn & Suites and has found other contractors .
But the agency hasn ’ t disclosed that information publicly or even to attorneys looking to represent the children .
“ These locations are all secret so no one can gain access to them , ” Kang said .
“ DHS has invested in keeping these locations hidden , which makes it really hard to offer the children legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that by the time the kid contacts a relative , it ’ s too late and the kid has already been expelled.
” In the spring , we launched a program asking readers for financial contributions to help keep Vox free for everyone , and last week , we set a goal of reaching 20,000 contributors .
Well , you helped us blow past that .
Today , we are extending that goal to 25,000 .
Millions turn to Vox each month to understand an increasingly chaotic world — from what is happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work — and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

The Trump administration is holding unaccompanied migrant children in hotels before rapidly expelling them from the US under a new policy that allows officials to turn away anyone who poses a risk of spreading coronavirus — even if they show no symptoms and are seeking asylum.
Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal judge in Washington, DC, on Thursday to temporarily block the administration from enforcing the policy against unaccompanied migrant children nationwide. Instead, immigration officials must transfer the children to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shelters licensed to administer care to children and allow them to pursue claims for protection in the US with access to a lawyer and a full immigration court hearing, the lawyers argue.
And on Friday, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) called for an investigation of the policy and its effect on unaccompanied children, writing that they are “one of the most vulnerable populations in our immigration system and cannot be denied the protection they are entitled to under the law.”
The Department of Homeland Security doesn’t disclose where it is currently holding children subject to the policy. It also often moves children around from facility to facility, making them difficult to track. But acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told Congress during a hearing earlier this month that the agency is continuing to contract with hotels to hold children, a practice that he said has been going on “for decades.”
The New York Times and the Associated Press reported that migrants have been detained at a Quality Suites in San Diego; Hampton Inns in Phoenix and in McAllen and El Paso, Texas; a Comfort Suites Hotel in Miami; a Best Western in Los Angeles; and an Econo Lodge in Seattle. But they are also being held in US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities near the border, typically in cage-like settings, according to the ACLU’s lawsuit.
It’s just the latest in a long line of Trump administration policies designed to gut the asylum system on the southern border. Before the pandemic, officials were turning away tens of thousands of migrants at the southern border through the “Remain in Mexico” program, under which asylum seekers were forced to wait in Mexico, often for months at a time, for their immigration court hearings in the US. The new expulsion policy has largely replaced that program as a mechanism for keeping migrants out.
According to court documents, the administration had expelled about 2,000 unaccompanied children under the policy as of June. Though the government has not released more recent data on unaccompanied children specifically, CBP reported expelling more than 105,000 migrants total under the policy by the end of July.
“They’re coming here because they have legitimate claims for humanitarian protection,” Steven Kang, an attorney for the ACLU, said Friday. “For this country turn them right around is not only wrong — it’s not what Congress wanted. This whole shadow deportation scheme bypasses and ignores all the important rights that Congress gave them.”
The government is skirting long-standing protections for migrant children
One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging the policy, a 16-year-old identified only as P.J.E.S. in court filings, had fled his home country of Guatemala after receiving death threats due to his father’s political opinions and because he refused to join a gang. He sought to join his father, who is currently living in the US and awaiting deportation proceedings. But when he arrived at the southern border, he was taken into custody by CBP in McAllen and subjected to the new rapid expulsion program.
Since the ACLU filed its lawsuit, the government voluntarily took P.J.E.S. out of the rapid expulsion program and sent him to an HHS facility. But many other unaccompanied children are still “regularly being held at hotels for multiple days—and frequently for more than 72 hours” or, alternatively, in CBP facilities near the border while officials arrange for their expulsion, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit argues that the children should be sent to an HHS shelter within 72 hours of their apprehension before being released to their family members in the US or a foster family. That’s required by a decades-old settlement agreement that the administration had unsuccessfully tried to amend such that children could effectively be detained indefinitely and in facilities that aren’t specifically licensed to administer care to children.
Though overcrowding of such facilities was a concern at the outset of the pandemic, HHS shelters are now operating at 5-to-10-percent capacity — well below normal, Kang said. That suggests that there is plenty of room to safely enforce social distancing and quarantine anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 or develops symptoms.
The lawsuit also argues that children have the right to an attorney and a full immigration court hearing to determine whether they are entitled to protections that would allow them to stay in the US, which is required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPRA).
The government has argued that it has the authority to reject any migrant who poses a risk of spreading communicable disease under Title 42, a federal public health provision. Mark Morgan, the acting CBP commissioner, said earlier this month that the policy helps mitigate the risk of spreading the virus to anyone the migrants might come into contact with while being processed and in HHS shelters.
“We’re trying to remove them as fast as we can to not put them in our congregate settings, to not put them into our system, to not have them remain in the United States for a long period of time, therefore increasing the exposure risk of everybody they come in contact with to include the workforce of all those different entities that would be impacted,” Morgan said.
But those risks have to be weighed against the violations of children’s basic rights in immigration proceedings, attorneys say. The children being held in hotels have little means to challenge their own detention under the new policy. The children can’t effectively advocate for themselves, considering many of them don’t speak English and don’t have even a basic understanding of the US immigration system and their rights. They also have limited access to counsel — one Texas Civil Rights Project attorney was thrown out of a Hampton Inn in McAllen last month when he tried to gain access to the children and advocate on their behalf:
BREAKING: Our attorney was aggressively rejected from trying to offer help to immigrant children illegally detained at a Hampton Inn in McAllen, TX. He and another of our staffer were violently shoved into the hotel elevator and were told they could not offer help. #FreeThemALL! https://t.co/xSOxHOViKp pic.twitter.com/MEp7UmK6Gv — Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) July 23, 2020
After the video of the attorney went viral, Hilton, which is Hampton Inn & Suites’ parent company, denounced the use of its hotels to detain migrant children, saying in a July 24 statement that it was “not activity that we support or in any way want associated with our hotels.”
“Our policy has always been that hotels should not be used as detention centers or for detaining individuals,” the company said. “We expect all Hilton properties to reject business that would use a hotel in this way. We are in the process of contacting all Hilton owners and management companies in the U.S. to remind them of our policy, and provide guidance on identifying and preventing this type of business.”
That suggests that DHS is no longer working with Hampton Inn & Suites and has found other contractors. But the agency hasn’t disclosed that information publicly or even to attorneys looking to represent the children.
“These locations are all secret so no one can gain access to them,” Kang said. “DHS has invested in keeping these locations hidden, which makes it really hard to offer the children legal counsel. And deportations happen so swiftly that by the time the kid contacts a relative, it’s too late and the kid has already been expelled.”
New goal: 25,000
In the spring, we launched a program asking readers for financial contributions to help keep Vox free for everyone, and last week, we set a goal of reaching 20,000 contributors. Well, you helped us blow past that. Today, we are extending that goal to 25,000. Millions turn to Vox each month to understand an increasingly chaotic world — from what is happening with the USPS to the coronavirus crisis to what is, quite possibly, the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes. Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers, your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work — and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world. Contribute today from as little as $3.


vox--2020-08-21--Biden wants a national face mask mandate. Can he do that?

When Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nomination for president on the final night of the Democratic National Convention , he touched on what his national plan to fight the Covid-19 pandemic would look like .
Part of that plan , he said , was a national mask mandate .
“ We ’ ll have a national mandate to wear a mask — not as a burden , but to protect each other , ” Biden said .
“ It ’ s a patriotic duty.
” Although Biden has voiced his support for a national mask mandate before , calling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like somewhat of a political risk , particularly given politicization of masks and the speech ’ s emphasis on national unity .
But it ’ s a stance meant to present Biden in stark contrast to the current administration ’ s embrace of divisiveness .
And many polls suggest that the anti-mask contingent is a vocal minority , and that most Americans do support some kind of mask mandate .
The question remains , however , if a national mandate is legally possible , and whether it could be enforced if so .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks and mask mandates Multiple polls have shown that the majority of Americans are in favor of wearing masks — including a majority of Republicans .
That support appears to have only grown stronger over the summer .
A Pew survey conducted in mid-June showed that 71 percent of more than 4,700 respondents thought masks should be worn at least most of the time ; 86 percent of Democrats and 52 percent of Republicans agreed , while only 5 percent of Republicans thought masks should “ never ” be worn .
Things have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( begrudgingly ) endorsing masks and wearing one himself .
The coronavirus has also become a more present concern for many — according to a CNN/SSRS poll conducted in mid-August , 67 percent of Americans now personally know someone who has been infected , compared to 40 percent in June .
More people feeling the impact of the virus for themselves ( as opposed to just the restrictions placed on them because of it ) for the first time may be playing a part in acceptance of such protective measures .
A Gallup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask in the past seven days showed some dips in reported use among Republicans beginning in May , but a rise since July .
And there appears to be growing support for the sort of mandate Biden suggested .
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in July showed that 75 percent of respondents ( 58 percent of Republicans and 89 percent of Democrats ) were in favor of mask mandates , and the vast majority of them reported wearing masks themselves .
And a more recent poll , conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 27 , found that 82 percent of them supported a national mask mandate — including 66 percent of Republicans and 93 percent of Democrats .
All of this suggests that the American people are in favor of both masks and a government mandate to wear them .
But that doesn ’ t mean one is possible or practical .
A national mask mandate isn ’ t as simple as it might seem Many other countries have national mandates , and almost every state in America has some kind of mask mandate at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been reluctant to actually enforce these mandates or issue fines to people who violate them , and several lawsuits have been filed over their constitutionality , including one from Georgia ’ s Gov .
Brian Kemp suing the mayor of Atlanta over her effort to mandate masks in her city ( that lawsuit has now been withdrawn ) .
Trump has refused to consider a national mask mandate , saying it should be up to governors to do what they think is best for their states .
Last week , Trump said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask mandate plan — and questioned if the president would even be able to issue such an order .
“ He wants the president of the United States , with the mere stroke of a pen , to order over 300 million American citizens to wear a mask for a minimum of three straight months ... no matter where they live and no matter their surroundings , ” Trump said in a press briefing .
“ He does not identify what authority the president has to issue such a mandate or how federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why we would be stepping on governors throughout our country , many of whom have done a very good job and they know what is needed.
” Trump also implied that mask mandates were a violation of Americans ’ rights , saying , “ We want to have a certain freedom .
That ’ s what we ’ re about , ” and , “ Americans must have their freedoms.
” The legality of a national mask mandate has yet to be tested in the courts , owing to the unprecedented nature of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court has issued rulings about statewide church attendance restrictions — both against the church plaintiffs , citing the government ’ s right to protect public health and safety ) .
So there isn ’ t a definitive yes or no answer on if or how a president could order a mask mandate or how it would be enforced , and legal experts who have weighed in on the subject are not in universal agreement .
Two law professors from Chapman University and the University of California Berkeley , writing in the Orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government doesn ’ t have the authority to enact a federal mandate , saying that public health and safety is supposed to be and always has been the domain of state governments .
And they argued that if the federal government wanted a mandate , it would have to come from a law passed through Congress — not an order from the president .
A report from the Congressional Research Service , however , cited laws that could give the executive branch the ability to enact a mask mandate using powers it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the report also noted that federal enforcement of such an order might not be possible , given state and local authorities ’ struggles to enforce the state mandates that have already been introduced .
One political science professor and legal scholar at Florida Atlantic University , writing for Florida ’ s Palm Beach Post , might have summed it all up best with his answer : “ Maybe.
” Of course , none of this will even be at issue if Biden doesn ’ t win the election in the first place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U-turn and tries to order a national mask mandate ) .
And the US is still months away from an inauguration , should he win .
If and when that happens , perhaps we ’ ll have a firmer answer on a federal mandate ’ s legality .
In the spring , we launched a program asking readers for financial contributions to help keep Vox free for everyone , and last week , we set a goal of reaching 20,000 contributors .
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When Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nomination for president on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, he touched on what his national plan to fight the Covid-19 pandemic would look like. Part of that plan, he said, was a national mask mandate.
“We’ll have a national mandate to wear a mask — not as a burden, but to protect each other,” Biden said. “It’s a patriotic duty.”
Although Biden has voiced his support for a national mask mandate before, calling for one during his convention speech may seem like somewhat of a political risk, particularly given politicization of masks and the speech’s emphasis on national unity. But it’s a stance meant to present Biden in stark contrast to the current administration’s embrace of divisiveness.
And many polls suggest that the anti-mask contingent is a vocal minority, and that most Americans do support some kind of mask mandate. The question remains, however, if a national mandate is legally possible, and whether it could be enforced if so.
A majority of Democrats and Republicans support masks and mask mandates
Multiple polls have shown that the majority of Americans are in favor of wearing masks — including a majority of Republicans. That support appears to have only grown stronger over the summer. A Pew survey conducted in mid-June showed that 71 percent of more than 4,700 respondents thought masks should be worn at least most of the time; 86 percent of Democrats and 52 percent of Republicans agreed, while only 5 percent of Republicans thought masks should “never” be worn.
Things have changed since then, including President Trump (begrudgingly) endorsing masks and wearing one himself. The coronavirus has also become a more present concern for many — according to a CNN/SSRS poll conducted in mid-August, 67 percent of Americans now personally know someone who has been infected, compared to 40 percent in June.
More people feeling the impact of the virus for themselves (as opposed to just the restrictions placed on them because of it) for the first time may be playing a part in acceptance of such protective measures. A Gallup tracking poll asking whether respondents had worn a mask in the past seven days showed some dips in reported use among Republicans beginning in May, but a rise since July.
And there appears to be growing support for the sort of mandate Biden suggested.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in July showed that 75 percent of respondents (58 percent of Republicans and 89 percent of Democrats) were in favor of mask mandates, and the vast majority of them reported wearing masks themselves. And a more recent poll, conducted by The Hill/Harris X from July 26 to 27, found that 82 percent of them supported a national mask mandate — including 66 percent of Republicans and 93 percent of Democrats.
All of this suggests that the American people are in favor of both masks and a government mandate to wear them. But that doesn’t mean one is possible or practical.
A national mask mandate isn’t as simple as it might seem
Many other countries have national mandates, and almost every state in America has some kind of mask mandate at this point. But some authorities have been reluctant to actually enforce these mandates or issue fines to people who violate them, and several lawsuits have been filed over their constitutionality, including one from Georgia’s Gov. Brian Kemp suing the mayor of Atlanta over her effort to mandate masks in her city (that lawsuit has now been withdrawn).
Trump has refused to consider a national mask mandate, saying it should be up to governors to do what they think is best for their states. Last week, Trump said he was strongly against Biden’s national mask mandate plan — and questioned if the president would even be able to issue such an order.
“He wants the president of the United States, with the mere stroke of a pen, to order over 300 million American citizens to wear a mask for a minimum of three straight months ... no matter where they live and no matter their surroundings,” Trump said in a press briefing. “He does not identify what authority the president has to issue such a mandate or how federal law enforcement could possibly enforce it or why we would be stepping on governors throughout our country, many of whom have done a very good job and they know what is needed.”
Trump also implied that mask mandates were a violation of Americans’ rights, saying, “We want to have a certain freedom. That’s what we’re about,” and, “Americans must have their freedoms.”
The legality of a national mask mandate has yet to be tested in the courts, owing to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and its recentness (the Supreme Court has issued rulings about statewide church attendance restrictions — both against the church plaintiffs, citing the government’s right to protect public health and safety). So there isn’t a definitive yes or no answer on if or how a president could order a mask mandate or how it would be enforced, and legal experts who have weighed in on the subject are not in universal agreement.
Two law professors from Chapman University and the University of California Berkeley, writing in the Orange County Register, argued that the federal government doesn’t have the authority to enact a federal mandate, saying that public health and safety is supposed to be and always has been the domain of state governments. And they argued that if the federal government wanted a mandate, it would have to come from a law passed through Congress — not an order from the president.
A report from the Congressional Research Service, however, cited laws that could give the executive branch the ability to enact a mask mandate using powers it is granted during public health emergencies. However, the report also noted that federal enforcement of such an order might not be possible, given state and local authorities’ struggles to enforce the state mandates that have already been introduced. One political science professor and legal scholar at Florida Atlantic University, writing for Florida’s Palm Beach Post, might have summed it all up best with his answer: “Maybe.”
Of course, none of this will even be at issue if Biden doesn’t win the election in the first place (unless Trump does a very sudden U-turn and tries to order a national mask mandate). And the US is still months away from an inauguration, should he win. If and when that happens, perhaps we’ll have a firmer answer on a federal mandate’s legality.


vox--2020-08-21--QAnon, the scarily popular pro-Trump conspiracy theory, explained

Followers of the conspiracy theory QAnon believe a lot of things : There ’ s never been chaos in Donald Trump ’ s White House .
The stories are just cover to let Trump and , previously , special counsel Robert Mueller do their work to expose thousands of pedophiles hidden in plain sight — including Hillary Clinton ... and Bill Clinton , and Barack Obama , and Tom Hanks , and Chrissy Teigen .
They ’ ll soon be under arrest , or perhaps they are already on their way to Guantanamo Bay .
Their crimes ?
Torturing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their blood .
It ’ s an all-encompassing conspiracy theory that has one overarching — and , if you ’ re a Trump supporter , hopeful — message : Trump is in complete control .
Of everything .
And against true evil , he is standing up for all that is good and right .
QAnon swept social media over the past three years , pushed by some of the far right ’ s biggest voices , including Alex Jones and Sean Hannity .
20 current congressional candidates have expressed support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leading candidate in the race for Georgia ’ s 14th Congressional District seat .
She said in 2017 that QAnon was “ a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this global cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles out.
” And on August 19 , the person at the center of the “ storm , ” a term of art among QAnon followers , seemingly endorsed it , telling the White House press corps , “ I don ’ t know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much , which I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tend to embrace them as a means to create order out of chaos , or to make sense of events that don ’ t make sense .
Unfortunately , researchers have found that fact-based arguments against conspiracy theorists only serve to reinforce them in the minds of believers .
That ’ s what makes QAnon or Sandy Hook trutherism or any other conspiracy theory so difficult to combat .
Conspiracy theories aren ’ t based on facts ; conspiracy theorists aren ’ t receptive to them , either .
So if the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaos , QAnon is the conspiratorial response : Everything is fine .
As a popular saying among Q adherents proclaims , believers must only “ trust the plan.
” The beginnings of “ the Storm ” lie with Donald Trump himself .
On October 5 , 2017 , during a photo opportunity held before a military dinner , Trump said that the dinner was “ Maybe the calm before the storm.
” When a reporter asked , “ What storm , Mr. President ?
” Trump responded , “ You ’ ll find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Trump-speak .
He tends to just say things that have little to no relevance to anything either he or his administration will actually do — like that “ maybe we should give ” the Chinese style of one-man dictatorship “ a shot.
” But for conspiracy theorists on Reddit , already primed to believe in code words and secrets and , well , conspiracies , his words took on new and apocalyptic meaning .
As Travis View , a QAnon researcher and co-host of the QAnon Anonymous podcast , told PBS Newshour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” has become a predicted “ great mass arrest event , in which over 100,000 people from the highest levels of power and entertainment are arrested and face a great day of reckoning.
” When Republican congressional candidate and QAnon follower Angela Stanton King — who is running to replace the late Rep. John Lewis — was retweeted by President Trump on August 6 , she tweeted , “ THE STORM IS HERE.
” The Texas Republican Party is now even selling “ We Are the Storm ” merchandise .
The first post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high-level government informant came on October 28 , on the 4chan message board /pol/ .
The user was nicknamed “ Q ” after Q-level security clearance , the Energy Department equivalent of “ Top Secret.
” ( “ NG ” refers to the National Guard . )
A few hours later , Q posted again , adding coded phrases that /pol/ users would interpret and argue over for months .
In short , he or she appeared to state that Hillary Clinton had been “ detained ” by authorities and that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” including Clinton , had to be arrested , while referencing billionaire philanthropist George Soros , himself the subject of a number of conspiracy theories .
These postings were thrilling for people steeped in far-right conspiracy theory lore — from the very real Operation Mockingbird , a CIA effort to blackmail journalists and give out false information to share propaganda , to the wild theory that Huma Abedin , a former Hillary Clinton staffer and ex-wife of Anthony Weiner , was secretly working for the Muslim Brotherhood .
( She wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to imply that this person knew things others didn ’ t .
The rapidly expanding group of people who follow Q ’ s postings — and believe them — became known as QAnon .
Q occasionally tried to offer “ proof ” that they had real intel .
( They posted images that redditors believed confirmed Q was on Air Force One , and thus had real information from the president . )
Some followers even believe that Trump is Q — though others think it ’ s John F. Kennedy Jr. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When Trump spoke at Mount Rushmore this past Fourth of July , some QAnon believers were convinced that the occasion would mark JFK Jr. ’ s return .
Q offered real hope to Trump supporters : Everything is fine , Trump has everything under control , and everyone who stands in his way will soon be sent to prison .
Literally .
In a posting on November 1 , 2017 , Q said that on November 3 and 4 , John Podesta , chair of Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold , and “ public riots would be organized in serious numbers to prevent the arrest and capture of more senior public officials ” : Obviously , none of this happened .
There were no public riots or mass arrests or the use of emergency broadcasts .
( In fact , the Emergency Broadcast System went out of service in 1997 , replaced by the Emergency Alert System . )
The overwhelming majority of Q ’ s assertions have been hilariously untrue : that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was placed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rich was murdered by MS13 under orders from former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz ( a viewpoint spread by congressional candidate Greene ) , that many prominent Democrats are currently wearing ankle monitors because they are secretly under arrest .
And really , QAnon ’ s base assertion — that Trump is in control of everything — was an inherently strange one to make when the Trump administration did actually control the entire federal government at the time the conspiracy theory seemingly began .
But that didn ’ t stop QAnon from percolating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 4chan ’ s weirder equivalent ) , and then pushing outward on the internet , to Twitter and YouTube and Instagram and elsewhere , with believers making “ explainer ” videos about QAnon that get millions of views .
And as it did , QAnon became about far more than specific predictions of dire consequences for Nancy Pelosi or assorted celebrities .
And that has made it far easier to spread .
QAnon is now about everything — and it ’ s in the real world QAnon is now an all-encompassing conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and side plots .
QAnon adherents helped spread the conspiratorial documentary “ Plandemic ” online , and anti-mask conspiracy theories have been popular among QAnon fans on Instagram who argue that masks are helping child traffickers get away with their crimes .
One acolyte might assert that Bill and Hillary Clinton have been executed ; another might argue that actor Tom Hanks is a pedophile and “ would be the first big name unsealed indictment , ” arrested for his alleged involvement in satanic pedophilic rituals , because Q used the word “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hanks starred in the 1988 film Big .
It ’ s those accusations of pedophilia , baselessly aimed at celebrities , companies , and politicians , that are at the very center of QAnon .
Thousands of QAnon acolytes have taken over hashtags like # SaveTheChildren and bombarded hotlines intended for victims of human trafficking , attempting to divert attention from real victims of predation and abuse to the elites who are supposedly heading up cabals of pedophiles .
And they believe that Trump is taking real action against these alleged criminals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrests of sex traffickers .
For the record , there was not an “ unprecedented ” increase in sex trafficking arrests back in 2018 , there isn ’ t one taking place now , and arrests are a terrible metric for determining the success of anti-sex trafficking efforts .
But that hasn ’ t stopped some of the biggest proponents of QAnon from arguing that not only are celebrities taking part in Satanic pedophilic rituals , they are doing so to obtain the chemical adrenochrome , which they believe famous actors and celebrities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to maintain their youthful appearances .
That specific conspiracy theory has gained traction , as Wired ’ s Brian Friedberg wrote in July of 2020 : For the record , there is no evidence that adrenochrome — a chemical largely made famous not by scientists , but by Hunter S. Thompson ’ s 1971 book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — does anything of note ( Thompson even told the director of the film adaptation of his book that he made up the chemical ’ s effects . )
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop conspiracy theorists .
Adrenochrome conspiracy theories even made their way to a December 2018 House Judiciary Committee hearing with Google CEO Sundar Pichai , when Rep. Jamie Raskin ( D-MD ) asked Pichai about how YouTube ’ s algorithm was pushing a conspiracy theory known as “ Frazzledrip , ” which argues the following : Hillary Clinton and former Clinton aide Huma Abedin were filmed ripping off a child ’ s face and wearing it as a mask before drinking the child ’ s blood in a satanic ritual sacrifice in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was then found on the hard drive of Abedin ’ s former husband , Anthony Weiner , under the code name “ Frazzledrip.
” ( Absolutely none of this is true . )
And during the Covid-19 pandemic , QAnon adherents have come to believe that celebrities looking tired or acting strangely on Instagram was the result not of the same shutdown millions of Americans were experiencing , but of losing access to the chemical .
There ’ s a reason for the focus on pedophilia in QAnon : As Slate ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusations of pedophilia are the easiest and most effective way to tarnish someone ’ s reputation with no proof necessary , as pedophilia is universally considered a horrific and horrendous affront .
And since perhaps the only thing even more horrendous is the murder of children , it ’ s no wonder , then , that one of the main proponents of QAnon posted on YouTube that Americans would be forced to comprehend “ films of innocent children pleading for their lives while people are butchering them ” once “ the Storm ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t about protecting Trump , in their view .
It ’ s about saving children from rape and murder — and who could oppose that ?
As Marc-André Argentino , a doctoral student at Concordia University who studies QAnon , told the New York Times , “ Everyone agrees that child trafficking is very bad , and the argument QAnon makes is , ‘ If you ’ re against us talking about this , you ’ re in favor of child trafficking.
’ ” And with real-life wealthy sex predators like Jeffrey Epstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all political stripes , a movement focused on unmasking them and bringing them to justice seems deeply appealing .
But the open-source nature of QAnon , where Q posts something for thousands of other people to interpret as they see fit , means other conspiracy theories fit neatly within QAnon — like ones about false flag shootings , Jewish bankers controlling the world , or the Illuminati .
As the Daily Beast ’ s Will Sommer wrote in 2019 : One example : When NBC ’ s Ben Collins went on the Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ QAnon , one poster alleged that his script had been “ written by Jacob Rothschild.
” The Rothschild family has been the center of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories for centuries , and for the record , Jacob Rothschild is 84 years old , lives in England , and is not writing “ scripts ” for the Today show .
The open source nature of the conspiracy theory also makes it easier to sell to newcomers , interested in fighting human trafficking or child abuse and with YouTube algorithms and Facebook groups all too willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of conspiracy .
“ I can ’ t really spend any time with my mother because all she ’ ll want to talk about is Q ” Beginning in early 2018 , QAnon adherents made their way to the world outside the internet , marching in Washington and demanding the release of secret memos that would expose the truth of QAnon and herald “ the Storm.
” In 2018 , one man , Matthew Wright , took a rifle and a handgun and barricaded himself in his car on the Hoover Dam , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OIG MEMO , ” referring to that supposed second report .
Since then , there have been dozens of instances of people arrested in QAnon-related plots : the Denver woman who allegedly tried to kidnap her child from a foster care facility with the help of other QAnon believers ; the Texas woman who believed that Trump was “ literally taking down the cabal and the pedophile ring ” who was arrested for ramming her car into other vehicles , intending to rescue children she believed were being trafficked ; the murder suspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help Trump and stop the “ deep state ” by killing a high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family .
A QAnon supporter who planned to attack Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was arrested in May 2020 , a month after a man with QAnon ties was arrested for intentionally derailing a train with the intention of aiming it at a hospital ship in San Pedro , California .
Many of these people were and are experiencing issues with existing mental illnesses .
Rein Lively , a former QAnon acolyte who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ display of face masks at Target in July 2020 , told Ben Collins , the NBC reporter , that she was living with bipolar disorder , and after weeks of following QAnon related groups on Facebook and Instagram , came to believe that she was part of the “ Great Awakening , ” and had to act in order to help Trump and save the world .
One woman whose mother has become deeply enmeshed in QAnon told Vice in 2019 that her mother deals with mental health issues , and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ She had a hard time anyway dealing with the real world , and now the world is so much worse for her because of all the horrible things the cult deals with : devil worship , sex trafficking , children being tortured and eaten or used as sex slaves.
” She added , “ I can ’ t really spend any time with my mother because all she ’ ll want to talk about is Q , and I refuse.
” And she ’ s not alone — there are dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from people struggling with how to reach loved ones who have become enamored of QAnon .
And the coronavirus pandemic has only increased QAnon ’ s reach as more people do more online than ever before .
As Axios reporters Stef W. Kight and Sara Fischer noted , Google search interest in QAnon increased 10 fold from January to July , and the use of the hashtag has increased as well .
And despite efforts by Facebook , Twitter , and other social media giants to stop the spread of QAnon content , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ furthered the conspiracy theory , retweeting and sharing QAnon-related content hundreds of times .
Eric Trump even shared a “ Q ” message on Instagram , using the popular QAnon hashtag # WWG1WGA , which stands for “ Where We Go One , We Go All.
” ( He later deleted it . )
What Trump knows about QAnon is that it is about how great Trump is It ’ s worth noting that there is no indication that Trump , the epicenter of this entire conspiracy theory , has any idea what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Oprah Winfrey , and George W. Bush are part of an elite pedophile ring , hell-bent on consuming the blood of children .
When questioned during a press conference on Wednesday , Trump appeared to believe the conspiracy theory was focused on supporting his efforts to tamp down urban unrest , saying QAnon adherents are “ people who don ’ t like seeing what is going on in places like Portland , and in places like Chicago and New York and other cities — and states .
And I ’ ve heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they just don ’ t like seeing it.
” When he was then asked , “ What about the theory , this belief that you are secretly saving the world from this titanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals ?
Does that sound like something you are behind ?
” Trump responds : None of this indicates that he has any indication that he understands the basis of the conspiracy theory .
Rather , it indicates that all he knows of the conspiracy theory is that it ’ s about how important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Allahpundit wrote on Wednesday : The reporter did not note that the FBI labeled QAnon and other conspiracy theories as a domestic terror threat in 2019 , nor did they mention the attacks and violence that have been credited to QAnon believers .
Conspiracy theories are hard to fight because they ’ re about what we want to believe Other conspiracy theorists have attempted to throw cold water on QAnon , like this blogger who wrote that he too had been a believer but , after reviewing the evidence , concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a LARPer ( live-action role player ) creating a fantastical story for their own entertainment .
But true believers remain deeply committed .
And with Trump ’ s seeming support , they have every reason to be .
Conspiracy theories like QAnon are “ self-sealing ” — meaning that evidence against them can become evidence of their validity in the minds of believers , according to Stephan Lewandowsky , a professor at the University of Bristol who studies conspiracy theories and conspiracists .
Trying to disprove a conspiracy theory thus usually only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , if scientists are accused of creating a ‘ hoax , ’ such as climate change , but they are then exonerated by multiple enquiries , then a conspiracy theorist will not accept that as evidence of their innocence , but as evidence of a broad conspiracy ( to create a world government or whatever ) that involves the government , judiciary , Soros , and anyone else who once shared a supermarket checkout line with Al Gore in the 1970s , ” Lewandowsky said .
And here ’ s the really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t created by evidence , but by belief , or by the desire to believe , that there must be something more to the events that shape our lives , culture , and politics than accident or happenstance .
Where there is confusion , or even pain and tragedy , QAnon , or shootings termed “ false flags , ” or 9/11 trutherism brings some semblance of order and security .
The 9/11 attacks were so horrific that they can ’ t possibly have happened without President George W. Bush being behind it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A mass shooting at an elementary school that killed so many small children is so terrible that it can ’ t possibly have really happened .
And the Trump administration must only seem to be enmeshed in constant chaos .
Let ’ s be clear : Most people have never heard of QAnon , or Q — and that includes most of Trump ’ s supporters .
Those who have heard of it tend to rate it unfavorably .
As detailed by the Washington Post in August , when asked to rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale ( 1 being least positive , 100 being most positive ) , a sample group of Floridians rated it about a 21 , with Democrats and Republicans rating it similarly .
But there are those who do believe in QAnon , who believe that Trump is a “ light worker ” trying to save the world from elite pedophiles .
And as the Spectator ’ s Ben Sixsmith argued in May 2020 , those followers have been egged on by a president who promised them vengeance against their enemies and never followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality : QAnon provides a soothing balm , telling believers that the only people who really know what ’ s going on are the believers — and the president .
There is no fact-check that can dissuade them , no circumstance that would drive them away from the movement .
And while some Republicans have begun to speak out against the conspiracy theory , it ’ s far too late , because the person at the center of it is winking and nodding along .
Correction : A photo caption previously misidentified the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Will you become our 20,000th supporter ?
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Followers of the conspiracy theory QAnon believe a lot of things: There’s never been chaos in Donald Trump’s White House. The stories are just cover to let Trump and, previously, special counsel Robert Mueller do their work to expose thousands of pedophiles hidden in plain sight — including Hillary Clinton ... and Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, and Tom Hanks, and Chrissy Teigen. They’ll soon be under arrest, or perhaps they are already on their way to Guantanamo Bay. Their crimes? Torturing and murdering children and then harvesting a chemical from their blood.
It’s an all-encompassing conspiracy theory that has one overarching — and, if you’re a Trump supporter, hopeful — message: Trump is in complete control. Of everything. And against true evil, he is standing up for all that is good and right.
QAnon swept social media over the past three years, pushed by some of the far right’s biggest voices, including Alex Jones and Sean Hannity. 20 current congressional candidates have expressed support for QAnon, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, the leading candidate in the race for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District seat. She said in 2017 that QAnon was “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this global cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles out.”
And on August 19, the person at the center of the “storm,” a term of art among QAnon followers, seemingly endorsed it, telling the White House press corps, “I don’t know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate.”
Trump goes all in on Q pic.twitter.com/uzwbXmw9du — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) August 19, 2020
Conspiracy theorists of all varieties tend to embrace them as a means to create order out of chaos, or to make sense of events that don’t make sense. Unfortunately, researchers have found that fact-based arguments against conspiracy theorists only serve to reinforce them in the minds of believers. That’s what makes QAnon or Sandy Hook trutherism or any other conspiracy theory so difficult to combat. Conspiracy theories aren’t based on facts; conspiracy theorists aren’t receptive to them, either.
So if the Trump administration has been enmeshed in confusion and chaos, QAnon is the conspiratorial response: Everything is fine. As a popular saying among Q adherents proclaims, believers must only “trust the plan.”
“God bless fellow patriots”
The beginnings of “the Storm” lie with Donald Trump himself.
On October 5, 2017, during a photo opportunity held before a military dinner, Trump said that the dinner was “Maybe the calm before the storm.” When a reporter asked, “What storm, Mr. President?” Trump responded, “You’ll find out.”
TRUMP: "Maybe it's the calm before the storm."
...
REPORTER: "What storm Mr. President?"
TRUMP: "You'll find out." (via Satellite News) pic.twitter.com/bWMzGrDPNa — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 5, 2017
For non-conspiracy theorists, this was Trump-speak. He tends to just say things that have little to no relevance to anything either he or his administration will actually do — like that “maybe we should give” the Chinese style of one-man dictatorship “a shot.”
But for conspiracy theorists on Reddit, already primed to believe in code words and secrets and, well, conspiracies, his words took on new and apocalyptic meaning. As Travis View, a QAnon researcher and co-host of the QAnon Anonymous podcast, told PBS Newshour earlier in August, “the Storm” has become a predicted “great mass arrest event, in which over 100,000 people from the highest levels of power and entertainment are arrested and face a great day of reckoning.”
When Republican congressional candidate and QAnon follower Angela Stanton King — who is running to replace the late Rep. John Lewis — was retweeted by President Trump on August 6, she tweeted, “THE STORM IS HERE.”
THE STORM IS HERE — Angela Stanton King (@theangiestanton) August 6, 2020
The Texas Republican Party is now even selling “We Are the Storm” merchandise.
The first post from an anonymous user claiming to be a high-level government informant came on October 28, on the 4chan message board /pol/. The user was nicknamed “Q” after Q-level security clearance, the Energy Department equivalent of “Top Secret.” (“NG” refers to the National Guard.)
HRC extradition already in motion effective yesterday with several countries in case of cross border run. Passport approved to be flagged effective 10/30 @ 12:01am. Expect massive riots organized in defiance and others fleeing the US to occur. US M’s will conduct the operation while NG activated. Proof check: Locate a NG member and ask if activated for duty 10/30 across most major cities.
A few hours later, Q posted again, adding coded phrases that /pol/ users would interpret and argue over for months. In short, he or she appeared to state that Hillary Clinton had been “detained” by authorities and that Trump knew that “criminal rogue elements,” including Clinton, had to be arrested, while referencing billionaire philanthropist George Soros, himself the subject of a number of conspiracy theories.
These postings were thrilling for people steeped in far-right conspiracy theory lore — from the very real Operation Mockingbird, a CIA effort to blackmail journalists and give out false information to share propaganda, to the wild theory that Huma Abedin, a former Hillary Clinton staffer and ex-wife of Anthony Weiner, was secretly working for the Muslim Brotherhood. (She wasn’t.)
Even the name Q seemed to imply that this person knew things others didn’t. The rapidly expanding group of people who follow Q’s postings — and believe them — became known as QAnon.
Q occasionally tried to offer “proof” that they had real intel. (They posted images that redditors believed confirmed Q was on Air Force One, and thus had real information from the president.) Some followers even believe that Trump is Q — though others think it’s John F. Kennedy Jr., who they believe faked his 1999 death. When Trump spoke at Mount Rushmore this past Fourth of July, some QAnon believers were convinced that the occasion would mark JFK Jr.’s return.
Q offered real hope to Trump supporters: Everything is fine, Trump has everything under control, and everyone who stands in his way will soon be sent to prison. Literally.
In a posting on November 1, 2017, Q said that on November 3 and 4, John Podesta, chair of Clinton’s 2016 campaign, would be arrested, military control would take hold, and “public riots would be organized in serious numbers to prevent the arrest and capture of more senior public officials”:
My fellow Americans, over the course of the next several days you will undoubtedly realize that we are taking back our great country (the land of the free) from the evil tyrants that wish to do us harm and destroy the last remaining refuge of shining light. On POTUS’ order, we have initiated certain fail-safes that shall safeguard the public from the primary fallout which is slated to occur 11.3 upon the arrest announcement of Mr. Podesta (actionable 11.4). ... We will be initiating the Emergency Broadcast System (EMS) during this time in an effort to provide a direct message (avoiding the fake news) to all citizens. Organizations and/or people that wish to do us harm during this time will be met with swift fury – certain laws have been pre-lifted to provide our great military the necessary authority to handle and conduct these operations (at home and abroad).
Obviously, none of this happened. There were no public riots or mass arrests or the use of emergency broadcasts. (In fact, the Emergency Broadcast System went out of service in 1997, replaced by the Emergency Alert System.)
The overwhelming majority of Q’s assertions have been hilariously untrue: that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was placed in power by the CIA, that Seth Rich was murdered by MS13 under orders from former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (a viewpoint spread by congressional candidate Greene), that many prominent Democrats are currently wearing ankle monitors because they are secretly under arrest.
And really, QAnon’s base assertion — that Trump is in control of everything — was an inherently strange one to make when the Trump administration did actually control the entire federal government at the time the conspiracy theory seemingly began.
But that didn’t stop QAnon from percolating, first moving from 4chan to 8chan (4chan’s weirder equivalent), and then pushing outward on the internet, to Twitter and YouTube and Instagram and elsewhere, with believers making “explainer” videos about QAnon that get millions of views. And as it did, QAnon became about far more than specific predictions of dire consequences for Nancy Pelosi or assorted celebrities. And that has made it far easier to spread.
QAnon is now about everything — and it’s in the real world
QAnon is now an all-encompassing conspiracy theory, one with dozens of offshoots and side plots. QAnon adherents helped spread the conspiratorial documentary “Plandemic” online, and anti-mask conspiracy theories have been popular among QAnon fans on Instagram who argue that masks are helping child traffickers get away with their crimes.
One acolyte might assert that Bill and Hillary Clinton have been executed; another might argue that actor Tom Hanks is a pedophile and “would be the first big name unsealed indictment,” arrested for his alleged involvement in satanic pedophilic rituals, because Q used the word “big” in several posts and Tom Hanks starred in the 1988 film Big.
It’s those accusations of pedophilia, baselessly aimed at celebrities, companies, and politicians, that are at the very center of QAnon. Thousands of QAnon acolytes have taken over hashtags like #SaveTheChildren and bombarded hotlines intended for victims of human trafficking, attempting to divert attention from real victims of predation and abuse to the elites who are supposedly heading up cabals of pedophiles. And they believe that Trump is taking real action against these alleged criminals, crediting him for a purported increase in arrests of sex traffickers.
For the record, there was not an “unprecedented” increase in sex trafficking arrests back in 2018, there isn’t one taking place now, and arrests are a terrible metric for determining the success of anti-sex trafficking efforts.
But that hasn’t stopped some of the biggest proponents of QAnon from arguing that not only are celebrities taking part in Satanic pedophilic rituals, they are doing so to obtain the chemical adrenochrome, which they believe famous actors and celebrities harvest from the pituitary glands of children in order to maintain their youthful appearances. That specific conspiracy theory has gained traction, as Wired’s Brian Friedberg wrote in July of 2020:
A favorite topic of interconnected QAnon and Pizzagate conspiracy communities, so-called “adrenochrome harvesting” long predates these groups. It has, however, resurrected during the Covid-19 pandemic. Google Trends shows significant spikes in searches for adrenochrome in March and June of 2020. It’s prevalent on TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram. Reddit removed a dedicated adrenochrome subreddit on July 30. On Friday, July 31, conspiracy theorists plan to hold the first “Child Lives Matter” protest in Hollywood to “expose” child trafficking, advertising the event with references to #adrenochrome.
For the record, there is no evidence that adrenochrome — a chemical largely made famous not by scientists, but by Hunter S. Thompson’s 1971 book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — does anything of note (Thompson even told the director of the film adaptation of his book that he made up the chemical’s effects.) But of course, that didn’t stop conspiracy theorists.
Adrenochrome conspiracy theories even made their way to a December 2018 House Judiciary Committee hearing with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, when Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) asked Pichai about how YouTube’s algorithm was pushing a conspiracy theory known as “Frazzledrip,” which argues the following: Hillary Clinton and former Clinton aide Huma Abedin were filmed ripping off a child’s face and wearing it as a mask before drinking the child’s blood in a satanic ritual sacrifice in order to obtain adrenochrome, and that video was then found on the hard drive of Abedin’s former husband, Anthony Weiner, under the code name “Frazzledrip.” (Absolutely none of this is true.)
And during the Covid-19 pandemic, QAnon adherents have come to believe that celebrities looking tired or acting strangely on Instagram was the result not of the same shutdown millions of Americans were experiencing, but of losing access to the chemical.
There’s a reason for the focus on pedophilia in QAnon: As Slate’s Christina Cauterucci wrote in July 2018, accusations of pedophilia are the easiest and most effective way to tarnish someone’s reputation with no proof necessary, as pedophilia is universally considered a horrific and horrendous affront.
And since perhaps the only thing even more horrendous is the murder of children, it’s no wonder, then, that one of the main proponents of QAnon posted on YouTube that Americans would be forced to comprehend “films of innocent children pleading for their lives while people are butchering them” once “the Storm” came to pass. QAnon isn’t about protecting Trump, in their view. It’s about saving children from rape and murder — and who could oppose that?
As Marc-André Argentino, a doctoral student at Concordia University who studies QAnon, told the New York Times, “Everyone agrees that child trafficking is very bad, and the argument QAnon makes is, ‘If you’re against us talking about this, you’re in favor of child trafficking.’” And with real-life wealthy sex predators like Jeffrey Epstein seemingly given cover by powerful people of all political stripes, a movement focused on unmasking them and bringing them to justice seems deeply appealing.
But the open-source nature of QAnon, where Q posts something for thousands of other people to interpret as they see fit, means other conspiracy theories fit neatly within QAnon — like ones about false flag shootings, Jewish bankers controlling the world, or the Illuminati. As the Daily Beast’s Will Sommer wrote in 2019:
While the Storm is at the center of the QAnon narrative, it’s also flexible enough to fold in just anything that makes the news. Q is fond of hinting that each mass shooting is a false-flag attack organized by the cabal, and he used a blurry webcam picture of a flash of light near the Puget Sound to claim that the deep state had tried to shoot down Trump’s plane.
One example: When NBC’s Ben Collins went on the Today show in 2018 to attempt to explain QAnon, one poster alleged that his script had been “written by Jacob Rothschild.” The Rothschild family has been the center of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories for centuries, and for the record, Jacob Rothschild is 84 years old, lives in England, and is not writing “scripts” for the Today show.
saw this live about an hour ago..total hit job..completely biased and clearly a script written by Jacob Rothschild himself..@oneunderscore__ is responsible..but he does what Jacob wants..they really don’t have much ammunition left..getting closer to MASS ARRESTS #PEDOVORES #QAnon https://t.co/qf0P4kjUQn — #ARRESTPODESTA (@ARRESTPODESTA) August 1, 2018
The open source nature of the conspiracy theory also makes it easier to sell to newcomers, interested in fighting human trafficking or child abuse and with YouTube algorithms and Facebook groups all too willing to drive them down the rabbit hole of conspiracy.
“I can’t really spend any time with my mother because all she’ll want to talk about is Q”
Beginning in early 2018, QAnon adherents made their way to the world outside the internet, marching in Washington and demanding the release of secret memos that would expose the truth of QAnon and herald “the Storm.” In 2018, one man, Matthew Wright, took a rifle and a handgun and barricaded himself in his car on the Hoover Dam, holding a sign reading “RELEASE THE OIG MEMO,” referring to that supposed second report.
The man arrested was Matthew P. Wright, age 30 of Henderson, NV. — JJ MacNab (@jjmacnab) June 16, 2018
Since then, there have been dozens of instances of people arrested in QAnon-related plots: the Denver woman who allegedly tried to kidnap her child from a foster care facility with the help of other QAnon believers; the Texas woman who believed that Trump was “literally taking down the cabal and the pedophile ring” who was arrested for ramming her car into other vehicles, intending to rescue children she believed were being trafficked; the murder suspect who told his lawyers he was trying to help Trump and stop the “deep state” by killing a high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family.
A QAnon supporter who planned to attack Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was arrested in May 2020, a month after a man with QAnon ties was arrested for intentionally derailing a train with the intention of aiming it at a hospital ship in San Pedro, California.
Many of these people were and are experiencing issues with existing mental illnesses. Rein Lively, a former QAnon acolyte who was captured in a viral video attacking a display of face masks at Target in July 2020, told Ben Collins, the NBC reporter, that she was living with bipolar disorder, and after weeks of following QAnon related groups on Facebook and Instagram, came to believe that she was part of the “Great Awakening,” and had to act in order to help Trump and save the world.
One woman whose mother has become deeply enmeshed in QAnon told Vice in 2019 that her mother deals with mental health issues, and that the conspiracy theory has made them worse. “She had a hard time anyway dealing with the real world, and now the world is so much worse for her because of all the horrible things the cult deals with: devil worship, sex trafficking, children being tortured and eaten or used as sex slaves.”
She added, “I can’t really spend any time with my mother because all she’ll want to talk about is Q, and I refuse.” And she’s not alone — there are dozens of Reddit threads and posts across the internet from people struggling with how to reach loved ones who have become enamored of QAnon.
And the coronavirus pandemic has only increased QAnon’s reach as more people do more online than ever before. As Axios reporters Stef W. Kight and Sara Fischer noted, Google search interest in QAnon increased 10 fold from January to July, and the use of the hashtag has increased as well.
And despite efforts by Facebook, Twitter, and other social media giants to stop the spread of QAnon content, Trump and members of his family have furthered the conspiracy theory, retweeting and sharing QAnon-related content hundreds of times. Eric Trump even shared a “Q” message on Instagram, using the popular QAnon hashtag #WWG1WGA, which stands for “Where We Go One, We Go All.” (He later deleted it.)
The president’s middle son, a main campaign surrogate, posting a QAnon message on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/bT11puXuDs — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 20, 2020
What Trump knows about QAnon is that it is about how great Trump is
It’s worth noting that there is no indication that Trump, the epicenter of this entire conspiracy theory, has any idea what QAnon actually asserts — that Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, and George W. Bush are part of an elite pedophile ring, hell-bent on consuming the blood of children.
When questioned during a press conference on Wednesday, Trump appeared to believe the conspiracy theory was focused on supporting his efforts to tamp down urban unrest, saying QAnon adherents are “people who don’t like seeing what is going on in places like Portland, and in places like Chicago and New York and other cities — and states. And I’ve heard these are people who love our country, and they just don’t like seeing it.”
When he was then asked, “What about the theory, this belief that you are secretly saving the world from this titanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals? Does that sound like something you are behind?” Trump responds:
I have not heard that. Is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing? I mean, you know. If I can help save the world from problems, I am willing to do it. I’m willing to put myself out there. and we are actually! We are saving the world from a radical left philosophy that will destroy this country, and when this country is gone, the rest of the world would follow.
None of this indicates that he has any indication that he understands the basis of the conspiracy theory. Rather, it indicates that all he knows of the conspiracy theory is that it’s about how important and special he is. As HotAir.com’s Allahpundit wrote on Wednesday:
Trump is incapable psychologically of rejecting someone who idolizes him. His narcissistic understanding of morality is this simple: If you love him then you’re good, whatever your faults, and if you hate him then you’re bad, whatever your virtues. QAnoners love him. They think he’s quite literally saving the world, by the reporter’s own description.
The reporter did not note that the FBI labeled QAnon and other conspiracy theories as a domestic terror threat in 2019, nor did they mention the attacks and violence that have been credited to QAnon believers.
Conspiracy theories are hard to fight because they’re about what we want to believe
Other conspiracy theorists have attempted to throw cold water on QAnon, like this blogger who wrote that he too had been a believer but, after reviewing the evidence, concluded that he had “been tricked” by a LARPer (live-action role player) creating a fantastical story for their own entertainment. But true believers remain deeply committed. And with Trump’s seeming support, they have every reason to be.
Conspiracy theories like QAnon are “self-sealing” — meaning that evidence against them can become evidence of their validity in the minds of believers, according to Stephan Lewandowsky, a professor at the University of Bristol who studies conspiracy theories and conspiracists. Trying to disprove a conspiracy theory thus usually only serves to reinforce it.
“For example, if scientists are accused of creating a ‘hoax,’ such as climate change, but they are then exonerated by multiple enquiries, then a conspiracy theorist will not accept that as evidence of their innocence, but as evidence of a broad conspiracy (to create a world government or whatever) that involves the government, judiciary, Soros, and anyone else who once shared a supermarket checkout line with Al Gore in the 1970s,” Lewandowsky said.
And here’s the really important point: Conspiracy theories aren’t created by evidence, but by belief, or by the desire to believe, that there must be something more to the events that shape our lives, culture, and politics than accident or happenstance.
Where there is confusion, or even pain and tragedy, QAnon, or shootings termed “false flags,” or 9/11 trutherism brings some semblance of order and security. The 9/11 attacks were so horrific that they can’t possibly have happened without President George W. Bush being behind it somehow, orchestrating things behind the scenes. A mass shooting at an elementary school that killed so many small children is so terrible that it can’t possibly have really happened. And the Trump administration must only seem to be enmeshed in constant chaos.
As Lewandowsky told me:
Conspiracy theories often serve an ironic function of providing a sense of order in chaos. People would rather believe that there are evil masterminds out there that pull strings on cataclysmic events than accept the occurrence of random events. Conspiracy theories also serve to elevate events to be less banal: For example, it is easier to conceive of Princess Diana having been killed by some elaborate evil conspiracy than being the victim of a rather banal drunk-driving accident. So whenever there is a tragic or cataclysmic event, some people will find a conspiracy theory more acceptable than the—often—more uninteresting official account.
Let’s be clear: Most people have never heard of QAnon, or Q — and that includes most of Trump’s supporters. Those who have heard of it tend to rate it unfavorably. As detailed by the Washington Post in August, when asked to rate their feelings for QAnon on a 1-100 scale (1 being least positive, 100 being most positive), a sample group of Floridians rated it about a 21, with Democrats and Republicans rating it similarly.
But there are those who do believe in QAnon, who believe that Trump is a “light worker” trying to save the world from elite pedophiles. And as the Spectator’s Ben Sixsmith argued in May 2020, those followers have been egged on by a president who promised them vengeance against their enemies and never followed through, making QAnon a respite against reality:
The presidency of Donald Trump has added a radical edge to the QAnoners. This is not due to extremism in his administration’s actions — but because of their moderation. He egged on chants of ‘lock her up’, but Hillary Clinton is still on Twitter insulting his policies. He encouraged ‘build that wall’ but the wall does not exist. A truly radical administration would contain radical followers. The increasingly dramatic and esoteric fantasies of Trump’s militant fringe are an attempt to rationalize the mundane reality.
QAnon provides a soothing balm, telling believers that the only people who really know what’s going on are the believers — and the president. There is no fact-check that can dissuade them, no circumstance that would drive them away from the movement. And while some Republicans have begun to speak out against the conspiracy theory, it’s far too late, because the person at the center of it is winking and nodding along.
Correction: A photo caption previously misidentified the website 4chan as part of Reddit.
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