QAnon
QAnon is a debunked far-right conspiracy theory that claims a secret cabal of satanic, cannibalistic pedophiles controls governments and media, and that a figure called 'Q' is revealing this information online. The FBI has designated QAnon adherents as a domestic terrorism threat, and all specific QAnon predictions have failed to materialize.
What we know
QAnon originated on the 4chan imageboard in October 2017, when an anonymous user posting as 'Q', claiming to be a high-ranking U.S. government official with Q-level security clearance, began posting cryptic messages ('Q drops') alleging that President Trump was secretly fighting a global satanic pedophile ring comprising political leaders, Hollywood celebrities, and media figures. The theory incorporated and absorbed earlier conspiracy theories including Pizzagate, the New World Order, and antisemitic tropes about Jewish elites controlling world events.
The FBI's Phoenix field office issued an intelligence bulletin in May 2019 identifying QAnon as one of the domestic terrorism threats most likely to motivate violent criminal activity, the first time the FBI had formally designated a conspiracy theory as a domestic terror threat. Specific QAnon events failed to occur: the 'Storm' (mass arrests of elites), 'The Great Awakening,' and multiple predicted dates for Donald Trump's restoration to power all passed without incident.
QAnon's real-world consequences include: dozens of self-identified QAnon adherents arrested for crimes including murder; more than 20 QAnon adherents arrested for participation in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot; and numerous documented cases of QAnon-inspired family estrangements and individual radicalization. A joint FBI/DHS intelligence assessment released in 2021 found the current environment would likely continue to spur QAnon adherents toward real-world violence.
No credible evidence for any core QAnon claim has emerged. The identity of 'Q' has never been officially confirmed, though investigative journalists have identified two individuals (Jim and Ron Watkins) as likely operators of the QAnon posting account. Fact-checkers, academic researchers, and government agencies agree that the conspiracy narrative is fabricated.
Common claims
- Q is a real high-ranking government official leaking classified information.False, no government has confirmed any such person; investigative evidence points to two private individuals operating the account.
- Global elites operate satanic pedophile rings.False, no credible evidence; the claim incorporates historical antisemitic 'blood libel' tropes.
- QAnon predicted events that came true.False, all specific QAnon predictions ('The Storm,' mass arrests, etc.) have failed to materialize.
- The FBI treats QAnon as a serious domestic threat.True, the FBI formally designated QAnon-inspired violence as a domestic terrorism threat in 2019 and issued a follow-up joint assessment in 2021.
Evidence hierarchy
All sources
- Adherence to QAnon Conspiracy Theory by Some Domestic Violent ExtremistsFBI / DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis · 2021
- Examining Extremism: QAnonCenter for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) · 2021
- QAnon, Authoritarianism, and Conspiracy Within American PoliticsFrontiers in Sociology (PMC) · 2023
- Quantifying the Q ConspiracyThe Soufan Center · 2021
- QAnonEncyclopaedia Britannica · 2024
- FBI Conspiracy Theory Domestic Extremism BulletinFBI Phoenix Field Office · 2019