Latest news with #QAnon
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
The rise of the QAnon conspiracy and why the Epstein files matter
The Justice Department asked a federal court on July 18, 2025, to unseal grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein 's case. The direction from President Donald Trump came after weeks of frustration among some far-right groups over his administration's refusal to release the complete and unredacted 'Epstein files.' Epstein, a wealthy financier with high-profile connections, was arrested in 2019 on sex trafficking charges and later died by suicide in a Manhattan jail awaiting trial. In early 2025, a federal court unsealed portions of the court documents. While names of some of the alleged clients and victims were released, many were redacted or withheld. Epstein's arrest and death became a central focus for QAnon followers, who saw them as proof of a hidden global elite engaged in child trafficking and protected by powerful institutions. The release – or withholding – of the Epstein files is often cited within QAnon movement circles as evidence of a broader cover-up by the so-called 'deep state.' Some followers of the MAGA – Make America Great Again – movement and the Republican Party believe in the false claim that the United States is secretly controlled by a cabal of elites who are paedophiles, sex traffickers and satanists. Over time, what started as a baseless conspiracy on obscure platforms has migrated into the mainstream. It has influenced rhetoric and policy debates, and even reshaped the American political landscape. The foundational belief of many of the QAnon followers is that Trump is a heroic figure fighting the elite paedophile ring. Trump's attempts at downplaying or obstructing the very disclosures they believe would validate their worldview has led to confusion. To some, the delay in the release of the files feels like a betrayal, or even the possibility of his wrongdoing. Others are trying to reinterpret Trump's actions through increasingly baseless conspiracy logic. Trump has publicly dismissed demands for the full release of the Epstein Files as a 'hoax.' He has also made false claims. On July 15, 2025, Trump said: 'And I would say that, you know, these files were made up by Comey. They were made up by Obama.' As a scholar who studies extremism, I know that the movement views Trump as a mythological figure and it interprets Trump's actions to fit this overarching narrative – an elasticity which makes the movement both durable and dangerous. From Pizzagate to QAnon The QAnon movement began with the Pizzagate conspiracy theory in 2016, which falsely claimed that high-ranking Democrats were operating a child sex trafficking ring out of a Washington, DC, pizzeria. The baseless theory gained enough online momentum that a man armed with an assault rifle stormed the restaurant, seeking to 'free the children.' In 2017, an anonymous figure called 'Q' began posting cryptic messages on message boards like 4chan and 8kun. The baseless accusations of a global network of elites involved in controlling global institutions, including governments, businesses, and the media, as well as operating a child trafficking and ritual abuse, were central to the QAnon movement's narrative. The movement has recruited followers through language like 'Save the Children,' to mobilise around issues of child trafficking. Many QAnon adherents, particularly women, were drawn to the movement through such appeals to child protection. According to psychologists Sophia Moskalenko and Mia Bloom, this type of appeal taps into powerful emotional instincts, making conspiracy theories like QAnon more persuasive and harder to dislodge, even in the face of contradictory evidence. QAnon movement's rise QAnon followers perceived Trump as a messianic figure working to expose this cabal in a climactic reckoning known as 'The Storm' – a moment when mass arrests would finally bring justice. They claimed that this moment would eventually bring about a 'Great Awakening,' a reference to the religious revivalist movements of the 18th and 19th centuries. In this context the phrase described the supposed political and spiritual enlightenment that would follow 'The Storm' – a moment of mass realisation when people would 'wake up' to the truth about the 'deep state.' In 2019, the FBI identified QAnon as a domestic terrorism threat, and major social media platforms began banning related content, but by then, QAnon had bled into mainstream conservative politics. Q-endorsing candidates, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, ran for and won elected office a year later. Trump and QAnon During Trump's first administration – from 2017 to 2021 – the QAnon movement flourished. The posts from Q claimed to reveal insider knowledge of a secret war being waged by the president, often in coordination with the military, against the powerful elite. Trump never explicitly endorsed the movement, but he did little to distance himself from it. His administration also included figures, like former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who openly interacted with Q content online. Trump's rhetoric, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 election, gave new life to QAnon narratives. When he questioned the integrity of the electoral process, QAnon followers interpreted it as confirmation of the deep state's meddling. However, after Trump's loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race, QAnon followers revised their original prophecy to maintain belief in 'The Storm' and 'The Great Awakening.' Some claimed the defeat was part of a larger secret plan, with Biden's presidency serving as a cover for exposing the deep state. Some believed Trump remained the true president behind the scenes, while others reframed the awakening as a spiritual rather than political event. Indeed, by 2020, several congressional candidates openly embraced or showed sympathy for the QAnon movement. At various campaign rallies in 2022 and after Trump used the movement's symbolism. On Truth Social, his social media platform, he retweeted Q-affiliated accounts, and praised QAnon supporters as 'people who love our country.' That same year he reposted an image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with the words 'The Storm is Coming.' After the 2020 elections Trump's departure from the White House in January 2021 created an existential crisis for the QAnon movement. Predictions that he would declare martial law or arrest Joe Biden and other Democrats on Inauguration Day failed to materialise. Q's posts also stopped, leaving many followers adrift. Some abandoned the theory. Others rationalised the failed predictions or embraced new conspiracy narratives, such as the belief that Trump was still secretly in charge or that the military would soon act to reinstate him. Some QAnon communities merged with or were absorbed into broader anti-vaccine, anti-globalist, and Christian nationalist movements. How big is the movement? Estimating the number of QAnon believers is difficult because many individuals do not openly identify with the movement, and those who do often hold a range of loosely connected or partial beliefs rather than adhering to a consistent or uniform ideology. Not everyone who shares a Q meme or echoes a Q talking point identifies as being part of the movement. That said, surveys by groups like the 2024 Public Religion Research Institute and the Associated Press have found that 15–20% of Americans believe in some of QAnon's core claims, such as the existence of a secret group of Satan-worshipping elites controlling the government. Among Republican voters, the number is often higher. This does not mean all these people are hardcore QAnon adherents, but it does show how far the narrative, or parts of it, has seeped into mainstream thinking. Epstein as evidence of 'the cabal' The Trump administration's failure to disclose the information in Epstein files has fueled internal confusion, disillusionment and even radicalisation within the movement. For some QAnon believers, this failure was a turning point: if Trump – once seen as the hero in the conspiracy narrative – would not or could not reveal the truth, then the 'deep state' must be more entrenched than imagined. At the same time, frustrations have grown within MAGA and the QAnon movement's spaces. Some see it as a failure to fulfill one of his most important promises: exposing elite paedophiles. Others believe the delay is strategic, another example of 'the plan' requiring more patience. The QAnon movement continues to evolve, even as its central figure hedges and hesitates, showing how potent myths can be in times of uncertainty. In my view, understanding why this belief continues to gain traction is essential for understanding the current state of American democracy. Art Jipson is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Dayton.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Donald Trump could be swallowed up by an Epstein conspiracy he helped create
Like others before him, Donald Trump has learned that there's really just no arguing with people who believe the world is run by cannibalistic, child-sacrificing paedophiles. It is ironic that Trump – who himself rose to power and has governed through use of conspiracy theories, including 'birther' lies about where Barack Obama was born – is coming face to face with a conspiracy culture he helped cultivate. Earlier this month, Trump's Department of Justice announced that disgraced financier and sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein did not keep a client list of co-conspirators , undermining one of the foundational myths that has supported Trump's presidency. This has enraged the president's Make America Great Again base and might signal a moment of fracture for the movement. Conspiracy theories about Epstein are based on the belief that he kept a list of hugely powerful people who had engaged in sex with women and underage girls that he trafficked. This group of individuals, so the conspiracy goes, orchestrated his death in custody in August 2019 to conceal their identities. To many in Trump's Magaverse, Epstein was a key to understanding how deeply corrupt and perverse the world's elites truly are. The 'Epstein files', as they exist in the fevered imaginations of Maga diehards, include a list of names of those who must be exposed. READ MORE These narratives share their DNA with QAnon , the all-consuming conspiracy theory that first originated online in 2017 and claimed Trump was secretly fighting the 'deep state': a Satanic cabal of (primarily Democrat) paedophiles running the US government. From fringe sites, QAnon metastasised across the web, pulling in millions who likened Trump to a messianic saviour. QAnon signs began to appear at Trump rallies and supporters evolved into a highly radicalised core of his base. [ Epstein files are a new crisis for Donald Trump, as supporters blowtorch their Maga caps Opens in new window ] QAnon was one of the first mega-conspiracies to mature entirely in the internet age. Communities were formed on Reddit, documentaries went viral on YouTube and pro-Trump groups on Facebook became incubators for new threads in the conspiracy web. At the centre of it all was the narrative that the entire US government was hiding the truth from the people and holding the country back. In July 2019, after Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking. QAnon discussions skyrocketed: research from my colleagues in the Institute for Strategic Dialogue documented how, throughout July and August, when Epstein died, he ranked only second to Trump in mentions within QAnon communities on the web. Trump and Epstein were very close in the past, with the president once calling him a 'terrific guy' in one interview. More recently, Trump has been careful to distance himself from claims about Epstein. Yet, ever the opportunist, at times he has indulged some narratives. In 2019, Trump shared a tweet that claimed Bill and Hillary Clinton were involved in Epstein's death. In 2024, when Trump was asked about Epstein's 'list of clients' during a podcast interview, he said he'd have 'no problem' releasing it. QAnon faithful pointed to Bill Clinton's journey on Epstein's jet, dubbed the Lolita Express, Epstein's donations sent to Democrat politician Chuck Schumer and lists of celebrities who allegedly visited Epstein's Caribbean island. [ Trump's name on 2003 birthday letter to Epstein, Wall Street Journal reports Opens in new window ] Over time, as QAnon's prophetic day of reckoning never arrived, energy shifted towards calls to reveal all in Epstein's supposed client list. In the words of conservative writer David French , 'on the right, the Epstein story became the thinking man's version of the QAnon conspiracy theory'. This was red meat for Trump-aligned media and politicians courting audiences from his supporters. Before Trump picked him as director of the FBI, Kash Patel told one Maga podcaster that members of Congress should 'put on your big-boy pants and let us know who the paedophiles are'. Before that, he claimed Epstein's 'black book' was 'under the direct control of the director of the FBI'. Dan Bongino, a pro-Trump podcaster turned deputy director of the FBI, built a career out of assertions that federal files on the Epstein investigation contained the answer to the 'deep state'. Pam Bondi, Trump's attorney general , told Fox News in February that the client list was 'sitting on my desk right now', firing up the wildest hopes of the Maga world. Each of these individuals leant on sensationalist narratives about Epstein's connections to elites, painting a picture of mass corruption about to be uncovered. They followed a blueprint designed by Trump on his path to power: embrace fringe theories, gesture vaguely towards cover-ups and make wild promises to reveal hidden truths. And then, when appointed, each was forced to row in behind the Department of Justice's announcement that Epstein did not keep a client list, and that no more files related to his sex-trafficking investigation would be made public. A predictable backlash followed. The Epstein files have become a purity test for Maga diehards and, unable to substantiate the claims they campaigned on for years, these political figures have found themselves cast as the villains they once promised to oust. Trump has tried to direct the anger of the madding crowd towards old foes in a series of posts on Truth Social; he claimed the 'Epstein hoax' was engineered by 'Obama, Crooked Hillary and criminals of the Biden administration'. Then, faced with growing Maga ire, he said the Justice Department should release all 'credible' information from its probe on Epstein. Whether or not the list exists, the files relating to the Epstein investigation have been used as cynical props by Trump and his acolytes to curry support with his base. The Maga right has used conspiracy theories as a political tool but they created a voter base that now demands ever more revelations, more exposures and more secrets unveiled. Now, when asked to peel back the curtain on one of the most persistent conspiracies he helped spread, the president baulks. In another recent post on Truth Social, Trump lamented that his administration is being criticised about 'a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it's Epstein, over and over again'. Late on Thursday Trump said he had directed Pam Bondi to seek the release of the grand jury testimony relating to Epstein's sex-trafficking case, citing 'the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein'. As Trump is learning, conspiracy theories are elastic, self-sealing and practically impossible to disprove. This may be one storyline he's finally lost control of. Ciarán O'Connor is a researcher and journalist who focuses on extremism and technology
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Republican rumblings: on Trump and the Epstein files
President Donald Trump, under pressure from a segment of his support base, has instructed his Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to request a court to unseal grand jury transcripts related to sex offender and former friend of the President, Jeffrey Epstein. While Mr. Trump had vowed, even during his presidential campaign, to unveil the files, in recent days he has faced mounting pressure to supply all relevant and new information pertaining to the case. The latest turn in the murky saga relating to Mr. Trump's prior association with Epstein, the former financier who died by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, came after a report claimed that Mr. Trump, in 2003, sent a 'bawdy' birthday letter to Epstein with references to a shared 'secret'. Mr. Trump has filed a libel lawsuit against the newspaper and its publisher Rupert Murdoch. He went on to post, on the Truth Social platform, 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!'. Mr. Trump's publicity woes regarding Epstein have been compounded, however, not due to any action by Democrats, but the fact that far-right MAGA groups, including conspiracy theorists such as QAnon, who believe that the U.S. government, media, and financial worlds are controlled by elites associated with a global child sex trafficking operation, have been applying pressure on the administration within Republican circles. Even prior to the latest report linking Mr. Trump and Epstein, the President had said that some 'stupid Republicans... have fallen into the net' in asking for more information to be released. Now, it is possible that lawmakers in the House of Representatives will have the opportunity to vote on the decision to release the documents relating to the prosecution of Epstein, relying on a legislative mechanism known as a 'discharge petition'. A bipartisan team, led by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, has proposed this petition under the moniker of the 'Epstein Files Transparency Act', which, if it is passed with 218 signatures, could require the Attorney General to 'make publicly available ... all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice…' relating to Epstein. Mr. Trump may soon discover that while it helps his policy agenda to have a federal government trifecta and a sympathetic Supreme Court, his political prospects ultimately rest upon his support base, and it is one that is capable of abruptly turning the tide against him.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
How QAnon movement entered mainstream politics in US – and why the silence on Epstein files matters
The Justice Department asked a federal court on July 18, 2025, to unseal grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein's case. The direction from President Donald Trump came after weeks of frustration among some far-right groups over his administration's refusal to release the complete and unredacted 'Epstein files.' Epstein, a wealthy financier with high-profile connections, was arrested in 2019 on sex trafficking charges and later died by suicide in a Manhattan jail awaiting trial. In early 2025, a federal court unsealed portions of the court documents. While names of some of the alleged clients and victims were released, many were redacted or withheld. Epstein's arrest and death became a central focus for QAnon followers, who saw them as proof of a hidden global elite engaged in child trafficking and protected by powerful institutions. The release – or withholding – of the Epstein files is often cited within QAnon movement circles as evidence of a broader cover-up by the so-called 'deep state.' Some followers of the MAGA – Make America Great Again – movement and the Republican Party believe in the false claim that the United States is secretly controlled by a cabal of elites who are pedophiles, sex traffickers and satanists. Over time, what started as a baseless conspiracy on obscure platforms has migrated into the mainstream. It has influenced rhetoric and policy debates, and even reshaped the American political landscape. The foundational belief of many of the QAnon followers is that Trump is a heroic figure fighting the elite pedophile ring. Trump's attempts at downplaying or obstructing the very disclosures they believe would validate their worldview has led to confusion. To some, the delay in the release of the files feels like a betrayal, or even the possibility of his wrongdoing. Others are trying to reinterpret Trump's actions through increasingly baseless conspiracy logic. Trump has publicly dismissed demands for the full release of the Epstein Files as a 'hoax.' He has also made false claims. On July 15, 2025, Trump said: 'And I would say that, you know, these files were made up by Comey. They were made up by Obama.' As a scholar who studies extremism, I know that the movement views Trump as a mythological figure and it interprets Trump's actions to fit this overarching narrative – an elasticity which makes the movement both durable and dangerous.
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
'The Epstein case is a new version of the classic conspiracy against authentic America'
Since his arrest for orchestrating a child sexual abuse network and his death in custody on August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein's name has been continuously associated with various conspiracy theories. As soon as news of his death broke, the idea that "Epstein didn't kill himself" went viral within far-right online communities. Behind this phrase lies the theory that justice was prevented from completing its work, stopped by powerful and secret forces intent on protecting their own unspeakable interests. The suicide narrative, according to this belief, was merely a convenient – perhaps too convenient – smokescreen to cover up the truth: surveillance cameras (conveniently?) failed, his cell was (deliberately?) left unmonitored, medical reports (intentionally?) contradicted each other, and so on. In this version, everything is connected, nothing happens by chance, and everything is a matter of lies and manipulation. Epstein's supposed list of clients guilty of sexual violence remains fantastical. But it is true that the parties organized by the financier were attended by well-known figures from politics, tech, film, and music, such as Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Michael Jackson – and even Donald Trump. What better fuel for the most lurid speculation about a network of elite child abusers orchestrating their own impunity? The Epstein case thus encapsulated a worldview and rhetoric typical of binary conspiratorial and populist discourses: them against us, the threatening other (elites, minorities, foreigners) against the good and virtuous people. From 2019 on, for conspiracy-minded circles of the alt-right, for QAnon supporters, and for fans of commentator Alex Jones, Epstein became a new version of the classic plot against authentic America, involving a satanic network, Hollywood, the deep state, the liberal left, or the Democratic Party. In this narrative, Trump was cast as the would-be champion of the real America, supposedly set to restore true values: "Make America Great Again!"
