After mainstream exposure, Q-Anon is starting to fracture

Who would've thunk?

LUKE BARNES AUG 6, 2018, 12:31 PM

Last Tuesday, a conspiracy theory that had been festering in the fringes of the Trump-friendly internet burst into the mainstream, when some supporters of the President were seen holding QAnon signs at a Trump rally in Florida.

Media outlets rushed to explain, debunk, and “analyze” the conspiracy, which broadly claims that Trump is fighting a global cabal of deep-state pedophiles who also like to indulge in Satanic Abuse at cement plants in Arizona. In response, naturally, the popularity of Q exploded, and the main QAnon subreddit (the topical page on Reddit where proponents gather online) quickly posted disclaimers about how they were neither violent nor a cult, but merely “researchers.”

Whatever they prefer to be called, their views don’t hold up to any amount of scrutiny, and this week, the newfound media attention began to deeply splinter the movement. Pro-Trump posters are embarrassed by the conspiracy, former supporters are trying to backtrack on claims they ever believed it, and posters on 4chan and 8chan are just viciously trolling everyone.

Let’s start with the pro-Trump posters, who have been eagerly disavowing QAnon. Townhall columnist Kurt Schilchter described QAnon as “frivolous nonsense,” while Trump fanboy and alleged fraudster said it was “BS” to contemplate that Trump was actually working with Mueller. In a Reddit discussion, former Press Secretary Sean Spicer simply replied “No.” when asked whether QAnon was legitimate. Even WikiLeaks has jumped onboard to call QAnon a “Pied Piper” operation.

https://thinkprogress.org/after-mainstream-exposure-q-anon-is-starting-to-fracture-197314a16834/