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The FBI warned lawmakers this week of the potential threat of “real-world violence” from QAnon conspiracy theorists based on chatter born out of frustration that the Q’s predictions have not come to fruition.
The FBI is issuing a warning to lawmakers after observing chatter from QAnon followers who profess they “can no longer trust the plan.” The cryptic message refers to the predictions of the group’s anonymous and enigmatic leader, referred to as “Q.”
The FBI believes that, born out of frustration that Q’s predictions have failed to materialize, followers of QAnon may engage in “real-world violence” against political opponents.
An unclassified threat assessment by the FBI on QAnon was sent to lawmakers last week, CNN reported, after obtaining a copy of the report.
The report concluded that the belief that QAnon “can no longer trust the plan” suggests that followers may seek to harm perceived members of the ‘cabal’ such as Democrats and other political opposition – instead of continually awaiting Q’s promised actions which have not occurred.”
The FBI believes individuals who follow QAnon may come to believe they need to take stronger control of the movement than they have before, The Hill reported.
The FBI bulletin warns some adherents are “likely will begin to believe” they have an “obligation” to transform themselves from “serving as ‘digital soldiers’ towards engaging in real world violence” against Democrats and “other political opposition,” according to Reuters.
However, the FBI is also considering that the proclamation that QAnon followers “can no longer trust the plan” could also have an opposite meaning. It could also refer to the idea that Q’s predictions have no merit.
“Other QAnon adherents likely will disengage from the movement or reduce their involvement in the wake of the administration change,” the FBI report added, referring to the Biden administration and Trump’s departure from office.
QAnon began as the username an anonymous person or persons, thereafter referred to as “Q,” that posted insider information about the supposed goings-on behind the scenes in Washington.
In essence, “Q” believes there is a cabal – the swamp – that has been working to take down Trump even before he was in office.
Early QAnon followers saw themselves as patriots, with many professing Christian faith. In defending their beliefs, they point to the actions of the Democratic Party in collusion with members of the FBI, offering the Russia hoax and the impeachment hoax as evidence of their claims.
Mainstream media and the FBI portray QAnon followers in a different light, as that of a cult of conspiracy theorists. According to Reuters: “[QAnon followers ] Believers in the conspiracy theory – which casts former President Donald Trump as a savior figure and elite Democrats as a cabal of Satanist pedophiles and cannibals.”
Reuters added: “[QAnon followers] played a prominent role in the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol.”
In the early days of the movement, followers believed that the anonymous QAnon or Q, was someone with very close access to the president due to the factual content of some of QAnon’s posts, which they say occurred even before the White House or media outlets reported on particular events, and the information, they believed, were things that only someone in close proximity to the president could be privy to.
The messages were coded and required deciphering work to unravel. According to the theory, this puzzle-like phrasing (think Nostradamus quatrains) was because Q knew that the enemies of Trump were also reading the posts, and therefore uses disinformation as well to throw off those not doing the work to decipher the messages. Their motto for messages became: “Trust but verify.”
Official QAnon posts were originally made at 4Chan, then 8Chan. QAnon moderators and followers later moved information to Twitter and Facebook. That’s when things went completely off the rails and the conspiracies got wilder and more exaggerated as larger groups of people jumped on the bandwagon and diluted the original source, followers say.
Defenders of QAnon say after the movement transitioned to social media platforms, it became impossible to discern what was coming from Q, the real source, and fake messages from imitators. Because of this, they say, it led to a portrayal of followers as crazed conspiracy therapists, and likewise resulted in everything QAnon-related to be written off as baseless.
