House lawmakers have started a bipartisan effort to condemn the fringe group QAnon and what they call “the conspiracy theories it promotes.”
The effort is being led by Reps. Denver Riggleman, a Virginia Republican, and Tom Malinowski, a New Jersey Democrat.
They introduced a resolution Tuesday condemning the group, whose network of followers are known for pushing such conspiracy theories as Democratic leaders being associated with devil-worshipping pedophiles.
The theories are found in the deep corners of the internet such as message boards 4chan and 8chan.
One theory pushed during the 2016 presidential campaign was that Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta was connected with a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant that had sex-slave children chained in the basement.
A North Carolina man so believed such postings that he drove to the restaurant and went inside with a gun looking to free the children. QAnon postings this year revived the now-debunked "PizzaGate" conspiracy theory.
“QAnon is arguably no longer simply a fringe conspiracy theory but an ideology that has demonstrated its capacity to radicalize to violence individuals at an alarming speed,” Riggleman and Malinowski say in their resolution, quoting a report from the Combating Terrorism Center at the West Point Military Academy.
They also point out in the resolution that Facebook, Google and Twitter have removed or blocked QAnon groups and content from their platform for violating their policies against misinformation, bullying, hate speech and harassment.
Vice President Mike Pence and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have each denounced the group.
President Trump has been less clear on his position.
“I’ve heard these are people that love our country,” he said at a recent press conference.
He also responded to a reporter’s question at the event about whether he knew about one QAnon theory that he’s secretly saving the world from the satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals.
“I haven’t heard that,” Trump said. “But 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’m willing to do it. I’m willing to put myself out there.”
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/house-lawmakers-draft-bipartisan-resolution-condemning-qanon-and-its