QAnon is a far-right American political conspiracy theory and decentralized movement that emerged in late 2017 on internet message boards such as 4chan. It centers on the claims of an anonymous individual or group known as "Q," who claimed to have high-level government clearance and access to classified information about a supposed global conspiracy.
The core belief of QAnon is that a secret cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic child molesters—allegedly including prominent politicians (mostly Democrats), business leaders, Hollywood figures, and others—operates a global child sex trafficking ring and controls the world through a "deep state" government. QAnon followers believe that former President Donald Trump is secretly fighting against this cabal and will eventually bring about a day of reckoning known as "the Storm," when the members of the cabal will be arrested and punished.
QAnon is notable for its amalgamation of various conspiracy theories, including antisemitic tropes and elements of earlier theories like Pizzagate. The movement has spread widely online and offline, with adherents sometimes engaging in violent or disruptive actions, and its ideas have influenced mainstream political discourse in the United States.