The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has claimed, without evidence, that followers of the online conspiracy theory known as “QAnon” may get more violent in their efforts to oppose the Deep State, according to CNN.
The FBI made the claim in a report to members of Congress, as the latest briefing related to the mostly peaceful protests that took place at the United States Capitol on January 6th. Allegedly, followers of the conspiracy believe that they must begin actively taking matters into their own hands and can no longer trust the mysterious and unknown leader of the group, known simply as “Q.”
QAnon is the long-standing belief among some supporters of President Donald Trump that the president had a secret plan in motion to eventually take down the Deep State, which consists of multiple corrupt federal agencies, particularly the intelligence agencies such as the FBI and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Although it is well-known that such agencies were actively working to undermine the Trump presidency and have long been rife with corruption, no material actions ultimately occurred under the Trump Administration to curb their power and influence, or to clear out corrupt actors.
“Q,” the unknown anonymous leader of the group, was allegedly an administration insider who leaked information to various internet forums, with the oft-repeated phrase “Trust the plan.” But since President Trump’s removal from office, likely due to widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election that benefitted Joe Biden, followers of Q have grown more disillusioned with “the plan.” According to the FBI’s report, while some adherents have left the movement altogether, others are still convinced of “the plan,” and that they simply need to become even more engaged as “digital soldiers” in order to alter the direction of the movement.
There were multiple Q supporters in the crowd of protesters who peacefully entered the Capitol on January 6th as Congress was tabulating the Electoral College results, protesting the voter fraud and suspicious circumstances that occurred in multiple swing states, with the simple demand that the votes be sent back to the states for proper review. The one and only person who died at the Capitol as a result of the protest, U.S. Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt – who was murdered by a plainclothes Capitol Police officer – was allegedly a supporter of Q.
The FBI said in its report that it had arrested “more than 20 self-identified QAnon adherents who participated in the January 6th unlawful entry of the Capitol. These individuals,” according to the report, “were charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct in a restricted building and obstruction of an official proceeding.”