For some diehards of the QAnon conspiracy theory, vindication is just a day away. And that’s got law enforcement on edge, preparing for another attack on the US Capitol.
On March 4th, according to posts on QAnon forums, the much anticipated “storm” will finally arrive. President Joe Biden – along with other Democrats – will be arrested and executed. Donald Trump, QAnon’s unlikely redeemer, will return to the White House. And celebrities and bankers will be held accountable for their perceived sins.
This outlandish theory even has a name, “True Inauguration Day.”
It’s perhaps too easy to mock QAnon and its reality-challenged assertions, even if the group has millions of members. But Capitol Police are taking the online chatter seriously, pledging to have extra security personnel on duty. CNN’s Jim Sciutto reports that Capitol Police have obtained intelligence suggesting that a militia group might try to breach the Capitol.
Authorities are nervous that March 4th’s “True Inauguration Day” could be a rallying point like January 6th’s “Stop the Steal.” According to a USA Today Analysis, 13 of 266 people arrested in connection with the “Stop the Steal” riot have subscribed to QAnon theories.
March 4th, in QAnon lore, is not just a random day on the calendar. It was chosen because it was the date for all presidential inaugurations until 1933, when the 20th amendment moved the swearing-in ceremony to January.
The “storm” – which would purportedly rid the US of the Democrats and elites who run a satanic child sex cult – was originally scheduled for January 20th. Alas, instead of summary executions, the Biden administration took control of the executive branch. For QAnon adherents, the peaceful transition of power was merely one blow in a series of setbacks and failed predictions: in recent months, social media companies deplatformed the movement’s biggest personalities; scores of true believers lost faith in the movement; even Q himself, the anonymous internet personality who launched the conspiracy theory in 2017, has gone silent. Of course, Donald Trump lost the 2020 election by millions of votes.
Writing in The Conversation, Richard Amesbury, a professor of religious studies at Arizona State University, explains why conspiracy theorists often amend their beliefs when they don’t comport with reality:
Apocalyptic movements rarely simply dissolve when prophecies are seen to fail. Indeed, such crises have in the past presented believers with fertile opportunities to reinterpret prophecies. They have even strengthened movements, giving rise to new theories that attempt to explain the shortcomings of earlier ones.
UPDATE: The House adjourned for the week on Wednesday evening after security officials warned again of a possible attack on Thursday.
