As QAnon diehards grapple with the fact that the “plan” to return Donald Trump to The White House has failed, they may become increasingly violent, according to a new warning from the FBI.
The FBI bulletin – distributed to congressional lawmakers earlier this month – assesses that frustrations are mounting within the QAnon world. Not only have social media companies de-platformed the movement, but QAnon’s most closely held predictions have never materialized. Now, many adherents are looking to move beyond being “digital soldiers.” They believe they have an “obligation” to engage in “real world violence.”
QAnon adherents assert – without evidence – that the U.S. is controlled by a ‘cabal’ of satan-worshipping pedophiles. They believe Trump is a savior and that he’ll be reinstated to the presidency, which was stolen from him.
The FBI reports that QAnon message boards are filled with messages that the shockingly large community can no longer “trust the plan.” Instead, the FBI fears, QAnon diehards may try to instigate change by “harming perceived members of the ‘cabal’ such as Democrats and other political opposition.”
Believers in the sprawling network of conspiracy theories have already turned to violence.The FBI reports that it has arrested twenty “self-identified QAnon adherents who participated in the 6 January violent unlawful entry of the Capitol.”
On Tuesday, the Biden administration debuted four “pillars” in the fight against domestic violent extremism (DVE). From ABC News:
The strategy will center on information sharing, thwarting DVE recruitment and mobilization efforts, disrupting activity before violence occurs and addressing the long-term issues that lead to domestic violent extremism.