QAnon Followers are a Danger to American Democracy

It’s been six months since QAnon posted online. The last post by QAnon, known as a Q drop, was on December 8th. After the January 6th Capitol insurrection, many Q believers lost faith in QAnon and its prophecies. For other believers, they are now looking for answers and scouring previous Q drops for clues. 

Radicalization and recruitment into extremist groups usually begins with individuals who are dissatisfied with their lives, who lack security, and who want to feel good about themselves and their identity groups. Oftentimes a life-altering event has taken place, such as divorce, death of a family member, loss of job, or home. As individuals try to make sense of recent events, they begin to look for answers. During this time, they usually experience feelings of dissatisfaction, feelings of low self-worth, and become withdrawn from society. 

During this time, people find themselves vulnerable to misinformation and more willing to subscribe to conspiracy theories to make sense of the world around them. For QAnon believers, Q checked all the boxes. It created an online community where people would crawl through online data sources for clues to solve mysterious Q drops. Q believers shared theories, enjoyed rewards through engagement, and found a sense of belonging in the Q community with other like-minded individuals. 

With QAnon MIA from the message boards, its followers are left with no direction or answers as to why so many of Q’s prophecies never came true. The Q-sized hole left in the corners of the internet is problematic for American democracy; specifically because of the QAnon believers who are holding hope Q will return. These individuals are at risk for recruitment by other online extremist organizations. 

Seeing an opening for recruitment, white supremacy groups have begun to work intentionally to recruit disillusioned QAnon followers by offering a way forward on the path of acceptance and further radicalization. QAnon may not be active anymore but his followers are, and they’re looking for answers. This poses a threat to our democracy because it has created an opening for domestic extremist organizations to recruit QAnon followers such as the Sovereign Citizens Movement, whose ideas have previously found its way into QAnon mythology. The susceptibility of QAnon followers joining other extremist organizations and devoting their time and energies to becoming entrenched with other more extreme domestic terror groups is troubling. 

FBI and other intelligence agencies have identified white supremacists and extremists as the largest threat to American democracy. Also making the list are domestic violent extremist QAnon adherents who the FBI note in a warning to lawmakers, “likely will begin to believe they can no longer “trust the plan” referenced in QAnon posts and that they have an obligation to change from serving as “digital soldiers” towards engaging in real world violence — including harming perceived members of the “cabal” such as Democrats and other political opposition — instead of continually awaiting Q’s promised actions which have not occurred.”

The threat is not QAnon, it’s the Q followers. Since Q’s last post in December, and in the wake of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, many Q followers have been left out in the cold looking for answers. QAnon may have retreated, but its followers remain and as a result an opening has been created for other domestic terrorist groups who are ready, willing, and able to provide Q followers a home where their extremist ideology is welcomed, embraced, and emboldened. 

Not all QAnon followers will continue down the path of radicalization, in fact, some individuals have already disengaged with the QAnon movement. However, the people who continue to embrace Q remain vulnerable to recruitment by other domestic violent extremists, and continue to be a threat to America’s national security.