Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America

by Will Sommer

At its heart, QAnon has a simple message: the world is run by a cabal of Satanic cannibal-pedophiles from the ranks of the Democratic Party, Hollywood, and global finance who sexually abuse children and even drink their blood in rituals. The U.S. military, which has resisted joining the otherwise all-encompassing cabal, recruited Donald Trump to run for president to oppose this evil group of elitists. And someday soon he’s going to purge all his foes in a violent, cathartic moment called “The Storm,” with his opponents ending up either imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay or executed by military tribunals. All of the world’s problems—and yours—will be solved forever. QAnon’s dream of the Storm persisted even after Trump left office with his purge unfulfilled. Q’s followers brushed off their electoral defeat and the apparent failure of Q’s prophecies. Perhaps the deep state was too hard for Trump to defeat this time. But he could always try again, with help from Q and his supporters.