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

by Will Sommer

QAnon has also entered local politics. Following Flynn’s advice, Anons are running for school board seats, where they can influence school coronavirus policies and lesson plans.

Worst of all, the idea of a deep-state cabal that operates with impunity has become ingrained in the Republican Party’s mindset.

If Republicans think elections aren’t legitimate, then it’s more likely that they’ll support any measure to take power. American democracy will enter a death spiral.

Conspiracy theories have always been with us. But the combination of America’s polarized politics and social media helped QAnon surpass the conspiracy theories that came before it, creating a superviral conspiracy theory and even menacing American democracy.

QAnon’s growth is a story about how Trump and the Republican Party decided to capitalize on QAnon’s growth for their own benefit. The president and Republican leaders could have easily dismissed it a year or two after it began. Instead they decided to tolerate its growth within their party. Republican voters, meanwhile, were too committed to their party to keep QAnon supporters like Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene out of Congress.

It’s difficult to imagine Republicans participating in any sort of bipartisan government solution to disinformation,

Ultimately, I think the best solution to conspiracy theories comes from building a government that fulfills its citizens’ basic needs, so people aren’t driven to find comfort in conspiracy theories in the first place. Throughout my reporting, it became clear to me how many people found QAnon because they felt marginalized.

If people are driven to conspiracy theories because they feel disrespected in their lives, then the solution is to treat all people with more dignity.

America’s polarized atmosphere guarantees that conspiracy theories will remain a force in our politics, especially as the 2024 election approaches. If it’s not QAnon, this strain of totalitarian, violent, conspiracy theory thinking will remain with us.