- The mayor of a small town in
Washington state said in a radio broadcast that the unfounded conspiracy theoryQAnon was a "truth movement that encourages you to think for yourself." - Sequim Mayor William Armacost said in the August 27 radio interview that the conspiracy theory's believers are "fighting for humanity, truth, freedom, and saving children and others from human trafficking."
- QAnon, the conspiracy theory centered on the notion that President Trump can help save the world from a deep-state cabal of elites, has been linked to several crimes.
- Armacost is not the first politician to speak out in favor of the unfounded conspiracy theory.
As the unfounded conspiracy theory QAnon continues to enter the mainstream, a mayor in Washington state has shown support for it in a recent radio broadcast.
In the August 27 radio interview, Sequim Mayor William Armacost called QAnon a "truth movement that encourages you to think for yourself."
Armacost continued, saying, "If you remove Q from that equation, it's patriots from all over the world fighting for humanity, truth, freedom, and saving children and others from human trafficking, exposing the evil and corruption of the last century in hopes of leaving a better future for our children and grandchildren."
Armacost was responding to a question regarding his opinions on QAnon being called a potential domestic terrorist threat by the FBI during a KSQM 91.5 FM show called "Coffee With the Mayor."
The resident who submitted the question to the radio station referred to Armacost as a "QAnon enthusiast," and the mayor said it was a "great" question. A recording of the interview is available on the city's website.
Armacost, the mayor of a town of 7,640 people, according to the US Census Bureau, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
There is no evidence to support the QAnon conspiracy theory
QAnon is a conspiracy theory network based on the notion that President Donald Trump is working to defeat a deep-state cabal of elite figures who control the government, as well as other sectors of the US, including entertainment and finance.
The theory is also a misguided rallying cry against human trafficking, falsely alleging that Democrats and celebrities, including Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey, are involved in child trafficking rings.
In the interview, Armacost encouraged listeners to find a video by the user "Joe M" called "Q — The Plan to Save the World," to learn more about the movement.
The video, which has 4.9 million views, is one of the main resources QAnon followers promote to explain their beliefs. It contains several pieces of misinformation, including the central claim that "good guys" in the US government had a "plan to reclaim the world from the cabal and return it to the people."
Armacost's belief that QAnon supporters are "patriots" who are "exposing evil and corruption" is a common thread within the movement, as it's been watered down by a massive shift towards "Save the Children" messaging, which came in tandem with lifestyle influencers spreading QAnon on Instagram under the pretense of ending child trafficking.
The Peninsula Daily News, a local outlet, reported that Armacost said in a September 3 interview that he had "some strong opinions" others might disagree with. "I would remind people that I have constitutional rights that they choose to ignore," he said, according to the Peninsula Daily News.
Some political figures continue to show support for QAnon, despite the crimes that have been linked to the conspiracy theory
President Trump himself said in an August 19 press conference that QAnon supporters were "people that love our country," emboldening devotees nationwide.
The president has also praised Marjorie Taylor Greene, a GOP House candidate in Georgia's 14th District, who has repeatedly shown support for, and expressed belief in, QAnon.
Research from Media Matters for America shows that, including Greene, there are 21 QAnon-supporting Congressional candidates on ballots in November.
As QAnon has grown in its popularity worldwide, it has also become increasingly dangerous.
The FBI field office in Phoenix said in a 2019 memo that QAnon posed a potential domestic terrorism threat, and there have been at least two killings and one attempted kidnapping linked to adherents of the movement.
- Read more:
- QAnon is leaking into the mainstream, moving from internet fringes to primetime cable news as Americans keep falling for the unfounded conspiracy theory
- QAnon conspiracy theorists have been linked to a killing and multiple armed stand-offs. Here are the criminal allegations connected to the movement and its followers.
- Lindsey Graham says QAnon is 'bats--- crazy' after Trump defended the conspiracy theory's followers
- The CDC has faced an onslaught of calls about a COVID-19 conspiracy theory linked to QAnon