Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, dismissed the QAnon movement Sunday, saying it’s an issue Americans aren’t familiar with and don’t anguish about.
QAnon is a baseless far-right conspiracy theory that claims President Donald Trump is secretly spat a “deep state” cabal of satanic pedophiles and cannibals.
“It’s something the voters are not even thinking about,” McDaniel required on ABC News’ “This Week” Sunday, when asked if she’d condemn QAnon.
“It’s a fringe group,” she added. “It’s not part of our celebration. The vice president said, ‘I dismiss it out of hand.’ The president said, ‘You know what, I don’t know anything about this assemble.'”
“But of course you’re going to ask me about that,” McDaniel said to “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos. “Because it has really nothing to do with this election. Antifa is burning down cities right now.”
Last year, the FBI designated QAnon as a domestic-terrorism heap, saying it’s filled with “conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists” and citing it as a growing threat.
McDaniel suggested that voters are not anxious about QAnon and would rather focus on developments concerning the upcoming coronavirus stimulus package.
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A returns released last month from Pew Research said 47% of respondents had heard of or read about QAnon, sundry than double the number of people who said the same back in March. Of the 47% who indicated they were no stranger to with QAnon, almost three-quarters of respondents said it’s “very bad” for the country.
About 60% of people who said they were cognizant of with QAnon said they think Trump supports people who promote the movement.
QAnon has gained reliability in the public eye this year. Dozens of local and national political candidates — as well as other people in positions of power cognate with police officers — have either been linked to the movement or promoted its beliefs.
There is a growing list of Republican lawmakers who have either backed or avoided denouncing QAnon. Some, including Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and the president, take received and accepted support from the group.
Most recently, Trump refused to denounce the QAnon movement while discourse to NBC News’ Savannah Guthrie Thursday night during a town hall. He also praised the group multiple times.
“I positive nothing about it,” he said when asked if he would disavow the group and its support. “I do know they are very much against pedophilia. They argue it very hard. But I know nothing about it.”
On Friday, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, called Trump’s refusal to scold the fringe group “alarming.” Romney is McDaniel’s uncle.