- President Donald Trump embraced supporters of the far-right, pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy from the White House podium during a press briefing on Wednesday evening.
- Trump claimed he doesn't know much about the QAnon "movement," but said followers of the conspiracy "like me very much, which I appreciate."
- The president insisted he is "saving the world from a radical left philosophy" after being told by a reporter that the conspiracy holds he is "secretly saving the world from this Satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals."
- The FBI warned last year that QAnon may pose a domestic terror threat. Some of the conspiracy's followers have been arrested and charged with violent crimes.
- In one case, a QAnon supporter was charged with murdering a New York mafia leader last year. Another conspiracist was arrested earlier this year after threatening to murder presidential candidate Joe Biden.
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President Donald Trump embraced supporters of the far-right, pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy group from the White House podium during a press briefing on Wednesday evening.
Trump claimed he doesn't know much about the QAnon "movement," but said followers of the conspiracy "like me very much, which I appreciate."
"These are people who don't like seeing what's going on in places like Portland, in places like Chicago and New York and other cities and states," he went on. "These are people who love our country."
The reporter explained that the conspiracy holds Trump "is secretly saving the world from this Satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals."
"Does that sound like something you are behind?" she asked.
Trump replied, "I haven't heard that, but is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing? I mean, you know, if I can help save the world from problems, I'm willing to do it, I'm willing to put myself out there."
And then he went further, arguing that he is, in fact, saving the country and the world.
"We are, actually. We're saving the world from a radical left philosophy that will destroy this country. And when this country is gone, the rest of the world would follow," he said. "The rest of the world would follow."
The FBI warned last year that QAnon may pose a domestic terror threat. Some of the conspiracy's followers have been arrested and charged with violent crimes. In one case, a QAnon supporter was charged with murdering a New York mafia leader last year. Another conspiracist was arrested earlier this year after threatening to murder presidential candidate Joe Biden.
The president has shared retweeted and otherwise promoted dozens of messages from QAnon supporters but hadn't directly addressed the conspiracy before Wednesday. At least two Republican congressional candidates who've voiced support for the conspiracy are poised to win House seats in November.
Trump's comments came just hours after Facebook cracked down on QAnon conspiracists as part of a larger effort to police "offline anarchist groups that support violent acts amidst protests, US-based militia organizations and QAnon."
Via PakApNews