ToplineAdherents of the rapidly growing pro-Trump conspiracy movement QAnon descended upon Dallas over Memorial Day weekend for a conference that spawned a number of viral moments which underscore both the severity of the group’s beliefs and its increasingly mainstream status in some GOP circles. OREGON, USA - MARCH 28 : A Qanon supporter is chased by black bloc counter-protesters. (Photo by John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesKey FactsKey BackgroundThe QAnon conspiracy movement emerged during the 2016 election and baselessly posits that Trump was combating a cabal of bureaucrats, liberal politicians and Hollywood figures running an underground child sex trafficking cult. The movement expanded considerably during Trump’s presidency, though Trump’s election loss and increasingly strict new social media content policies appear to have curbed some of that growth. TangentThe event – tickets for which went for $500 each – was reportedly organized by John Sabal, known in QAnon circles as “QAnon John.”Big Number79.

Source: Forbes May 31, 2021 18:00 UTC