How QAnon Developed from a Fringe Group to a Digital Surrogate for the GOP

• In Event: The Crisis of Liberal Democracy: Connective Action & the Rise of the Far-Right

Abstract

In this study, we examine the rise of the QAnon conspiracy theory group as it develops from a fringe online community to a constituency within the U.S. Republican party. As an exploration of nascent and developing digital surrogate, we apply a chronological approach to understand QAnon’s development, leveraging an extensive collection of QAnon content gathered from various online social media platforms. This can be broken down into the following stages: (1) the start stage, (2) the growth stage, (3) a political opportunity, (4) a transformation point. We explore each phase in three ways: narrative shifts, organizational development, and institutional relationships. In doing so, we show how the group’s relationship with the Republican Party becomes mutually beneficial over time: Republicans grant QAnon perceived legitimacy, whereas QAnon operates as a key voting blocs.

Authors

• Josephine Lukito, University of Texas at Austin

• Yunkang Yang

• Sang Jung Kim, University of Iowa