Believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory were part of the mob that stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. Even though the movement’s figurehead went silent for months, followers continue to try to influence American politics – but their tactics have changed. Members of a coalition assembled by a QAnon influencer are running for public office in more than a dozen states, targeting positions that control elections. Among them are Jim Marchant, a Republican candidate for secretary of state of Nevada, and Doug Mastriano, who won a fierce primary battle to win the Republican nomination for governor of Pennsylvania. They’re both part of the America First Secretary of State (SOS) Coalition, a group that was founded by a mysterious QAnon influencer who operates under the pseudonym “Juan O Savin”.
We investigate what the coalition trying to do – and what influence QAnon still has on American politics today.
Presenter: Mike Wendling
Producer: Sam Judah
Picture caption: Jake Angeli (left), the so-called “QAnon Shaman”, pictured at a rally in Washington in December 2020.
Picture credit: Getty Images