by BLOOMBERG / pic by BLOOMBERG
WASHINGTON • Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene (picture), who has expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, won Georgia’s open 14th Congressional District, the Associated Press projected.
Greene ran unopposed in the reliably Republican district after Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal said in September he was dropping out of the race for family and personal reasons. Greene, who has been criticised for racist comments and violent rhetoric, stunned the Republican establishment with her primary victory in the district. President Donald Trump called her a “future Republican star.”
Earlier, Bloomberg reported that The House voted on a bipartisan basis to condemn the loose collection of conspiracy theories known as QAnon, which has gained increasing political influence in a segment of the Republican base.
“Throughout history, conspiracy theories just like this one has fuelled prejudice, terrorism and even genocide,” representative Tom Malinowski, a New Jersey Democrat and the bill’s lead sponsor, said. “QAnon is like a pill that immunises you against objective reality.”
The bill had three Republican co-sponsors: representatives Denver Riggleman, Adam Kinzinger and Brian Fitzpatrick. It passed on a 371-18 vote.
QAnon emerged from the backwaters of the Internet in 2017 and has since made significant inroads into mainstream American politics. Some two dozen candidates who sought to get on the ballot for Congress this year having expressed belief in or support for QAnon, most of them running as Republicans. Two of those candidates won in heavily Republican districts and have good chances of getting elected to the House in November.
Adherents believe that Democratic politicians, celebrities and supposed members of a “deep state” bureaucracy are involved in a slew of practices involving cannibalism, paedophilia rings, Satanism and secret judicial proceedings. They believe that Trump is battling these forces for control of the government.
Trump has retweeted QAnon content on multiple occasions and, when asked about the conspiracy theory at a news conference on Aug 19, he said: “I don’t know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate.” — Bloomberg