What's happening

QAnon beliefs continue to poison politics, regardless of who is in the White House..

Why it matters

The debunked conspiracy theory will be in play during the upcoming midterm elections, but that doesn't mean you have to fall for it.

The QAnon conspiracy theory falsely claims that former President Donald Trump fought a hidden war against a cabal of Satanist pedophiles in Hollywood and the Democratic Party while he was in the White House. Believers in the conspiracy theory's ridiculous assertions originating back in 2017 continue to infect the body politic, and that could have serious ramifications as the midterm elections draw closer.

The nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute, a nonprofit that researches the intersection of religion, culture and public policy, released a study in February showing that nearly 16% of Americans believe the core QAnon conspiracy theory.

"QAnon has evolved from a movement centered around Trump leading a secret military intelligence operation to save the world, into a movement that not only doesn't need Trump but doesn't even need the iconography it developed over the past four years," said Mike Rothschild, conspiracy researcher and author of The Storm Is Upon Us, which provides a history of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Conspiracy theories can be dangerous and even deadly, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccine misinformation leading to some people succumbing to the virus. Despite being repeatedly debunked,...

Read Full Story: https://www.cnet.com/news/misinformation/false-qanon-conspiracies-in-politics...