1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Q and On is the world's largest online political conspiracy movement. 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: Followers believe someone code named Q is provided them with 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: secret information from inside the White House. No one really 4 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: knows the real identity of Q, though we aim to 5 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: change that. I'm Jake Hanrahan and this is Q Clearance, 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 1: a podcast series aimed unmasking the true identity of Q. 7 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: This is brought to you by I R Radio and 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 1: Q Dayta Media. In this first episode, will be getting 9 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: to grips with what Q and On is for those 10 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: that don't know, looking into the history of this strange movement, 11 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: and hearing from some of the main researchers involved in 12 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 1: trying to dismantle Q and On. On juneen, a man 13 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: blocked a bridge near the Hoover Dam with a homemade 14 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: armored vehicle. Inside. The man held firearms and nine hundred 15 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: rounds about nisition So now in FBI custody tonight after 16 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: blocking traffic on the Hoover damn bypassed bridge with a truck, 17 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: Arizona troopers say Right had a handgun and rifle inside 18 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: the truck and a note that read released the o 19 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: I G Report. According to police, he did this as 20 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: a protest, demanding that a report he'd heard about via 21 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: an online conspiracy be released to the public. This conspiracy 22 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: theory started in October. That's when someone calling themselves Q 23 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: Clearance Patriot first wrote a public message on the notorious 24 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: for Chan website. The original poster, now known as Q, 25 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: inferred that they were a US government insider with knowledge 26 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: that would expose a deep state conspiracy within American politics. 27 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: This spawned what is now the Q and On phenomena, 28 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: the conspiracy theory so complex that it's formed a cult 29 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: like following. Many of its followers think Q is associated 30 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: with Donald Trump and that he's cryptically community cating with 31 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: them via obscule image boards online. Hundreds of thousands of 32 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: people across the world believe in this now, and as 33 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: a result, Q and On has torn families apart, led 34 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: people to violence, and it's even infiltrating the highest levels 35 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: of government with disinformation. Now, more than seventy U S 36 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: congressional candidates of either shared or outright endorsed Q and 37 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 1: on material, and President Trump himself is even given availed 38 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: thumbs up to the movement. During the pandemic, the Q 39 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: and On movement has been appears to be getting a 40 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: lot of followers. Can you talk about what you think 41 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: about that and what you have to say to people 42 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: who are following this movement right now? Well, I don't 43 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: know much about the movement other than I understand they 44 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: like me very much, which I appreciate. But I don't 45 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: know much about the movement. It's difficult. That's the cross 46 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: of the theory. It is this belief that you are 47 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: secretly saving the world from this satanic cult of pedophiles 48 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: and cannibals. Does that sound like something you are behind 49 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: or I haven't. I haven't heard that. But is that 50 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing? 51 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: If if I can help save the world from As 52 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: I've already mentioned, outside of what the conspiracy community is saying, 53 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: nobody quite knows the true identity of Q. We want 54 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: to change that with this series, so we'll be looking 55 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: into the many different theories surrounding this, such as the 56 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: idea that the Q account has changed hands, that it's 57 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: the left wing hoax, and that it's been a way 58 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: for online grifters simply to make money off of adverts 59 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: on the websites. We're going to get into the intricacies 60 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: of what Q and on is and isn't what the 61 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: followers believe in trying to wrap our heads around the 62 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:50,119 Speaker 1: confusing Q map, and I'm going to try and attempt 63 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding Q and On. Now, 64 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: for me, this is something a little bit different because 65 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: primarily I'm what you might call a war report. I've 66 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: spent the last seven years working from various frontline battles 67 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: across the world. I've reported from Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Southeast Turkey, Palestine, 68 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: all over the place, and I currently run my own 69 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: grassroots conflict journalism platform called popular Front. But as one 70 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: as the war stuff, I've always been very online, spending 71 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: hours and hours on obscure message boards in Internet rabbit 72 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: holes and looking into the proliferation of conspiracy theories. I 73 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: know a bit, but I definitely need help with all 74 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: the Q and on stuff, so I've recruited Sarah Hightower 75 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 1: to assist with research. She's too shy to admit it 76 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: out in the open, but Sarah Hightower is one of 77 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: the best researchers of online extremism in America. She's completely 78 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: self taught, and in my opinion, understands Q and On 79 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: better than any of the academics and the welfared extremism 80 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,799 Speaker 1: experts working as talking heads for TV news. She cares 81 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: deeply for the people caught up in this, and after 82 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: years recreationally online in some of the most fringe parts 83 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: of the Internet, Sarah effectively speaks the language fluently as 84 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: I do. She thinks it's incredibly important to shine a 85 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: light on who actually is behind Q and on, whoever 86 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: the hell it is. They've been lying to people, manipulating people, 87 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: radicalizing people, and tearing families apart for like two years unchecked, 88 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: So I think finding out who it is, who it was, 89 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: and who it has been is very important because there's 90 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 1: got to be some accountability. She's very eccentric, a bit 91 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: of a web and it's kind of weird, and I 92 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: don't say that in a bad way. I think that's 93 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 1: what makes her so good. Sarah has also seen firsthand 94 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: the effects of Q and On. Early on mid to 95 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,559 Speaker 1: I had a friend of mine her parents stopped talking 96 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: to her in real life, so she reached out to 97 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: me and she said, Hey, do you think this Q 98 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: and on thing is occult? And I was like, what 99 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: are you talking about and she started explaining that like 100 00:05:55,960 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 1: her parents had started reading these things called Q drops 101 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: because apparently someone in the government with like a special 102 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 1: clearance was sending these super secret messages. And she said 103 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: that her parents had stopped talking to her and that 104 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: her stepdad, I think, just spent all of his time 105 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: watching Q tubers. I was like, what is a Q tube? 106 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: And so that's how I learned about it, and then 107 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: I tried to help her with her family, and that's 108 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 1: when I was like, oh, this is this is actually 109 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,160 Speaker 1: like a court called, isn't it? And it is so 110 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: clearly we're both critical of Q and on. Sarah thinks 111 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: it's some kind of cult. I think it's a bit 112 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: of a madness. But to give the listeners an idea 113 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 1: of what direction I'm taking with this investigation, it's worth 114 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,359 Speaker 1: knowing now that I am not a supporter of Hillary Clinton. 115 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: I am not a supporter of Donald Trump or any 116 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: of the others you've probably noticed British and whilst I'm 117 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,840 Speaker 1: not a particular fan of any politicianal government, I don't 118 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: really have a dog in this race. I am not 119 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: a political but I'm just not are interested in the 120 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: shrill partisan politics that have seemingly taken over in the US. 121 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: That's what it looks like over here across the pond. 122 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: Of course, a lot of people say, what do you know, 123 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: You're British? Forget about that, don't worry. This is about 124 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: the Q and On investigation. Why I am interested in 125 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: is how Q and on grew so huge so quickly, 126 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: and who's actually behind this. This podcast is not trying 127 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: to mark, demonize, or laugh at Q and On believers directly. 128 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: What we are trying to do is lay out why 129 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: anyone that's involved in Q and On, is Q and 130 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: On curious or has a family member set adrift with 131 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: this conspiracy, why they should consider rethinking their positions that 132 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:48,119 Speaker 1: and to simply report on our findings whilst looking into 133 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: the true identity of Q. We're not going to scream 134 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: at you, tell you're insane or glow, but we are 135 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: going to point out with evidence why we think Q 136 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: and On is a complete hoax. First things first, for 137 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: anyone who's out there still saying, what the funk even 138 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: his Q and On, let's tackle that bit to begin with. Now. Personally, 139 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: I would describe T and on as the largest somewhat 140 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: decentralized online conspiracy community on Earth right now. As I 141 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: mentioned at the start, the followers believe that the Donald 142 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: Trump administration will bring upon a new political age where 143 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: Democrats are hanged for treason, leftists around it up and imprisoned, 144 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: and a political deep state trying to rule America from 145 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: within will be defeated by Trump and Q. They think 146 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 1: Q is a high level political operative within the circles 147 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: of the White House. They think that he's chosen image 148 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,479 Speaker 1: boards such as four chan and h chan to secretly 149 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: relay information about the aforementioned plan to wreck the deep State. Now, 150 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: I know that sounds outlandish, but remember hundreds of thousands 151 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: of people across the world believe in this now, and 152 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: big political figures in America have been openly speaking about 153 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,559 Speaker 1: que as if it's a normal thing. The messages that 154 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,679 Speaker 1: Q posts are known as que drops and are often cryptic. 155 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: They predict things that never happened and availed in this 156 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: strange speak of a misdirection. Now, it might sound a 157 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: bit outlandish and kind of strange, but all of this 158 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: was incubated in the world of online image boards. You 159 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: might have heard of them, the chance four chan, h 160 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: and etcetera. Let's scale back a bit to explain what 161 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: these actually are and how they became the battleground for 162 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: Q now, I would describe these image boards as, arguably, 163 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: for better or worse, the last bastions of the early 164 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:49,959 Speaker 1: wild West version of the Internet that many of us 165 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: grew up with. I'm thirty years old. I spent a 166 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: lot of time as about fourteen fifteen, even younger on 167 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: the Internet before all the kind of rules came in, 168 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:01,719 Speaker 1: before social media relatic over, and you know it was, 169 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: it was a much more fun time. Um. But if 170 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: you've never seen one of these image boards before, it's 171 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: kind of an anonymous Internet bulletin board where you can 172 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: chat as well, so users will post up topics based 173 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 1: on their own interests. Each post needs to be started 174 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: with an image. Replies create a thread which is eventually deleted. 175 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 1: Nothing is archived on the actual image board itself. And 176 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: trust me, fortune is big and very influential on Internet culture, 177 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: even if you've never heard of it before. With around 178 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: twenty two million unique visitors a month, four chan is 179 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: the most well known and most infamous image board. It 180 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: was first launched in October two thousand and three by 181 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: American programmer Christopher Pool, also known as Moot. Moot, ran 182 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: four channel for eleven years before stepping down to go 183 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: work for Google. Fortune began as a place to share 184 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: anime images, and it quickly built its own online culture, 185 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: almost indecipherable to people not familiar with it. Many memes, 186 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: internet raids, and historic online pranks were founded on the 187 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 1: boards of four Chan. In recent years, though, four Chan 188 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: became known as a place that incubated the new Old 189 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: Right in the US, it was linked with scandal after scandal, 190 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 1: as school shooters, Nazi terrorists, and murderers all began posting 191 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: up on four Chan. Despite this, most of the boards 192 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: are actually completely harmless. For example, there's a board for origami, 193 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: there's a board for Pokemon, cooking the i y. It's 194 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 1: all there. It's not all bad. The oddity of the chance, though, 195 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 1: is that all these running tandem with boards that promote 196 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:47,439 Speaker 1: far right agendas, sexual abuse and anime a porn. Now. 197 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: I know that sounds outlandish, but remember hundreds of thousands 198 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,319 Speaker 1: of people across the world believe in this now, and 199 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:58,839 Speaker 1: big political figures in America have been openly speaking about 200 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:02,479 Speaker 1: que as if it's a normal thing. Trump's regular interaction 201 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:06,560 Speaker 1: with Q and On followers on Twitter is another thing 202 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: that gives them belief that this is all real. For example, 203 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: in July, he retweeted fourteen tweets from an account supporting 204 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 1: Q and On. Now, obviously Trump isn't going to look 205 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: at the bios and the accounts of the people he retweets. 206 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: He probably should seem as he's the president, but he 207 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: isn't going to do that. Q and On followers don't 208 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: see it as a coincidence. They think it's him saying yeah, 209 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: I'm with you, and that adds more gravity to the 210 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: messages that Q puts out online. These messages that Q 211 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: posts are known as Q drops. They predict things that 212 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: never happen and availed in this strange speak of a misdirection. 213 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: Q and Ons think this is all part of the plan, 214 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: though for d Chess at its most intelligent, oh when. 215 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: There's also a large helping of deep state pedophile theories 216 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: to Q and On, some of which are based in 217 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: the truth of Jeffrey Epstein's horrific elitist pedophile crimes, but 218 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 1: most of which are based on complete fantasy and rampant speculation. 219 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: For example, I was watching a prominent Q and on 220 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,719 Speaker 1: YouTuber a while ago, and he said that him and 221 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: many other Q and on followers believe that there's literally 222 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 1: a video of Hillary Clinton executing a child, cutting off 223 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 1: the child's face and wearing it as a mask. Somehow 224 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: such a video is actually never been released to a 225 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 1: seen yet the Q and on's are adamant that it exists. 226 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:44,559 Speaker 1: It's deeply disturbing stuff at times. Now, that's my basic 227 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: explanation of Q and on and the various facets to 228 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 1: what they believe. But let's hear from Travis view. Travis 229 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 1: is part of Q and on, Anonymous, a podcast that 230 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: spent years looking into Q and It's different ideas. I 231 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: was rabit as both a very sort of complex meta 232 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: conspiracy theory that kind of connects every other conspiracy theory 233 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 1: under its broad kind of umbrella. And also they kind 234 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: of a community of of people who believe in this 235 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: particular extremist worldview. I mean, the broad narrative adheres to 236 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: a lot of classic New World Order conspiracy theories. They 237 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: believe that the world controlled by this satanic cabal pedophiles 238 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: who hold all the lever's power, including entertainment media and politicians, 239 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: And they further believe that that that this cabal with 240 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: continued indefinitely, were not for the election of Donald Trump. 241 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: They believe that Trump, uh, you know, knows all about 242 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: the cabal. In some instances, they believe that Trump has 243 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: been planning for decades to assume the presidency to help 244 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 1: take down take down this cabal. And they further believe 245 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: that you know, Trump is uh you know, with the 246 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 1: help of this high level group of military intelligence officials 247 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: known as Q Team, is send the outcoded messages about 248 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: the secret operation on these image boards. Travis has done 249 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: so much work in too q and On exposing the 250 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 1: many holes in their theories that he's actually become a 251 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 1: kind of enemy of the movement that often tweet about 252 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: him angrily and take the piss out of him and 253 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: his colleagues on YouTube videos all the rest of it. 254 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: They don't like him now. Travis thinks that q and 255 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: on account has changed hands several times from its inception 256 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: on four Chan in two now. You know, even even 257 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: if we we are kind of shaky on the details 258 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: of who exactly was the original cue poster and who 259 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: is now the the author of the que raps, I 260 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: do not think it's the same person. The way that 261 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: Q and on followers determined what is and isn't a 262 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: que drop, as in, was it from que? Was it 263 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: someone pretending to be him is by using something called 264 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: a trip code. Will go deeper into that in a 265 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: later episode, but essentially, a trip code allows an anonymous 266 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: user to be semi identified online. Q and On's checked 267 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: the Q trip code and boom to them, they know 268 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: it's him. The Q and on trip code has changed 269 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: once or twice, and there's other people in the Q 270 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: team's sphere of influence that have different trip codes determining 271 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: their roles. For example, many Q and ons think another 272 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: poster called Q plus is Donald Trump himself. Yeah, they 273 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: really think that he's out there doing that. One and 274 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: on YouTuber called Craig Mason I watched has said it's 275 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: completely obvious that Q plus is Trump because he wants 276 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: kind of sort of made this Q and A plus 277 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: symbol in the air at one of his events whilst 278 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 1: pointing to someone in the crowd. Um, yeah, it's it's 279 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: weird that Travis of you is not convinced. I mean, yeah, 280 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: Trump does this thing at rallies where he points at 281 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: people where he points out a group of people by 282 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: waving his finger in the air. Uh, and and he 283 00:16:56,320 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: got So the QUA community got got the idea of um, 284 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: they that this is a secret signal to the Q 285 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: and that community. I mean, I don't see it. It 286 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: looks like a circle to me. Yeah, it looks more 287 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 1: like a circle. Yeah. Yeah, but but it Yeah, they 288 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,360 Speaker 1: just got into the got into this. Uh, this this 289 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: idea that like basically every gesture, every sort of subtle 290 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 1: sign that Trump gives off is somehow validating to their 291 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: world view. So as you see. The thing about Q 292 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,120 Speaker 1: and on that has helped some of the wild theories 293 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: grow is that it doesn't take a lot for believers 294 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: to see confirmation in the real world. So they'll see 295 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,160 Speaker 1: a Q post and then often shoehorn in an offline 296 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,919 Speaker 1: event such as a throwaway typo in a tweet or 297 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: a hand gesture from Trump to prove that Q is 298 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: who they claim it to be. After all, Q often 299 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: says there are no coincidences, so then the followers think, yeah, 300 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: that's not a coincidence that was meant for us. It's 301 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: kind of like if you look at panned war paper 302 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 1: long enough, you'll see a face in it. The face 303 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 1: isn't meant to be there, It isn't really there, but 304 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: somehow you can see it. It's the same kind of 305 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: thing you catch my drift. So this all ties back 306 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: into the image boards being the place where Q speaks. 307 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 1: They have a culture of mystery and far fetched ideas 308 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: that are often taken seriously. Even through a hail of 309 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 1: cynicism and people throwing insults at the original poster, people 310 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: do still often take a lot of what is going 311 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,639 Speaker 1: out there seriously, even if it seems like everybody is 312 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,159 Speaker 1: telling them to go funk themselves. Now, you might be 313 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: thinking that four chan hardly seems like a place where 314 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:41,920 Speaker 1: you'd expect a highly intelligent White House insider to go 315 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: to to spread information that would ultimately help save America. 316 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 1: According to the two followers, at least, what's more unusual 317 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: is that q quickly immigrated to an even darker image board, 318 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,680 Speaker 1: h Chan. H chan is like four chan's even more 319 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: fucked up evil isn't like for cha, and it had 320 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:03,919 Speaker 1: a similar set up with the image board and what 321 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: have you, but it devolved into something even worse. Specifically, 322 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:12,199 Speaker 1: it became a place for anonymous users to discuss the 323 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 1: sharing of child abuse images pedophiles were actively posting on 324 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: h h and before it was removed from the Internet 325 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: by its web hosting provider. It's now called a coon, 326 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: but we'll get onto that in another episode. Will also 327 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 1: speak about the history of h chan and how it 328 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,640 Speaker 1: became at the way it is, But first let's hear 329 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 1: from Hun's creator, Frederick Brennan. I had kind of always 330 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: been involved in the like alternate four chan universe. There's 331 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 1: all these small image boards that don't really get any 332 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: media attention or they're not really noticed outside, like very 333 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: kind of people that are into internet culture. You know, 334 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: you have like seven chan, four chan, so you get 335 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: like all of these small sites. So, uh, I was 336 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 1: basically like a web developer, and my day job was 337 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:13,439 Speaker 1: doing just freelance web development. And since I was already 338 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: so into image boards, I became kind of friends with 339 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: every image board admin. You know, at the time, I 340 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: don't want to toot my own horn, but they knew 341 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: that I was kind of a good programmer. Now, despite 342 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: what I told you about h and just before Frederick 343 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:33,719 Speaker 1: started speaking there, keep in mind that Frederick Brennan didn't 344 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: create h h and for pedophiles, and he is no 345 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 1: longer in control of it. The Watkins family took the 346 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: image board over in. Watkins will be mentioned a lot 347 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: throughout this series later on, but for now keep that 348 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:52,440 Speaker 1: name in your head. H and basically started after I 349 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: had a mushroom trip and uh, I just thought it 350 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 1: would be really cool to have like this site that 351 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: was like read it and watching and combined. But I 352 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: didn't have any visions in the beginning. I didn't think 353 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,360 Speaker 1: it was ever going to be popular. So let's back 354 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:11,880 Speaker 1: up a second and ask the question you all might 355 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: be wondering. Why the fuck would Q and on a 356 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 1: movement so determined to tear down a political deep state 357 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: with links to a supposed child sex trafficking cabal, except 358 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:27,439 Speaker 1: that its leader drop his leaked info on a website 359 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: that allows pedos to communicate freely with each other. It 360 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: makes no sense. It would be like having an environmentalist 361 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: give a speech at a shell oil conference or something. 362 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: But if you ask Q and On's they'll tell you 363 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: that it's all simply part of the plan, one of 364 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 1: their many mantras. And even though they wouldn't say this, 365 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 1: perhaps the plan from the outside at least looks simply 366 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 1: to be a way for them to achieve their political 367 00:21:55,840 --> 00:22:00,479 Speaker 1: utopia by any means necessary. Any failed predict chin can 368 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,920 Speaker 1: be explained away with the plan. A clear fake post 369 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: becomes a clever red herring with the plan. When Q 370 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: posted his first ever drop on four chan on October seventeen, 371 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,640 Speaker 1: saying Hillary Clinton will be arrested between seven forty five 372 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: am to eight thirty a m e s t. On 373 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:23,959 Speaker 1: Monday the morning on October thirteen, and it didn't happen. 374 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 1: That was all part of the plan. To Hillary was 375 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: not arrested, None of that happened. But to Q and On, 376 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,400 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter. They can explain away anything in this sense. 377 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: As Sarah said earlier, Q and On has become cult 378 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: like in some way, like most conspiracy theories, and arguably 379 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: with most cults, there is a final end game for 380 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:50,360 Speaker 1: Q and On. It's the so called plan that we've mentioned. 381 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: I asked Travis's view about this. I've never really seen 382 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: them explicitly point out what the plan is. Now. I 383 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,199 Speaker 1: know they have the idea of getting everybody out and 384 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 1: trying everybody for treason and hanging them um, but that 385 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: is not a plan. That's like a goal, right, I mean, 386 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 1: is there any indication to what they actually think the 387 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: plan is? No, I no, No. This is the funniest part. 388 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: The plan that they're trusting is secret um so so, 389 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: so they don't know what the plan is, but there 390 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: they know they have to trust it because they think 391 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:24,879 Speaker 1: it's in like I said, they think it's in Trump's hands. 392 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,199 Speaker 1: They think it's in military intelligence hands. They don't know 393 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 1: what the plan is, but they they're very convinced that 394 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 1: there is a plan and it's going to result in, 395 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:38,200 Speaker 1: like you said, the the executions that they want, the 396 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,400 Speaker 1: the sort of return to the world that they want 397 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: to see, I mean love them really believe that there's 398 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: going to be utopia. They think there are hidden cures 399 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: to cancer and other diseases that will be revealed. They 400 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: think that this this fake law called the SARA is 401 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: going to get past and make everyone rich. Uh. They 402 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: think you know that, you know that all the everyone 403 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:02,199 Speaker 1: will kind of real eyes that they were rail along 404 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 1: and all their bluepilled NORMI lib friends will come crawling 405 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: to them and saying I was so wrong and I'm 406 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:11,320 Speaker 1: so sorry, You're so smart. Uh. You know, they really 407 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 1: think that the world's can be a better place. But 408 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: because of this plan, so they trust it even though 409 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:21,720 Speaker 1: they don't know where it is really. So that is 410 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: Q and on Internet image boards, Donald Trump, conspiracy theories, 411 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: and blind faith, all meeting under the same umbrella, radicalizing 412 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: each other further and following an anonymous leader online. It's 413 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: potentially quite dangerous. Just remember the man in the armored 414 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:42,679 Speaker 1: vehicle on the Hoover Dam Bridge. And the run up 415 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 1: to the US election, Q and on is being promoted 416 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: more and more. The followers thing they're going to make 417 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:52,880 Speaker 1: America great again again and have been spreading increasingly more 418 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: erratic conspiracies about election night. As a result, Facebook has 419 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 1: just banned all talk of Q and on on its 420 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: platform after allowing it to flourish for years. This will 421 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: likely push Q and on deeper underground, perhaps further increasing 422 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:11,120 Speaker 1: its radicalization. I think it's more important now than ever 423 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: to truly dig up the ground and show who's the 424 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:17,439 Speaker 1: controller behind the Q and on conspiracy theory. In the 425 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: next episode, we're going to look into the theory that 426 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: Q and on is a prank led by a whole 427 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: group of people supposed left wing activists. Due Clearance is 428 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: brought to you by I Heart Radio and co dat 429 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: Our Media. I'm Jake Hanrahan. You can find me online 430 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: at Jake Underscore hand Rahan. That's h A N A 431 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: h A M. This episode was produced by myself with 432 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 1: fact checking by Sarah Hightower. The music is by Sam 433 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: Black and the sound levels were mixed by Thomas Griffin 434 00:25:53,240 --> 00:26:06,879 Speaker 1: at Splicing Block, sat In