Independent journalist and conspiracy theory researcher Mike Rothschild said Monday that QAnon is now ‘part of the fabric’ of the Republican Party.
Rothschild appeared on “CNN Newsroom” with host Kate Bolduan and discussed Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse’s Saturday article in The Atlantic that warned of the damage being done to the GOP by the QAnon conspiracy theory.
“The violence that Americans witnessed—and that might recur in the coming days—is not a protest gone awry or the work of ‘a few bad apples,’” Sasse wrote in the op-ed. “It is the blossoming of a rotten seed that took root in the Republican Party some time ago and has been nourished by treachery, poor political judgment, and cowardice.”
Bolduan began by asking Rothschild what he thought of Sasse’s argument.
“I think it is about two and a half years too late,” began Rothschild. “If the Q shaman is busting into the U.S. Capitol and defacing the senators’ desks, QAnon is already part of the fabric of the GOP. It is way too late.”
Rothschild was referring to a man wearing a fur headdress and face paint who took part in the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. He was photographed at various points throughout the riot, including on the floor of the Senate chamber sitting in the chair reserved for the president of the Senate. The mob was made up of supporters of President Donald Trump. (RELATED: ‘QAnon Shaman’ Seeks Presidential Pardon From Trump, Says He Received ‘Invitation’ To Riot)
Bolduan noted that many people taking part in the riot were seen wearing QAnon clothing and holding signs that mentioned QAnon. She then asked what sort of people fell for these types of conspiracy theories and why.
“The people who fall prey to QAnon are everyone. It could be anybody,” Rothschild responded. “Anybody looking for an easy answer to a complex problem, anybody looking for a villain to pin their own personal problems on. Anybody looking for secret knowledge who wants to feel special and important and like they know something that other people don’t. That is who believes in Q. It is everybody. It is anybody. Nobody is above believing in things like this.”