WE’LL BE BACK IN >>> IT’S CALLED QANON, A FRENCH
CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT SOME
ANALYSTS HAVE LIKENED TO AN
ONLINE RELIGION, NOW MAKING ITS
WAY TO THE BALLOT BOX.
JOINING US NOW, NBC NEWS
CORRESPONDENT MORGAN RADFORD.
MORGAN, THIS SEEMS LIKE IT’S
KIND OF SPREADING IN WAYS YOU
WOULDN’T EXPECT.
WOULDN’T EXPECT. >> Reporter: IT’S SPREADING AND
IT’S GROWING, MIKA.
IF YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF QANON,
YOU’RE NOT ALONE.
IT’S A RADICAL CONSPIRACY THEORY
ABOUT A GROUP OF DEEP STATE
MODERATORS AND PREDATORS ALL AT
WAR WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP.
IT STARTED A YEAR AFTER
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS ELECTED, BUT
AS WE LEARNED IN OUR REPORTING,
THIS HAS ACTUALLY BECOME A
POLITICAL MOVEMENT, NOT JUST
ONLINE BUT ALSO ON THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL.
TRAIL. YOU CAN FIND THEM AMONG THE
THOUSANDS AT THE PRESIDENT’S
RALLIES.
RALLIES. DO YOU THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF
OTHER QANON PEOPLE AT THIS
RALLY?
RALLY? >> YES.
>> YES. >> HOLDING SIGNS, THEY’RE A
RADICAL CONSPIRACY THEORY KNOWN
AS QANON.
AS QANON. >> WHAT DOES QANON STAND FOR?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
IT’S ABOUT THE PRESIDENT AND A
AM
AM MALICIOUS RING OF PRESIDENTS IN
THE DEEP STATE.
>> I THINK HILLARY CLINTON HAS
ACTUALLY BEEN ARRESTED AT ONE
POINT.
POINT. >> I DO.
>> I DO. >> Reporter: AND YOU BELIEVE WE
JUST DON’T KNOW ABOUT IT WHY?
>> BECAUSE YOU GUYS DON’T WANT
US TO KNOW.
>> Reporter: IT’S A WIDE-RANGING
CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT’S MOVED
FROM VOTERS TO A GROWING NUMBER
OF POLITICAL CANDIDATES.
>> I HOPE I CAN GET YOUR VOTE.
>> Reporter: REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE MATTHEW LUSK IS
RUNNING FOR CONGRESS IN
FLORIDA’S FIFTH DISTRICT.
AMONG THE DOZENS OF ISSUES
LISTED ON HIS CAMPAIGN WEBSITE
IS QANON.
IS QANON. >> I THINK THERE ARE PEDOPHILE
RINGS AMONG THE BUREAUCRACY.
>> SIRM, I COULDN’T HEARI’M SORR
THE LAST PART.
>> I THINK THERE ARE PEDOPHILE
RINGS.
RINGS. >> Reporter: AND HE’S NOT ALONE.
IT’S UNCLEAR WHAT THEY BELIEVE,
BUT CONGRESS HAS PROMOTED
MESSAGES AFFILIATED WITH QANON,
EITHER WITH CAMPAIGN TWITTER
ACCOUNTS OR IN PERSON.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE IN QANON?
>> THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE
PUTTING INFORMATION ON THE
INTERNET.
INTERNET. >> HERE IN CALIFORNIA’S 56th
DISTRICT, CANDIDATE ERIN CRUZ
HAS A BANNER DISPLAYED AT THE
REPUBLICAN HEADQUARTERS.
REPUBLICAN HEADQUARTERS. PEOPLE HAVE DESCRIBED QANON AS A
CONSPIRACY THEORY.
CONSPIRACY THEORY. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?
>> A CONSPIRACY THEORY ONLY
SOUNDS CRAZY UNTIL IT’S PROOVRVE
>> DO YOU THINK A CANDIDATE WHO
WANTS TO WIN IN 2020 CAN
DISPENSE QANON SUPPORTERS?
>> NO, YOU SHOULDN’T DISPENSE
THEM.
THEM. >> BUT THEY’VE BEEN WARNED THEY
COULD TAKE CRIMINAL OR VIOLENT
ACTION.
ACTION. IN JULY A 24-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS
CHARGED IN THE REPEATED SHOOTING
OF A MOB BOSS.
THEY SAID HE WAS MOTIVATED BY
QANON.
QANON. WRITTEN ON HIS HAND WAS QANON.
>> THAT’S WHERE D.B.S., IF YOU
WILL, COMES INTO PLAY.
>> PART OF A MESSAGE THAT’S WON
BEFORE.
BEFORE. SO WE REACHED OUT TO THE RNC AND
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE ON THIS
SINCE ALL OF THESE ARE
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES.
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. THE NRCC TELLS US THE
ORGANIZATION DOES NOT GET
INVOLVED IN PRIMARIES, AND WE
SHOULD ALSO SAY THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF HAS AMPLIFIED QANON
TWITTER ACCOUNTS MANY TIMES,
ALTHOUGH HE’S NEVER EXPLICITLY
ACKNOWLEDGED THE CONSPIRACY
THEORY, HE HAS RETWEETED
PROFILES WITH THE QANON PROFILE
AND MESSAGING IN THEIR BIOS.
HE ALSO TOOK A PHOTO WITH A
QANON BOOSTER AND HOST.
WE REACHED OUT WITH NO RESPONSE,
MIKA.
MIKA. >> HOW DID THE CANDIDATES
RESPOND WHEN YOU APPROACHED THEM
ABOUT THIS CONSPIRACY THEORY?
>> IT’S INTERESTING.
WE CONTACTED EACH OF THE
CAMPAIGNS.
CAMPAIGNS. ONE OF THEM DECLINED TO BE
INTERVIEWED OR PROVIDE A
STATEMENT, BUT DANIELLE IN
MINNESOTA SAID, I FIND IT
APPALLING THAT NBC WOULD WORK SO
FEVERISHLY TO DEFEND CHILD AND
SEX TRAFFICKERS, THEIR FUNDERS
AND ENABLERS.
AND ENABLERS. SHE DIDN’T EVER ACTUALLY DISAVOW
THAT CONSPIRACY THEORY, MIKA.
>> NBC’S MORGAN RADFORD, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT REPORT.
>>> STILL AHEAD, THE LATEST
POLLING FROM SEVERAL KEY
BATTLEGROUND STATES AND NEW
REPORTING ON WHETHER MICHAEL
BLOOMBERG IS SERIOUS ABOUT
ENTERING THE RACE.
>>> PLUS, WE’LL DIG INTO WHY
FORMER U.N. AMBASSADOR NIKKI
HALEY IS STILL GOING OUT OF HER