Marjorie Taylor Greene has become the first supporter of the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory to win a US House seat.
Greene, a Republican businesswoman, was declared the winner in Georgia’s 14th congressional district, the AP reported. Greene’s Democratic opponent had dropped out in September.
The future congresswoman has faced national scrutiny for racist and bigoted statements and her support of QAnon, a baseless conspiracy theory rooted in antisemitic tropes whose followers believe Donald Trump is secretly fighting against a cabal of Democrats, billionaires and celebrities engaged in child trafficking. The FBI has identified the movement as a potential domestic terrorism threat, and it has repeatedly inspired vigilante violence.
QAnon explained: the antisemitic conspiracy theory gaining traction around the world
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During an August primary runoff, Greene was up against John Cowan, a pro-Trump conservative opposed to abortion rights. Republican officials had initially denounced Greene after videos emerged of her making anti-Muslim, antisemitic and racist statements. The videos, obtained by Politico, appeared to show her arguing that Muslims should be barred from serving in the US government, comparing Black Lives Matter to the Ku Klux Klan and promoting antisemitic falsehoods about the billionaire financier George Soros.
Still, during the primary, Greene’s campaign received support from groups connected to Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, the board chairman of the prominent conservative thinktank the Heritage Foundation, and numerous GOP mega-donors.
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After her victory, leaders and elected officials across the Republican party have largely embraced Greene. Trump has repeatedly praised the candidate and consistently refused to denounce QAnon.
Greene was not the only Republican candidate to support QAnon on the campaign trail this year. Angela Stanton King, a GOP congressional candidate and high-profile ally in Trump’s fight to win over Black voters, also admitted to believing the baseless conspiracy theory even while denying she was a QAnon follower. She is expected to lose in her race for the seat once held by the late civil rights icon John Lewis.
Media Matters, which has tracked misinformation, found 27 candidates on the ballot this month who have endorsed or given credence to QAnon content. Of those, 25 are Republicans, and the other two are independents. Dozens more have ran for office this year, the group said.
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What is QAnon and why is it so dangerous? – video explainer
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