HBO’s QAnon Docuseries Claims 8Chan Administrator Ron Watkins is ‘Q’

HBO is preparing to air a six-part documentary series on QAnon that claims to have uncovered the anonymous leader behind the movement of right-wing conspiracy theorists.

Q: Into the Storm follows a three-year effort by director Cullen Hoback to track QAnon as it crept into mainstream American politics, culminating in the storming of the U.S. Capitol. HBO says the series will address QAnon’s impact with regards to corrosive internet culture, free speech, and information warfare.

According to reports on the upcoming show, a significant portion is devoted to unmasking “Q,” the alias of the anonymous figure whose posts fuel the conspiracy theory.

Hoback conducted interviews with Jim and Ron Watkins, the father/son internet administrators of 8chan (now relaunched as 8kun), which is where QAnon took off. And according to a Daily Beast, the documentary claims Ron Watkins himself is the man behind Q’s posts.

HBO’s trailer included snippets of Hoback’s conversations with the Watkins, including a moment when Hoback tells Ron he’s on the list of people suspected of being Q.

The QAnon movement remained a source of public concern following the storming of the Capitol, but activity from the Q account considerably diminished since that event. The New York Times also noted months ago that when Joe Biden was sworn in as president, Watkins posted an apparent admission of defeat: “We have a new president sworn in and it is our responsibility as citizens to respect the Constitution. As we enter into the next administration please remember all the friends and happy memories we made together over the past few years.”

Watch above, via HBO.

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