Critics Mortified That Trump Refused to Denounce QAnon When Asked at Presser: He’s Giving a ‘Domestic Terror Movement’ a ‘Wink and a Nod’
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President Donald Trump’s critics were mortified that he refused to denounce the conspiracy theory group QAnon when asked about it during his Friday briefing.
Trump praised QAnon-supporting Republican congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene on Friday after he was asked if he believes in the conspiracy theory by Associated Press White House correspondent Jill Colvin.
“Well, she did very well in the election, she won by a lot. She was very popular, she comes from a great state, and she had a tremendous victory, so absolutely, I did congratulate her,” Trump replied.
Author and political columnist Seth Abramson noted that the FBI labeled them a “domestic terror movement” while NBC News reporter Ben Collins pointed out QAnon might “spin this into a win.”
Several other pundits and journalists were shocked by the president’s failure to decry the group, taking to Twitter to share their outrage:
QAnon believers have waited for this day for years.
Some believed—no joke—that he would respond to this with the sentence “Ladies and gentleman, the storm is upon us,” and this would trigger mass arrests of the babyeaters.
Still, Q folks will find a way to spin this into a win. https://t.co/8O9kucnaLU
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) August 14, 2020
QAnon is a domestic terror movement, per the FBI. Trump won’t decry it. https://t.co/fnBSKRpkSa
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) August 14, 2020
Should be pretty easy to disavow and perhaps even mock the lunacy that is QAnon but ya know, Trump. https://t.co/44RFx6QU6p
— Adam Green (@theAdamGreen) August 14, 2020
a reporter directly asking trump about q is the qanon community’s dream. they’ve been begging reporters to do this for years, so that they can eventually contort whatever his answer is into proof that q is real https://t.co/bZKYw4HIwd
— Ali Breland (@alibreland) August 14, 2020
So, Trump skipped his OANN layup question to take an easy one form “Gateway Pundit”? While refusing to answer a question from AP’s reporter on QAnon.
— Tim Kephart (@timkephart33) August 14, 2020
WH press corps — keep asking this question and force Trump either to embrace QAnon, disavow it, or make clear that he’s too much of a coward to take a position. https://t.co/kMt0hlUD98
— Eric Columbus (@EricColumbus) August 14, 2020
1. Below the President of the United States refuses to disavow QAnon.
2. @justinhendrix article on the FBI’s warnings linking promotion of QAnon to violent extremism:https://t.co/SwE5GhajYZ https://t.co/lhMWKscZjN
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) August 14, 2020
This is not refusing to answer the question. It’s confirming that he does believe it. We don’t need to pretend trump might not believe conspiracy theories when he amplifies them every day https://t.co/mKnyEdIWcM
— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) August 14, 2020
I’m glad someone finally asked Trump about QAnon. But WH reporters need to press Trump on this more, and come better prepared. This isn’t some zany, harmless thing. This is a domestic terrorism movement getting a wink and a nod from the White House.
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) August 14, 2020
Trump’s reliance on conservative outlets in the briefing room grows each day. Today, he ducked a question on QAnon & instead called on a reporter who asked about his brother’s health. Last question went to Gateway Pundit, right-wing site which spreads conspiracy theories itself.
— Gabe Fleisher (@WakeUp2Politics) August 14, 2020
Here’s how a POTUS should answer QANON question:
Those people are fucking insane. Shit birds. Totally unhinged. Detached from reality. They make up something stupid and then add to it like a game of telephone, but with a circle of morons. I want 0 to do with that total bullshit.
— JeremyNewberger (@jeremynewberger) August 14, 2020
QAnon is a deeply dangerous conspiracy theory and POTUS shouldn’t hesitate to disavow it.
Here’s an important story from @TheAtlantic about the roots & perils this conspiracy theory poses to democracy:https://t.co/JXNIqmingE https://t.co/LpyfRD9t6S pic.twitter.com/Iad93IDOy0
— Chellie Pingree (@chelliepingree) August 14, 2020
Your modern GOP is now a branch of QAnon https://t.co/OSx718IWGK
— Markos Moulitsas (@markos) August 14, 2020
Trump’s comments about Marjorie Taylor Greene and her QAnon conspiracy theories are repugnant: “Well, she did very well in the election. She won by a lot. She was very popular. She comes from a great state and she had a tremendous victory so absolutely I did congratulate her” pic.twitter.com/klcTM40SRv
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 14, 2020
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