QAnon followers are in crisis after watching Joe Biden get sworn in as President as their long-held belief that Donald Trump would seize a second term failed to materialize and their right-wing message board leader told believers to ‘go back to their lives’.
As Biden took his oath of office and Trump left the White House for Florida on Wednesday, some QAnon conspiracy theorists took to right-wing online chat groups to express their disappointment and doubt.
In a dramatic reversal, some members of the far-right Proud Boys even started turning on Trump in chat groups and message boards, declaring him a ‘total failure’ and ‘extraordinarily weak’.
It came as one lonesome MAGA fan arrived at the New York state Capitol waving his Trump flag where he had expected to protest alongside thousands of other supporters. Other Trump supporters were also spotted outside state Capitol buildings in Utah and Arizona, which was a stark contrast to the violent January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.
Meanwhile, message boards were descending into crisis mode as QAnon followers questioned ‘where’s the damn storm?’ and others saying ‘it simply doesn’t make sense that we all got played’.
Many were shocked to learn that their long-held belief in the unfounded conspiracy that top Democrats would be arrested for a sex trafficking ring was not going to materialize and that Trump wasn’t going to bring down the Deep State in the so-called ‘storm’ they had been expecting.
Ron Watkins, who was the administrator of QAnon’s preferred message board 8kun before resigning after the election, also pulled the plug and urged followers to return to their lives.
A lone MAGA supporter, Mark Leggiero, 28, was spotted outside the New York state Capitol on Wednesday. He said he had been expecting thousands of other Trump fans to be there in protest over Biden’s inauguration
Message boards descended into crisis mode during the inauguration with some questioning ‘where’s the damn storm?’ and another saying ‘it simply doesn’t make sense that we all got played’
‘We gave it our all. Now we need to keep our chins up and go back to our lives as best we are able,’ he said.
‘We have a new president sworn in and it is our responsibility as citizens to respect the Constitution regardless of whether or not we agree with the specifics or details regarding officials who are sworn in.
Ron Watkins, who was the administrator of QAnon’s preferred message board 8kun, also pulled the plug and urged followers to return to their lives
‘As we enter the next administration please remember all the friends and happy memories we made together over the past few years.’
Some were furious they had been led to believe the so-called ‘storm’ would occur on Inauguration Day.
‘Wake up. We’ve been had,’ one wrote. Another simply said: ‘It’s over.’
They described feeling duped, saying: ‘Been played like fools’, ‘the silence is deafening’ and ‘OMG none of this was real’.
Another wrote: ‘Well I’m the official laughing stock of my family now. Awesome.’
‘Where was Trump? Where is the military? Where was the insurrection act? What about his EO’s? I’m losing my sh*t right now. Absolutely losing my sh*t’.
QAnon is the conspiracy theory spread largely online and promoted by some right-wing extremists. It is based on cryptic postings by the anonymous ‘Q,’ purportedly a government insider. The first Q ‘drop’ appeared on the 4chan imageboard back in October 2017. ‘Q’ stopped posting online after the election, which led to speculation that the so-called ‘leader’ had abandoned the cause after Trump lost.
Many QAnon followers had believed that thousands of deep state operatives and top Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, would be arrested during an event called ‘The Storm’, which they believed would take place on Inauguration Day.
Ron Watkins, who was the administrator of QAnon’s preferred message board 8kun, also pulled the plug and urged followers to return to their lives
As the inauguration unfolded and followers started raising questions, some were clinging onto hope and urging ‘anons’ to keep the faith.
‘Don’t worry about what happens at 12pm… Watch what happens after that,’ one wrote.
‘I will start kicking people for their attitudes. We are patriots. You stand here and hold the line with us or you can leave. Your choice,’ another wrote.
Some QAnon believers even started peddling a new conspiracy theory that Biden was part of the so-called plan all along and that he would be the one to take down the clique.
‘The more I think about it, I do think it’s very possible that Biden will be the one who pulls the trigger,’ one wrote on a message board.
Some members of the Proud Boys started expressing their disappointment in Trump this week, according to dozens of online conversations seen by the New York Times.
“Trump will go down as a total failure,” one supporter said.
They have now been urging supporters not to attend any future Trump rallies.
The disbelief from both Proud Boys and QAnon came as a lone MAGA supporter spotted outside the New York state Capitol said he had been expecting thousands of other Trump fans to be there in protest over Biden’s inauguration.
Mark Leggiero, 28, was photographed alone and waving his MAGA flag outside the fenced-off Capitol building in Albany this morning.
He had been expecting a few thousand others to be there as well to protest Biden being sworn into office.
‘I was coming out to hopefully join a bunch of peaceful protesters in supporting the cause, that is almost a lost cause now, unfortunately, I’m sad to say,’ Leggiero told local news outlet The Recorder.
Meanwhile, lone Trump supporters were also spotted outside the state Capitol buildings in Utah and Arizona.
Their lone presence was a stark contrast to the violent scenes at the US Capitol on January 6 when MAGA mob rioters stormed the building as Congress certified Biden’s election win.
The discontent for Trump had reportedly been building ever since the riots, which Trump is accused of inciting and later condemning. Some of his staunch supporters are also angry over his willingness to leave the White House.
After the deadly attack at the Capitol, the Secret Service stepped up security and locked down Washington DC with more than 25,000 troops and police called to duty to protect the capital.
NEW YORK: Mark Leggiero says he had been expecting a few thousand others to be there as well to protest Biden being sworn into office out the New York Capitol building in Albany
UTAH: A lone Trump supporter walks in front of the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City during the inauguration
ARIZONA: A lone armed protester objecting to the inauguration of President Joe Biden stands outside the Arizona Capitol holding an American flag in Phoenix
The scenes in DC and outside state Capitols across the country were in stark contrast to the January 6 riots at the US Capitol. QAnon shaman Jacob Chansley, who stormed the Capitol building during last week’s riot wearing horns, (pictured above) was among those arrested in the aftermath
Hundreds of MAGA supporters breeched security and stormed the Capitol on January 6 in a bid to stop Biden’s election win being certified
States across the country deployed National Guard troops after warnings from law enforcement of potential violence during the inauguration.
Federal agents have been monitoring ‘concerning online chatter’ ever since, which included an array of threats against elected officials and discussions about ways to infiltrate the inauguration.
Twelve National Guard members were removed from the security operation a day earlier after vetting by the FBI, including two who had made extremist statements in posts or texts about Wednesday’s event.
Pentagon officials would not give details on the statements.
The FBI vetted all 25,000 members in an extraordinary security effort in part over the presence of some ex-military in the riot.
Two other officials told The Associated Press that all 12 were found to have ties with right-wing militia groups or to have posted extremist views online.
The officials, a senior intelligence official and an Army official briefed on the matter, did not say which fringe groups the Guard members belonged to or what unit they served in.
The officials told the AP they had all been removed because of ‘security liabilities.’
Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, confirmed that Guard members had been removed and sent home, but said only two cases were related to inappropriate comments or texts related to the inauguration.
He said the other 10 cases were for issues that may involve previous criminal behavior or activities but were not directly related to the inaugural event.
As Biden took his oath of office on Wednesday, members who believe in the QAnon conspiracy theory took to right-wing online chat groups to express their disappointment Trump wasn’t going to bring down the Deep State
Trump and Melania are pictured above before leaving DC on Wednesday morning before the inauguration
Thousands of National Guard troops look on during the inauguration of Joe Biden. After the deadly Capitol siege attack, the Secret Service stepped up security and locked down Washington DC with more than 25,000 troops and police called to duty to protect the Capital
Thousands of National Guardsmen lined the perimeter of the National Mall on Wednesday during Biden’s inauguration following threats of potential violence
National Guard soldiers were spotted at Farragut Square in Washington DC following Biden’s inauguration