Fox News
- Fox News’ Tucker Carlson defended QAnon on his widely-viewed show.
- He mocked those who say the movement is a threat, and said attacks have an ulterior motive.
- The GOP is increasingly split between those who indulge conspiracy theories and those who don’t.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday defended the QAnon conspiracy theory movement, whose adherents groundlessly believe that Donald Trump is planning a purge of child-abusing Democrats who run the world.
The conspiracy theory has been embraced by many of Trump’s grassroots supporters, and has found support in the mainstream Republican Party.
But it is coming under increased scrutiny, after adherents played key roles in the January 6 Capitol riot in which five people died.
The movement has been described by the FBI as a domestic terror threat, and been linked to a string of violent crimes.
—Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) January 26, 2021
President Joe Biden has ordered a review of the threat from domestic extremism following the riot.
Carlson in a segment of his show Monday mocked journalists for not treating "Chinese hegemony" or "elite mismanagement of the economy" as key issues facing America, but instead claiming that "the real threat is a forbidden idea, something called QAnon."
Read more: Trump campaign disavows newly formed 'Patriot Party'
"We're watching a profound change taking place in American society and it's happening very fast. The stakes could not be higher," Carlson continued.
"There's a clear line between democracy and tyranny between self-government and dictatorship. And here's what that line is. That line is your conscience. They cannot cross that.
"Government has every right to tell you what to do. No democratic government can ever tell you what to think. Your mind belongs to you and it is yours and yours alone.
"Once politicians attempt to control what you believe they are no longer politicians they are by definition dictators. And if they succeed in controlling what you believe you are no longer a citizen, you are not a free man, you are a slave."
—Alex Kaplan (@AlKapDC) January 26, 2021
Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
His remarks come as a divide grows between Republicans who have remained loyal to Trump and his conspiracy theory-driven supporters following the January 6 riot, and those, such as Senator Ben Sasse, who believe that conservatives need to challenge and root out the QAnon movement.
Some conservatives, including Carlson and Senator Rand Paul, have sought to portray Biden's campaign against white supremacy, which he outlined in his inauguration speech, as a campaign that would result in the persecution of ordinary Republicans.
Alex Kaplan, of right-wing media monitoring groups Media Matters, said that Carlson has invited several guests on his show in the past who had expressed support for QAnon, including Noor bin Laden, the niece of terrorist Osama bin Laden.
During the Trump administration, Fox News regularly provided a platform where Trump, his allies, and loyal hosts could spread conspiracy theories about issues including COVID-19, voter fraud, and the probe into Trump's dealings with Russia.