 CNN's Allison Camarota usually does panels featuring voters. She kind of like picks their brains about who they're thinking of supporting and why they're supporting said candidates. And I usually find these fascinating. This time she did a panel featuring former QAnon members and individuals who know a loved one who became a QAnon supporter. And I am really excited to watch this. I haven't seen much of this yet, but let's see what she has in store for us. In the aftermath of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, investigators are trying to figure out what happened and how they missed the signs. But one group of Americans did not miss the signs. They saw it coming, and they see another violent battle brewing today. You're about to meet a group of three former QAnon followers and three people whose loved ones are still in the grip of QAnon's conspiracy theories. All of them tell us that the next alarming date comes this week, Thursday, March 4th, to be exact. QAnon has a new plan for violence and destruction, and they don't let reality get in their way. Does anybody understand what is supposed to be happening on March 4th? Well, so March 4th, they're thinking that Donald Trump is gonna come back and he's gonna be the president. Apparently what they said is way back when, it was like 1871, inauguration day used to happen on March 4th, and then Donald Trump will be back and he'll be inaugurated as either the 19th president of the United States Republic or the first president of some new something. They also... Okay, I heard about the March 4th date and that that was supposed to be the day according to people who are still adhering to this conspiracy theory that Trump was supposed to come back. I didn't know like how far reaching it was. Like, I wish that we can get like a sample of how many people, like the percentage of QAnon supporters that were in QAnon are still in QAnon, you know, now that Biden is president. Like, I would love to know. I don't think there's really any meaningful way that you can quantify this. I don't know that people would want to come out as pro-QAnon or all of them would. That's really interesting. As many of you are noticing, it is a March 4th and that has not happened. So now what's gonna happen is the next day gonna be some other time when Trump is supposed to assume power or create some new republic. So many questions. I think that there's going to be this great financial reset both in our country and around the world where debts are just gonna be forgiven, where if you have a mortgage, you don't owe on it anymore. It's just so ludicrous, you know, to put it bluntly. I mean, like, okay, I have to address what she said. Like, this is ruining people's lives. Like, the lie that this new economic system or whatever that Trump is going to unilaterally install, it's gonna forgive mortgages and debts. This is leading to people not paying their mortgages, defaulting on their debts. Now, I don't know how widespread this issue is within the QAnon community, but it's happening. And it is ruining lives. This is serious. Like, this is no longer something to look at and laugh at. Like, this is no longer some, like, hyper-online phenomenon. Like, this is really ruining people's lives and it's terribly sad. And I just, like, I wanna ask these folks, Donald Trump is a Republican. What makes you think that he would support any economic system or any institutions that would allow for the cancellation of mortgages and debt? Like, he could have done that while he was president. I still have family members that don't even believe that Joe Biden is president. Charlotte, is it true that one of your sisters does not today believe that Joe Biden is president? Yes, she now, she calls her daughter that she thinks that the White House is upset. No, no, no, I'm gonna pause it, I'm gonna pause it and I'm gonna guess. I'm gonna say that actually Donald Trump is the president, but she thinks that Donald Trump is wearing Joe Biden's skin over his face to pretend to be Joe Biden, but it's actually Donald Trump. Or Donald Trump shrunk himself and is, like, controlling Joe Biden. Like, that's gotta, I don't know how you can think Trump is the president or Biden isn't the president. Like, it's so, it's scary how detached from reality they are. Like, that is genuinely horrifying to me. That Biden isn't actually president. Wow! Yeah. Wait, did I miss it? What's the reason? A set and that Biden isn't, she thinks that the White House is a set and that Biden isn't actually president. Wow! I need more details about this. That is mind-boggling. Well, the person that I started talking to anyways that had initially got me into QAnon, he was like, you know, Joe Biden's not even real. Like, that's why he's wearing a mask all the time because the fake face that he's wearing, the mouse moved correctly when he talks. What? I did not know it got this like cuckoo for cocoa puffs. That he's not real. So, like, is he is he an android? Like, what the conspiracy has got to be that he's an android? Like, QAnon is kind of like it's an umbrella theory of a lot of other conspiracy theories. Like, it's not just about Q anymore. Like, it has expanded into something entirely different. Like, this virus of Q has mutated and now it's this entirely different beast. That Joe Biden is not even Joe Biden. Okay, so for those of you on the top row who did for a while fall into QAnon. On the top row, that is QAnon, Karen, the individual who destroyed the mask display at Target. Just FYI. Did you understand who was feeding this information and like who the ringleader of it was? No. I didn't know that I was in a QAnon group until I got out of it. Like, I had no idea that the information I got was QAnon information. So do you guys think that there are particular media types, media personalities who also are a gateway to conspiracy theories and QAnon? Well, Newsmax, which is a TV station, definitely, they're just, their reportings are really off the wall. I can remember when Glenn Beck joined Fox News was when my mom became very susceptible to conspiracy theories. She hung on as every word. And then in the more recent years, it's been people like Tucker Carlson. Definitely stuff like Fox News. Tucker Carlson, who doesn't know what Q is, or claims he can't find evidence that Q is a thing. I found myself eliminating 98% of media so I could exclusively watch Fox News and they tell you, don't go anywhere else. Keep your attention here. If you go to any of these other stations, it's fake news. And that is a huge part of what's radicalizing people. These news companies like OAN, Fox News, Newsmax, these aren't news outlets. These are businesses that operate under the facade that they are news. But really what they care about is the bottom line. And so if they think it's more lucrative and it's going to increase profits to drive people into QAnon, they don't care if that affects their legitimacy in a negative way. They just want to increase revenue, which means you do what you can to increase clicks and eyeballs to the television screen. This is dark. We are in the darkest timeline. My telegram chats and in my groups, the only outside media sources of getting information other than the group that they ever said we could, I guess, trust would have been Newsmax or there's Right Side Broadcasting Network. I don't know if they're actually on TV. I know that they're on YouTube. Show of hands, how many of you today think that we do have a domestic terrorism and or white supremacy problem in this country? All of you. Just everything happened with Trump and just his view on the whole thing. And it just really ignited the fire of white supremacy and racism. My concern is that a lot of the threads that weave a lot of these conspiracies together in the Q world are very thinly veiled white supremacy, very thinly veiled anti-Semitism. When I was in these groups, I was like, no, we're not racist. Like, you know, I'm not sneaking out on Wednesday nights to KKK meetings. Like, so I thought I wasn't racist being out of it. I have taken upon myself to have conversations and I've bought books and I'm reading and I'm learning, but as far as domestic terrorism, I think QAnon is a domestic terrorist group. Just seeing to what some of the people say, there's a lot of anger and a lot of confusion. I think it's going to get worse. I worry about a lot of violence. The conversations that's been said in these groups is when March 4th happens, if Trump isn't back, they need to start planning. And they will switch how they talk and communicate, whether it's online or over the phone. They're going to switch the meaning of their words so nobody can pick up and flag it. I have already noted. That's not new, by the way. Fascists nowadays have to do that. This is something that Nazis have been doing forever. So they're now replicating the tactics that we've seen of fascists. I picked up on that. Do you have any examples of that? Speaking of a certain group of people that they consider less desirable, they will use the term Canadians. So they don't like a particular demographic here in America and they refer to them as Canadians. Yes. And is this a particular racial group? Yes. Yeah, can I add to that? Yes. You have just this huge group of people that feel that their country is in danger, their children are in danger, their freedom is in danger. And so they feel like they have to go to war and they have to fight to get things back right. I think the biggest thing that we're looking at... Because if they genuinely believe that like, there is a threat that they have to address, then they will respond in a way that they believe is proportional. That's why we saw hundreds, if not thousands of them storm the capital because they believed that the election was stolen from Donald Trump. They believed that inaction wasn't an option because democracy was at stake. Now ask yourself this, if it were actually the case that an election was stolen, a national election was stolen, wouldn't you think that that would be a justifiable way to save democracy, storm the capital and stop the coup from taking place? So that's what they were doing. They were responding in a way that they believed was to save democracy. In actuality, they were doing what was an attempted coup. They were the ones who were attacking democracy, but that's not the way that they perceived their actions. Especially coming out of the capital riots on January 6th is that people are emboldened to take matters into their own hands. I'm trying to warn everybody of what I see that's going to come. And if this group cannot be stopped, and when March 4th comes and goes, we're gonna be hoping and praying that they push another date out there. Because if not, the insurrection is gonna be a drop in the bucket compared to what's gonna happen. I have to say that's the- Wow. So there's another video that we're gonna get to, but I've just got a comment on that. Like this individual, she's absolutely convinced that there's going to be more violence and that these dates kind of keep them at bay. It gives them something to look forward to. It's a distraction, if you will. But without these dates, without something to keep them going, she is pretty confident that they're going to resort to more violence. That is worse than the capital. I just don't know because what do we do in this situation? In theory, the QAnon conspiracy theory should be over. Biden is in power. What Q said did not happen. So if you're thinking logically, you would put two into together, connect the dots and realize, okay, I'm being duped here. I'm being fooled. But the thing about these sorts of conspiracy theories and cults, which this has, I think, evolved into a cult, is that you don't think logically. You don't think using facts and reason. You think using emotions. And so this is an emotional thing. Their actions and beliefs are driven by their emotions. They believe that they're in danger. That Joe Biden is a threat to their families. And I don't know what way they believe he's a threat. Like it's not in the traditional practical sense that, oh, well, he may not get the stimulus out fast enough. And my family may not eat, they may go hungry. Like this is a different type of threat where they think that Joe Biden poses some sort of supernatural satanic threat in a way. I think is what they believe, but it's hard to keep up because the conspiracy theory, it keeps evolving. But let's go to the second clip here. How many of you think that the pandemic has been a gateway of sorts to QAnon? I think at first, COVID was such an unknown for everybody. And then I think that QAnon rushed in and filled that vacuum with misinformation and disinformation, filling that void again about fear of foreigners. It's the so-called China virus. It's this, it's anything that people can seize upon, that plays upon their fears that are already inherent. And that's really what- What she's saying is totally correct, by the way, because when there's a lot of uncertainties and unknowns, that drives fear and desperation. And when somebody comes along and gives you answers, even if it's the incorrect answers, if you can get any sort of comfort from those answers whatsoever, you might be inclined to take it up. So if QAnon is saying, here's the answers to the questions you're asking, then people can become radicalized by that. Everything she's saying here is absolutely correct and spot on. What I came down to was this overwhelming feeling that came up for me during the pandemic was that I did not think that I was going to be okay. I just had no grasp on reality and what was going on. And I felt like I was on quicksand. So, Bree, your parents are down the QAnon rabbit hole. So do you know how they fell into it? I think last year with the pressure of the election and seeing how Trump was falling in the polls during the COVID pandemic control, I think that was what pushed them to get really into QAnon. I think they were kind of panicking, they were nervous. If you're afraid of vaccines or if you're afraid of 5G or if you're afraid of other countries, I mean, whatever it is that you, I guess have a natural fear of or a suspicion of, Q has a version of itself for you. And I think that that's very true. I think that whatever your specific fear is, you can find essentially what is like a choose your own adventure down a doomsday rabbit hole of whatever you are most afraid of. Well, that's why that right there specifically is why this conspiracy theory is so powerful. Why it's roped in so many seemingly normal people who might not even be like predisposed to think conspiratorially because it has so many components. Like it's not just, hey, Q says this, Q says that there's this like secret pedophile sex ring involving Democrats and Hollywood elites. Like it's beyond that. Now it's grown and it's just unfathomable. Like the reach that this conspiracy theory has is so large now and the impact that it has, the toll that it's taken on people. Like this girl's parents are involved in QAnon. Like I look to my parents for guidance and advice, but to think that like they were taken by this conspiracy theory and I use the word taken deliberately. Like it's sad. Like this is ruining people's lives. And it's just, it is deeply depressing to see this. And we have to try to grapple with the reality of this phenomenon to try to save people because this is hurting them. This is hurting their families. Definitely. I related to the pandemic, kind of bringing people into QAnon. It made it easier because you were cut off from everybody. You know, you're just stuck at home all the time. And all's you're doing is if you're not, yeah, and if you're not watching Netflix, you know, you can only watch that so many times. So then you start your on social media a whole lot more. Serious question. Like how many people were saved from falling into QAnon by animal crossing? Like I'm asking earnestly, I feel like that was like the best distraction at the beginning of the pandemic, but I digress, so let's get back to it. And I think, I mean, that's, I think that's where a lot of people got in. Jordan, tell us who in your life is currently in the grips of QAnon? My cousin, who is a police officer in the Bay Area in California. Oh, that's terrifying, but not surprising. It's scary to know that somebody like that, who is a police officer, is pulling people over and giving tickets and just, you know, it's so radicalized. What are the things that he says to you? He would just start posting things like radical stuff like Antifa, you know, is responsible for the fires. This past summer, we had on the West Coast in Oregon and California, you know, that Antifa dressed up as Trump supporters who raided the Capitol. So in other words, the way he justifies the attack on police officers, Capitol police officers, at the U.S. Capitol, is he believes it couldn't be his people, right? It has to be other people dressed up as Trump supporters. Exactly. It's interesting to hear how people are getting walked into it still, or, you know, after I had left. Yeah, because, Jay, you were from about 2014 to, I guess you got out in 2019, but you got in early. Before it was even called QAnon, you were starting to flirt with, what, some of these conspiracy theories? Was it like Pizza Gate back then? Yeah, so what was the conspiracy theories about? No, because Pizza Gate came out of the WikiLeaks in 2016. What, so QAnon isn't like the origin, like that was a variant of some other conspiracy theory. This is fascinating to me. Obviously, Hillary Clinton, there was like a cabal of pedophiles. Can you just explain that one to me? The cabal of pedophiles that all Democrats are apparently involved in, that is somehow connected to the basement of a pizza parlor? I mean, do you understand why when you're nodding QAnon, that sounds crazy? Oh, it absolutely sounds crazy, absolutely. Why was that plausible to you? We just kind of felt a general state of confusion and paranoia in our lives, if you will. There's very little worse than a pedophile, you know? So it's just a kind of call to action. Well, I think the interesting thing about QAnon that people really need to understand is even if you are in a very well-educated person, you can still fall into this because of the brainwash like mechanism that it has because it operates exactly like a cult. What QAnon basically tells you is here's the information you know. It's no longer true. Here's why. And you are encouraged to quote unquote open your mind and think about it differently. So show of hands, how many of you blame the Facebook or YouTube algorithm for sucking you or your loved ones in? Well, definitely Facebook. Facebook just has such a hold on my cousin and my aunt. I mean, they just believe anything that is shared and just the disinformation. Well, me, it was TikTok. And so, you know, if you start liking certain types of videos or interacting with those people on TikTok, I thought you looked familiar. The algorithm is going to start showing you more of those things. And in there, some conspiracy theories started coming through. The thing that frustrates me the most is TikTok will have their general statement oh, we don't allow QAnon or conspiracy theories on our platform, but I can go to my for you page and I will still see conspiracy theories going out. And what is your advice for if somebody's dealing with a loved one? My advice to anyone that has family members in it is, you know, try to have some compassion or empathy when it deals, you know, with that just because people in these groups, they're terrified. I think family support is the most critical thing to helping people get out of this. So I just can't stress enough, you know, be patient with these people. It's been a really, really tough year for a lot of people and put yourself in other people's shoes. You might not understand their perspective. You might not agree with their ideology, but at least you can love them and have compassion for them as a person, as a human being. I think one of that right there, we're about done. Look, I think that what they're saying is correct. As easy as it is to, you know, shame and laugh at a QAnon person, that's not necessarily what is going to penetrate their bubble. We have to try to approach them from a position of understanding. And honestly, like for me, I'm not gonna be able to de-convert people. Like if you showed them a humanist report video where I talk about how QAnon is bad, you know, that's not going to resonate with them. This needs to come from their loved ones, like husbands, sisters, brothers, because if you don't already have that rapport established with them, like they're not gonna believe you. They're not gonna believe anyone else unless they're reaffirming what they already believe. So if you wanna penetrate that bubble, it has to be someone who they already trust, you know, a family member or a friend. Otherwise, I can't see how anything else can get through to them. And that's even if they're willing to change because if they're not going to be receptive to counter-arguments, if they don't actually wanna change and if they want to be in QAnon, then you might not be able to change their minds. It's tough, like we need to deconvert as many people as possible. I think that should be our mission. But the problem is that this might, you know, be a thing that is really prevalent in their lives now, but maybe a year from now, two years from now, QAnon isn't their go-to conspiracy theory anymore. Maybe it's some new conspiracy theory, it just evolves and they think, oh, well yeah, QAnon was crazy, but this conspiracy theory, this one has legs because I mean, look at this guy. He was in like a conspiracy theory that evolved into QAnon since 2014, like this is before Pete's Gate, this is pre-Trump. So, you know, if somebody is already thinking in that way conspiratorially and they're deep in that cult, deep in that bubble and they're just getting their information from a Facebook group, it's gonna be really hard to reach them. That doesn't necessarily mean that we don't try, but also that means that we have to be real. Some people are not going to want to come out of this. They want to be involved in this, like it gives them comfort, like it's a vice for them. So, I think we should try to learn as much as we possibly can about these conspiracy theories and try to de-convert as much people as possible. And I think that the way that we try to get through these folks is by having loved ones approach them, trying to de-convert them, but coming from a place of understanding and love. And that's all I can say about this. I think this is fascinating, but this is something that we have to address as a society because this is ruining people's lives and it is absolutely sad to see. Like I don't want to see that. I don't want to see people default on their mortgages and become homeless because of this idiotic conspiracy theory. Like I want them to get the help that they need. And as these people said, they're fearful. They're not like, they're not doing this because they're not believing this because they feel as if it's just like enlightening to them and it's interesting and entertaining. Like they're resorting to believing in this because it gives them comfort because they're scared and they're fearful.