Since the first “Q launch” in 2017, which predicted the imminent arrest of Hillary Clinton, QAnon has made predictions that certain events were about to happen. When these events don’t happen, believers concoct an elaborate explanation for why the predictions didn’t come true and move on to the next event — with many becoming even more faithful. Classic pattern among believers in prophecy.
Before Trump was shot, QAnon promoter Phil Godlewski predicted on his Rumble show to 200,000 followers that there would be “a terrifying event” or a “9/11-type event” in the coming weeks. When Trump was shot, many of Godlewski’s followers were quick to claim that his prediction had come true.
“My friend Q would call me and tell me that if this happened, I shouldn’t be afraid, because it was all part of the plan,” says Jay, who asked to be referred to only by his first name to protect his privacy. “Once the shooting happened, my friend was quick to call me to tell me that ‘it’ had happened, the scary incident. He told me it was a setup, not to be afraid, and to believe that Phil was right, that his sources were correct.”
Jay says his friend continued to claim that the next step would be a global financial reset, before Trump was reinstated in November. “Phil has made many other vague predictions that have not come to pass, but since this vague prediction came to pass, my friend Q is doubling down on his bets,” Jay says.
In at least one case, the shooting apparently caused a former QAnon believer to fall back under the conspiracy’s spell.
Amy, who asked to use only her first name to protect her privacy, says she has known her friend Jane since they met in college 20 years ago. During Trump’s first term, Jane began posting positive messages about the former president on Facebook, and when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Jane delved deeper into QAnon conspiracy theories.
“His posts became unhinged and crazy,” Amy tells WIRED. “Speculations about deep state-type conspiracies. He hated Democrats, Joe Biden, and the Clintons for vast, crazy reasons.”
In recent years, Jane had largely stopped posting conspiracy theories about Trump and the deep state, instead sharing photos and messages about her pets. Then the shooting happened.
“Totally unhinged posts hour after hour,” Amy says, describing Jane’s social media content. “She fully and publicly supported Trump. She blamed the shooting on a liberal wearing a far-right t-shirt. She definitely thinks Joe Biden or the Democrats set it up.”
Katrina Vaillancourt, a former QAnon believer who has written a book Speaking about her experience, she says that if she had still been under the spell, she believes she would have also redoubled her efforts after Trump’s shooting.
“I would have assumed this was a desperate attack by the evil cabal, using their deep state tentacles, including members of the FBI and Secret Service, and the fact that Trump survived is the closest we can get to evidence that God is on Trump’s side,” Vaillancourt tells WIRED. “I would be online doing ‘research’ for at least four hours a day, and up to ten hours a day if something really bothered me, as this would have been.”