Hello there. My name is Clint Hendler, and I'm a senior editor at Mother Jones.
Throughout the Trump era, I've helped lead our coverage of disinformation and extremism. The pervasive lies and invective mean it hasn’t always been a pleasant task. But to make sense of it all, luckily I’ve been able to rely on the insights of reporter Ali Breland and his adept monitoring of platform policy, tech regulation, online radicalization, and related topics.
I’m sad to report that Ali recently began a new job at the Atlantic. (While well-wishes are in order, there’s no denying he will be missed at Mother Jones, where one of his specialties has been tracking the bizarre QAnon conspiracy.) But the good news is that he didn’t leave us empty-handed—and that we have just published a final must-read big story based on his years of close observation of the phenomenon.
It’s a brainy look at how, despite its over-the-top dark and lurid sci-fi visions, the self-styled pro-Trump, anti-pedophile Q movement has nonetheless played a major part in remaking America’s cultural politics. Today’s persistent national anti-trans panic, largely pushed along by conservative political figures who don’t maintain explicit links to Q-world, illustrates a vector where its reactionary conspiratorial paranoia has diffused into the real world, with real effects.
As one expert told Ali, even if Q’s overall presence has faded in the wake of Trump’s first term, its impact on such culture wars is clear: “There is a sense in which QAnon won.”
If you want to learn more about how the conspiracy’s stylings and ethos persist—and to learn how to spot its enduring influence—check out the essay here.
—Clint Hendler
P.S. How did a renewable energy project become a battleground in rural New York? My colleagues at Reveal explore a controversial solar project that sparked a seven-year battle—and what it says about our renewable energy future. Listen here!
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