Noted conspiracy theorist and outgoing president Donald Trump may not know how to pronounce QAnon correctly, but he still loves it! This past summer, according to the Washington Post, Trump decided to start musing about QAnon all on his own during a meeting with some Republican senators. And while he bungled its pronunciation, he praised its followers, including newly elected member of Congress Marjorie Taylor Greene, as people who “basically believe in good government.”
From the Washington Post:
In a White House meeting about keeping the Senate, attended by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Todd C. Young (R-Ind.) and other aides, a discussion about the state took a turn when Trump brought up House candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene’s support of the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory, according to people familiar with the discussion.
“Q-an-uhn,” he said, mispronouncing the name of the group, telling those present that it is made up of people who “basically believe in good government.” The room was silent again before Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, leaned forward to say he had never heard it described that way.
In August, Trump had similarly praised QAnon when asked about the conspiracy theory during a coronavirus press briefing, describing its adherents as “people that love our country,” though he seemed most appreciative of the fact that QAnon supporters reserve their deepest adoration for him. “I don’t know much about the movement. I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate,” he said, adding, “I heard these are people that love our country.”
In October, Trump notably both denied knowing anything about QAnon while admitting he did know something about QAnon during his town hall with NBC News’ Savannah Guthrie, this time pronouncing QAnon correctly. “I know nothing about QAnon, I know very little,” he told Guthrie, before contradicting himself. “I do know they are very much against pedophilia, they fight it very hard, but I know nothing about it.”